Kylie McGovern, Editor

The John Henry Neumann Lecture series kicked off with a lecture presented by Professor Joseph Loconte, Ph.D. in the La Salle University Art Museum on Sept. 27. La Salle’s provost, Shivanthi Anandan, Ph.D. introduced Loconte and gave a few words about the history of La Salle and its grounds ranging from stories of the societal ills that once happened on the grounds of the university at the hands of the Wister, the Peales and the Fisher families. Anadan then introduced Loconte’s talk saying, “Tonight, Dr. Loconte will ask us whether Western civilization despite its blemishes is worth defending. We are acutely aware of its ills and those who walked this ground before us knew all too well and lived under their shadow. But it is because of the very western civilization which caused these ills, that these Wisters, the Peales, the Fishers and now we, are called to remedy those ills. We are the vaccine against injustice, a legacy of healing and rejuvenation of which Jean Baptiste de La Salle and those who walked this land, would be proud. Dr Loconte will help us to identify the values, heritage, and ideals to which we must cling to remedy the ills which still beset us today.”

Professor Loconte opened the lecture by discussing a speech from June 1940 from Winston Churchill after France succumbed to Nazi forces. Loconte explained that he believed this speech saved the West. From here, the lecture expanded on topics like how freedom of speech and equal justice are under assault and the negatives that developed from the West like Nazism, Racism and Sexism. Then, Loconte discussed how both liberals and conservatives are questioning the legitimacy of the Western project. 

Dr. Mark Thomas from the Political Science department offered The Collegian comments on Professor Loconte’s lecture. Dr Thomas disagreed with Loconte’s points about Nazism and Racism being leeches on Western civilization in that it understates the phenomena and all the negative consequences and outgrowths of Western civilization. Dr Thomas explained, “Nazism, Racism, Sexism and all phenomena we have experienced historically are more like the evil twin side of Western civilization. The Jekyll and Hyde of Plato, Locke and even Christian belief. The same thought which gave rise to the Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution, and Liberal Democracy also gave birth to the evil fruits.” 

During the lecture, Loconte then began a word association exercise with the audience. The audience associated words and phrases like democracy, capitalism, freedom, algo-sphere, expansion, imperialism, and the American dream with the Western World. Some of these words can be intercepted as being positive, others negative and others neutral depending on one’s viewpoint. 

Loconte also described a history of the Western World relating it to the centuries-long interaction of Greek and Roman culture transformed by Jewish and Christian traditions and transformed again by democratic and technological revolutions. 

Loconte then went on to focus on the long-lasting influence of the Bible. Loconte says he would say even if he was not at a catholic university that “every major advance in the West owes a debt to the influence of the Bible.” 

Overall, this event was well attended with an Art Museum student worker estimating about 50 people in attendance. In addition, Professor Loconte encouraged audience engagement and the audience frequently participated. The lecture was infused with Loconte’s humor throughout and ended with time to ask questions.