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UC Berkeley Professor of Chemical=20 Engineering Zellerbach Hall May 24, 2008 7:00 PM "Berkeley: The Tacit Dimension" Thank you, Dean Heathcock, for this opportunity to extend = greetings to=20 the graduates of 2008. It is one of the characteristics of all human societies to mark = life=92s=20 milestones with celebration. Graduation from a university is = surely one of=20 the happiest of these and therefore all over the United States, = groups=20 like this one assemble at this time of year to celebrate a joyful = day. The=20 element of joy is one of the key ingredients in a day like this. = But it is=20 also a time for reflection, a time to ask from where you have come = and how=20 your recent past will influence what lies ahead. I want to reflect briefly with you on what Berkeley has done = for you=20 and the importance of that for your future. I do not want to dwell = on the=20 specialized scientific education that you have received because we = are all=20 well aware of the exciting professional opportunities that await = you.=20 Instead, I want to say something about the not-so-obvious features = of=20 Berkeley, about the dimension of your experiences here which you = absorb=20 unknowingly, almost unconsciously, which you received by your = daily=20 contact as a member of a most unusual community. I want to call to = your=20 attention some features of Berkeley that have influenced you = profoundly=20 and will continue to do so. I call this not-so-obvious = characteristic of=20 Berkeley its tacit dimension, that is, those parts of Berkeley = that=20 determine its social and intellectual climate, in short, its = atmosphere=20 that reflects its values, that is so pervasive that we tend to = take it for=20 granted. Before I describe this tacit dimension, I want to assert that = it=20 provides the basis of the personal growth that is the ultimate = purpose of=20 education. Berkeley=92s tacit dimension provides a powerful = response to the=20 admonition of Mark Twain: Your parents made you what you are but = it=92s your=20 fault if you stay that way. I see three aspects of this tacit dimension. The first one concerns respect for objective truth, for = rational=20 evidence, for the superiority of logic over prejudice and = superstition,=20 for the faith that important problems are more likely to be solved = by=20 detached intellectual effort than by emotional impulse. We = rarely=20 discuss this attitude of respect; we assume its validity = and we=20 act in accord with it. In Berkeley, we accept it tacitly as = one of=20 the cornerstones of the way we live. While this respect is shared by most educated people in the = modern=20 world, we know that it was not always so, that there were many = periods in=20 history where respect for rational thought was displaced by = irrational=20 fervor, sometimes with cruelty and bloodshed, often with scorn and = blind=20 fanaticism. Striking examples of disrespect for truth are provided by the = church=92s=20 isolation of Galileo; by the ridicule that tormented Charles = Darwin; by=20 the anti-Semitism that plagued Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud; = and in=20 our own country, by political action to suppress the teaching of = evolution=20 in our public schools. We know that these outrages existed throughout history, but we = tend to=20 forget that they exist even today. Daily, the newspapers = report=20 incidents of fanaticism where respect for rational thought is = annihilated=20 by ideological passion. I am thinking not only of the = Ayatollahs in=20 Iran or the suicide bombers in Israel and Iraq; I am also thinking = of=20 contemporary America, of lethal homophobia in Wyoming, of = fanatical Branch=20 Dividians in Texas and of current intemperate attacks on = socio-biology,=20 stem-cell research, genetic engineering, intelligence testing, = nuclear=20 energy and fluoridation of water. While I recognize that = there are=20 reasonable arguments concerning these issues, I remind you = of the=20 flood of prejudice and emotional or shameless political propaganda = which=20 is designed to discredit these scientific issues, not because they = are=20 intellectually incorrect but merely because they displease. Those who believe as you and I do, that scientific evidence is = not all,=20 but surely a large part, of wisdom, recoil unhappily at the power = of=20 ideology over logic, at the tyranny of ignorance over = knowledge. =20 Respect for rational evidence, I claim, is one aspect of = Berkeley=92s tacit=20 dimension. At Berkeley, we believe in the usefulness of rational research = to help=20 solve problems, even if the immediate results of that research may = run=20 counter to our cherished opinions. We believe that while = preference,=20 tradition and custom deserve respectful consideration, they should = not=20 halt the quest for truth. We believe, in other words, that = the past=20 has a voice but not a veto. This aspect of Berkeley=92s tacit dimension holds that rational = thought=20 must withstand the rude clamor of the day and the hostile winds of = doctrine. This tacit, fundamental value of Berkeley produces = the man=20 or woman who makes it a point of honor not to be deceived. The second aspect of Berkeley=92s tacit dimension is in sharp = contrast to=20 the first; it affirms that despite its tremendous importance, = science is=20 not all pervasive, that the intellectual spectrum of an = intelligent person=20 must also encompass areas that are not subject to quantitative = measurement=20 and are not classified by that systematic categorization which is = so=20 characteristic of science. The atmosphere on this campus = pleads for=20 a balance between science and humanistic knowledge. Berkeley = believes that the humanities are an essential part of that = legitimate=20 inquiry which must be pursued to attain a high quality of = life. We value history, literature and the arts not merely because we = want to=20 fill our leisure hours with enjoyable entertainment. What = gives=20 intellectual pleasure is a matter of personal preference; for = some, rock=20 and roll provides pleasure, while for others, it may be Mozart. = That is=20 not the point. The importance of the humanities lies in = responding=20 to some deeply-felt need to understand the world around us. = Science=20 alone cannot do that. Scientists want to know how they and = other=20 human beings work, alone and together. The subtle dynamics = of human=20 personality and human interaction are not yet=97if indeed, = ever=97described by=20 scientific methods. If we want to penetrate this realm, we = do better=20 by giving favorable attention to art, music, literature, history = and=20 philosophy. By offering on this campus a wealth of cultural = activities=97concerts,=20 ballet, art shows, theater=97beyond an unmatched number of = lectures on every=20 conceivable subject of human inquiry, by doing this, Berkeley = affirms that=20 involvement in humanistic studies and cultural events is an = important=20 contribution toward producing a human being who would and should = be more=20 than a robot. The purpose of Berkeley=92s respect for the humanities is not = to provide=20 entertainment which is superior to most television shows. This = tacit=20 respect, which is rarely discussed but which is in full evidence = every day=20 on campus, follows from the distinction between two types of = knowledge:=20 one type concerns scientific, verifiable, quantitative knowledge = while the=20 other concerns inner knowledge, the kind that cannot be reduced to = mathematics or to simple language. However, this inner = knowledge can=20 be transmitted through symbols, through sounds and gestures, = through=20 shapes and colors, through stories and poems, in short, through = creative=20 imagination. Berkeley=92s tacit dimension asserts that both = science and=20 humanities are necessary for a meaningful life. Although not explicitly pointed out in a course or lecture, = this=20 respect for humanistic studies and activities is something you = have=20 absorbed during your Berkeley years. In your social contacts, you = have met=20 students from other departments; you have read about cultural = events in=20 the campus newspaper; you have seen the billboards for theater, = jazz=20 festivals, museum exhibits and string quartets. At the dinner table, or late at night, over beer or coffee, you = have=20 debated the age-old problems of humanity: What is good? What is = evil? What=20 is justice? In other words, you have been exposed to the idea that = humanistic activities comprise an integral part of the human=20 intellect. You have accepted Berkeley=92s belief that the = arts and the=20 study of culture contribute to a life well-lived. You have = absorbed,=20 without conscious knowing, this second aspect of Berkeley=92s = tacit=20 dimension: all of the mind=92s faculties deserve = sympathetic=20 attention. I come now to Berkeley=92s third tacit dimension, to that part = of=20 Berkeley that is neither science nor humanities, that is not = academic but=20 that is intimately concerned with the affirmation of life, with = what=20 theologians call =93the ground of being.=94 I refer to the = vibrant=20 spirit, the sense of fun, the singing, the laughter, the guitar = playing,=20 the jogging and bicycling, the ubiquitous coffee houses, in short, = the=20 expression of joyful well-being which permeates this campus more = than any=20 other. This tacit dimension is best described by a simple = fact: this=20 campus is never dull; it is full of activity, color and = enthusiasm. =20 In Berkeley, there is no room for boredom. Just think of Sproul Plaza and Telegraph Avenue. Heated=20 discussions on every conceivable topic: politics, morals, sports,=20 religion; earnest, often passionate, publicity and recruitment for = a=20 variety of organizations, all more or less concerned with saving = the=20 world. There are political speakers, beaters of African = drums; there=20 is street theater and mimicry; there are religious zealots and = moral=20 crusaders; there is outlandish clothing, crazy hairstyles, exotic = foods,=20 outrageous banners, campus activists sitting in trees; there is a = mingling=20 of the serious and the absurd, the revolutionary and the = traditional, all=20 accompanied by barking dogs. One of my favorite Sproul Plaza = characters was the young man in a spacesuit who, for one dollar, = would=20 sell you a deed for an acre of land=97on the moon. Throughout this campus there is a spirit of fun, of saying yes = to life,=20 of affirming that life is worth living, denying despair, with hope = for the=20 future. And there is humor that gives perspective to our = learning. A few=20 years ago, on the beer-cellar wall of Larry Blakes=92 was a = splendid=20 graffito:
There is no campus with more vitality than Berkeley=92s. = Those of=20 you who have not visited other universities, especially in other=20 countries, cannot fully appreciate the uniqueness of the Berkeley = campus=20 in creating this atmosphere of joy and vivaciousness. I have seen = many=20 campuses where there is little color, where most buildings and = most people=20 are gray, where there is no song, no laughter, no fun, where dogs = are=20 afraid to bark. Berkeley is blessed with a holy sense that = life is=20 delightful and that proper living means joy and good cheer. = This=20 tacit dimension gives us a sense of value that goes far beyond = what we=20 learn in classes or laboratories. But there is more. I have called your attention to our = vibrant=20 campus, but even late in the day or on Sunday morning, when = population is=20 low, there is evidence of that affirmation of life which = constitutes a=20 part of Berkeley=92s tacit dimension. I refer to the sense = of beauty=20 which surrounds us, to the consistent landscaping, the care given = to=20 trees, bushes and flowers. Despite reduced budgets and = despite=20 economies of all sorts, Berkeley has never skimped in its = dedication to=20 the principle that =93Green is the golden tree of life.=94 = Despite the=20 budget cuts of Governor Schwarzenegger, despite the tyranny of=20 short-sighted accountants, somehow, we find the funds to keep the = campus=20 blooming, to make real our respect for natural beauty. Providing beautiful surroundings is not an academic matter. It = is a=20 response to our human need for aesthetic satisfaction, a need that = Berkeley recognizes and affirms. When the huge old eucalyptus facing the West Gate near the = Valley Life=20 Sciences Building became ill, experts on tree pathology were = consulted to=20 save it. Weekly bulletins appeared in the Daily = Californian=20 reporting to a concerned university community the progress of = what,=20 at that time, was the campus=92 most cherished patient; happily, = it=20 recovered. The new Stanley Hall, immediately North of the College of = Chemistry,=20 was not yet finished, when a host of gardeners arrived to plant = trees and=20 bushes all around the periphery. When the optometry building was under construction, a large old = tree=20 was in the way. That tree was not cut down; despite heavy = expense,=20 tractors and huge cranes arrived to move the tree about 30 yards = to a safe=20 position near Hertz Hall where today it is one of the most = magnificent=20 trees on the campus. This moving operation required several days = and cost=20 many thousands of dollars. When all the machinery was = finally in=20 place and the cranes lifted the venerable tree, bringing it to its = new=20 home, I was one of about a hundred onlookers who broke into = spontaneous=20 applause. It was a moment that I will not forget. Here = was=20 Berkeley at its best. I am sure you understand that I am not merely talking = about=20 the kaleidoscope on Sproul Plaza nor about the preservation of old = trees. I am talking about values. I am saying that = Berkeley=20 believes in vitality, optimism and beauty just as it believes in = science=20 and humanities. I am saying that Berkeley affirms all = aspects of=20 life that make life worthwhile. By witnessing and being a = part of=20 that affirmation, you have received an element of education of = which you=20 have, perhaps, been unaware. But I am certain that, = unconsciously,=20 this element has made a permanent mark on your own sense of = values, on=20 your individual sense of what is truly important. Beauty is an essential part of a happy life. An old = Chinese=20 proverb says: If you have only two pennies left, use one to buy a = bowl of=20 rice but use the other to buy a lily. Berkeley=92s tacit dimension is not transmitted through = lectures and=20 laboratories. It is transmitted through daily experience and = participation. Education is practiced in many ways and there is much argument = about=20 which ways are most effective. But there is general = agreement that=20 the best education, the one that lasts, is education by = example. =20 What Berkeley says, may or may not be remembered. But what = Berkeley=20 does, what Berkeley is, has made an impression on you that you = will not=20 forget. I have outlined three aspects of what I have called the tacit=20 dimension, those parts of Berkeley which are rarely mentioned in = lectures=20 or textbooks. It is a dimension which is not covered by = homework=20 assignments or final examinations. Rather, it is a dimension = provided by Berkeley=92s unique atmosphere. It is a = dimension that has=20 become a part of you without your notice, one that influences your = judgment of what is important and what is not, what is right and = what is=20 wrong. Which of these three is the most important? Is it the = respect for=20 rational thought that we harbor in the sciences; is it the need = for human=20 intellectual inquiry that we require to lead balanced lives, or is = it the=20 affirmation of exuberance and delight and beauty that transcends=20 intellectual pursuits? Clearly all three are important and in = elevating=20 one of them I would not want to lower the others. And yet, this assembly here today, this celebration of = graduation,=20 gives us a clue as to what ultimately matters most. = Graduation is=20 primarily a celebration of joy, of looking back with satisfaction = on past=20 achievements and of looking ahead with anticipation toward = mastering new=20 challenges. There is no rational reason for putting = on a=20 cap and gown, for exchanging congratulations, for eating cake, for = presenting bouquets of flowers, for smiling at the camera. = We do=20 these things not for material gain or for advertising our = intellectual=20 prowess but merely for the fun of it, for expressing our joy and = for our=20 need to share that joy with others. Our voluntary choice to mark the end of your Berkeley stay with = a=20 celebration suggests to me that it is the third tacit dimension, = the=20 affirmation of life, which is the crown of the Berkeley = experience. =20 We say farewell to each other not by recalling Newton=92s theory = of=20 gravitation or by reciting the plot of Hamlet but by = expressing=20 with warm feeling the occurrence of a milestone. And so it = will be=20 for all future milestones in your lives. The great events = before=20 you=97a new job, a promotion, a marriage, a birth of a child and = even the=20 death of a loved one=97will be marked primarily by feelings, = feelings of=20 pride and happiness and sometimes by feelings of disappointment = and=20 sadness. In such situations what moves us deeply and what = sustains=20 us is our sense of values, what truly matters, our human qualities = that=20 give us the ability to distinguish between what is good and what = is bad,=20 what is permanent and what is fleeting. When you leave Berkeley, you will carry with you a sense of = values=20 based on Berkeley=92s tacit dimension: the respect for truth based = on=20 evidence, the respect for broad knowledge that goes beyond = scientific=20 inquiry and most of all, the respect for nature, the importance of = fun and=20 humor and beauty and imagination, the conviction that life should = be lived=20 fully and that the pursuit for a better life is worthwhile not = only for us=20 but for men and women everywhere. I congratulate you on the achievement that is recorded on your=20 diplomas. I congratulate your friends and families, = especially your=20 parents, whose immeasurable help has made this day possible. = And I=20 congratulate all students, faculty, staff and alumni, and all who = are in=20 some way part of this great university, who have created here a = unique=20 atmosphere of learning, research and vitality, an atmosphere = nurtured by=20 that tacit dimension which affirms what is best in life, a = dimension that=20 you will take with you, a dimension that will enrich your = lives. Wherever you may go, our very best wishes go with you. |
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Last Updated on May=20 28, 2008 10:33 AM=20