Rudolph Krejci

Rudolph Krejci (Czech: Rudolf Václav Krejčí; 4 March 1929 - 9 December 2018) was a Czechoslovak-American philosopher and professor, who was the founder of the Philosophy and Humanities Programs at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and founder and first dean of the university's College of Arts and Sciences in 1975.[4][5][6][7] In 1997, after 37 years at the university, Krejci became Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Humanities.

Rudolph (Rudy) Krejci
Born
Rudolf Krejčí

March 4, 1929
Hrušky, Czechoslovakia
DiedDecember 9, 2018 (aged 89)
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
NationalityCzechoslovak-American
Notable work
The "Three Worlds" Idea; "Anticipatory Intelligence Study"; Problem of Consciousness.[1] Ideas and Linguistic Proxies; the "Nature of Eureka and Creativity", Comparative studies East-West philosophy [2] Dissolution of the Realism/Antirealism problem [3]
LanguagesCzech, German, French, English, Russian, Latin, Old Church Slavonic
Time20th-century philosophy
RegionsWestern and Eastern Philosophy
SchoolsAnalytic Philosophy, Phenomenology (philosophy)
FieldsPhilosophy and History of Philosophy of social science
InfluencesPre-Socratic philosophy, Xenophanes, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Ockham, Hume, Comte, T.G. Masaryk, Karl Popper, Wittgenstein, Pitirim Sorokin, Goedel, and Vienna Circle, Einstein Copenhagen School, Husserl
Family LifeMarried in 1959 to Helene Wachtler in Innsbruck, Austria; has four children, Sonja, Eric, Anita and Paul.

Biography
Portrait of Rudy Krejci 1946 in a soccer kit for Moravska Slavia, Brno, Czechoslovakia

Rudy Krejci was born in Hrušky, Moravia (then Czechoslovakia) in 1929.[1] His father, a railwayman, was a Czechoslovak who received his basic education solely in German. His mother was a Moravian-Slovak with Czech education.

Krejci studied at high school in Kromeriz and Brno, where he was introduced to philosophy by professor Antonin Kriz, who translated Aristotle's work into the Czech language.[1] His studies were terminated on May 1, 1949 due to his membership of an anticommunist dissident student group. Krejci had to go into hiding in a secret room of his father's apartment, where he stayed for five years.[8][9][10][11] In May 1954, with the help of his father, he escaped Czechoslovakia hiding in a coffin under a coal wagon covered with vinegar and mustard, and made it to Vienna, Austria. From 1954-1959 Krejci studied at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, majoring in philosophy, psychology, Russian history and literature. In 1959 he became a Doctor of Philosophy.[1]

Krejci then went to the United States to work as an engineer for Bechtel Corporation and Bethlehem Steel,[12] and in 1960 he was offered a contract to teach Russian and German at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. Two years later he established a Philosophy program, and 13 years after that he added a Humanities program. After one year as a dean of Arts and Letters he formed a new College of Arts and Sciences.[5][13]

Krejci's career with the university almost ended during a political dispute with former University of Alaska president William Ransom Wood regarding Project Chariot, a scheme by the federal government to detonate up to six nuclear explosions along the northwest coast of Alaska to create a new deep water harbour for future mineral extraction. In response to Krejci's opposition to the project, Krejci said that "Wood came to me and told me: "If you go on as you do now, there is only one way, one way from Alaska, direct, down to lower states." As a result of Krejci's opposition, Project Chariot never happened.[9][7]

In 2009, Governor Sean Parnell presented Krejci with the Governor's Awards for the Humanities for "Distinguished Service to the Humanities in the state of Alaska."[12][14]

Philosophy work and ideology

Krejci was a life-long opponent of Nazism and Communism,[8][9] and was a vocal supporter of intellectual and cultural freedom, even when his personal safety and freedom were threatened.[8][15]

Krejci lectured on philosophy in the USA, Canada, England, Europe and Asia and cooperated with the International Wittgenstein Symposium in Kirchberg, Austria, Siu's panetics in Washington D.C.,[16] Viktor Frankl's logotherapy in Vienna,[17] and Takashima's humanistic anthropology in Tokyo. In 1997 Krejci became Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Humanities after 37 years of service at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.[18]

Publications
Krejci meeting with philosopher and professor Karl Popper[5] in 1994 in London.
  • Politics of Coexistence: a paper and lecture in English delivered at the University of Innsbruck to the United Nations Club. Lectures were used for students studying translations into various foreign languages. Krejci's lecture was –ex tempore– translated into German, French and Italian, 1958.
  • Essays "Betrachtungen": reports written on various topics for Radio Free Europe, Russian Radio Liberation, both in Munich, and BBC Radio in London. Languages: Czech, German, English and Russian, 1954-1955.
  • Russland und Europa: doctoral Dissertation at the University of Innsbruck, Ph.D. Philosophy, Psychology and Slavistics. University of Innsbruck, Austria, 1959.
  • World Congress of the Communist Youth in Vienna: Krejci covered the event for Josef Josten, editor of exile magazine "Czechoslovak" in London together with Pavel Tigrid, Czech exile, residing in Paris and publishing for monthly magazin "Svedectvi", July 1959.
  • Apologia Philosophiae: Our Limits, Arctic Circle, University of Alaska Fairbanks 1962-63. Program of Philosophy to be introduced at the UAF, written in form of a poem to William Wood, President of University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
  • Borealis Institute of Cultural Studies: Chairman of the committee to establish Institute of Cultural Studies formulated during 1965-66 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks as a complementary institute to the Institute of Geophysics, Biology, Marine Science, and other scientifically oriented institutes, 1965-1966.
  • Course program of Department of Philosophy: University of Alaska, Fairbanks starting on 200 level to 400 level, 1962-1963 / Introduction to Philosophy and Introduction to Logic.
  • Wittgenstein and the paradoxes in Philosophy: 2nd International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg, Austria, 1977. Philpapers[19][20][21]
  • T.G.Masaryk – common denominatior of our cultural-political aims: Union of Fine Arts (SVU), answer to Vaclav Havel's Charter 77, Washington D.C., USA, 1978.
  • Problem of the philosophical interpretation of African Humanities: University of California and Los Angeles (UCLA) – 1978.
  • Re-emergence of the concept of consciousness in 20th Century Science and Philosophy: 9th International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg, Austria, 1984.[22][23]
  • Contemporary Philosophy and its foundations: 10th International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg, Austria, 1985.
  • Concrete Logic of T.G. Masaryk – Yesterday and Today: 11th International Wittgenstein Symposium, Kirchberg, Austria, 1986.
  • Apologia Philosophiae: Tokio – Dr. Takashima Institute, 1989.
  • Realism and Anti-realism in the Philosophy of Science: Beiging International Conference of Philosophy and Science, Vol. 169, published in Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1992 ISBN 0-7923-3233-4
  • From Quantum and the Tao to Panetics, Trilogy and Panetics: International Conference of Dr. Siu’s Panetics, Washington D.C., USA, 1991.[16]
  • The last meeting with Sir Karl Popper in June 1994 in Kenley: First published in Czech at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic 1998, ISSN 1211-3387.[5] Rudolf Krejci: Last meeting with Sir Karl Popper, Studia philosophica B49, p 155-163, 2002
  • Travels Around the World 1893 – 1898 – Jan Eskymo Welzl: Translated from German into Czech, Paseka, Prague, Czech Republic, 1997. ISBN 80-7185-132-9
  • Gabriel, Jiří; Zouhar, Jan; Krejčí, Rudolf (2001). Pavlincová, Helena (ed.). "Český filozof na Aljašce : rozhovor s univ. prof. Rudolfem Krejčím" [Czech philosopher in Alaska : interview with Rudolph W. Krejci]. Sborník Prací Filozofické Fakulty Brněnské Univerzity. B, Řada filozofická (in Czech). Masarykova univerzita. 50 (B48): 117–133. ISSN 0231-7664.[8]
  • "Zpověď starého filozofa" [A confession of an old philosopher] (PDF). Studia Philosophica (in Czech). Masarykova univerzita. 57 (1): 83–98. 2010. ISSN 1803-7445.[24]
Rehabilitation Ceremony during the Commencement of UA Fairbanks in May 1993. After 30 years the leading scientist at project Chariot, Dr. Pruitt and Dr. Viereck were given an Honorary Doctorate for their contribution to Science. From left to right: Dr. Roederer, Dr. Krejci, Mrs and Dr. Pruitt
Memorial stone in Hubenov, Czech Republic, erected in front of local public school in honour of this event in 2013. Translation: "One hour before the end of the war, exactly at this place, Antonin Novak was shot by SS soldiers. His fellow friend Rudolf Krejci survived, in order to continue fight against violence. Now he is a professor of Philosophy at University of Alaska in Fairbanks."
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References
  1. "Rudolf Krejčí" (in Czech). Brno, Czech Republic: Masaryk University, Philosophical Faculty.
  2. Adolf Huebner: Die Aufgabe der Philosophie in der Gegenwartt. Tenth International Wittgenstein Symposium in Kirchberg, Published in Mensch Natur Geselschaft, Insbruck 1985
  3. R.S. Cohen, R. Hilpien and Qiu Renzong, Realism and Anti-Realism in the Philosophy of Science, p. 11-19, Beijing International Conference, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1992 ISBN 0-792332334
  4. "Rudolph Waclav "Rudy" Krejci 1929 - 2018". Daily News-Miner. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  5. Michael Welsh, UAF College of Liberal Arts: Thank you Rudy Krejci!, Fairbanks, 2009.
  6. Alaska Humanities Forum, Newsletter, Spring 2010 - Rudy Krejci was receiving Awards for Humanities from 2009 Governor
  7. Rudy Krejci was interviewed by Dan O'Neill in Fairbanks, Alaska on June 16, 2011
  8. Jiri Gabriel, Jan Zouhar, Rudolf Krejci: Czech Philosopher in Alaska. Interview with Rudolph W. Krejci. Studia Minora Facultaties Philosophicae Universitatis Brunensis, B 48, p 117-133, 2001, ISSN 0231-7664
  9. Kato, Takashi (2014). "Philosopher under the Midnite Sun" (PDF). Studia Philosophica (in Czech). Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. 61 (1): 3–9. ISSN 1803-7445.
  10. Dan O'Neill: Project Chariot Thoughts on History, Public Policy and Ethics, Frame of Reference, An Irregular Publication of the Alaska Humanities Forum, Vol.1, No.1, July, 1989
  11. Documentary about Rudy Krejci on the Czech Television, published January 17, 2015
  12. Newsminer.com article: Fairbanksans honored with governor’s awards for arts, humanities. Published 10/26/2009
  13. Alaska Dispatch News, Rudy Krejci receiving Governor's Awards, Retrieved 04/15/2015
  14. Alaska Humanities Forum, page with Governor's Award Recipients, retrieved on 5/1/2015
  15. John Creed, description of Documentary about Rudy Krejci written on May 18, 2012
  16. Debra Rae: New Spirituality, Old Lie. 2010
  17. Rudolph Krejci, Logotherapy East - West, The International Forum for Logotherapy, Volume 9, Number 1, Spring/Summer 1986, pp. 40-46.
  18. UAF - list of Administration, Faculty and Emerity, 2014/2015 Catalog
  19. Elisabeth Leinfellner (1978). Wittgenstein and the Paradoxes in Philosophy. Wittgenstein and His Impact on Contemporary Thought: Proceedings of the Second International Wittgenstein Symposium, 29th August to 4th September 1977, Kirchberg/Wechsel (Austria); Editors, Elisabeth Leinfellner, Distributed by D. Reidel Pub. Co.. 2--82.
  20. Krejci, R., Wittgenstein and the Paradoxes in Philosophy, in: E. & W. Leinfellner & H. Berghel & A. Hübner (Hrsg.), Wittgenstein und sein Einfluß auf die gegenwärtige Philosophie / Wittgenstein and His Impact on Contemporary Thought. Proceedings of the 2nd International Wittgenstein-Symposium, Kirchberg am Wechsel 1977, Wien 1978 (Schriftenreihe der Wittgenstein-Gesellschaft, Bd. II).
  21. Scanned copy of Proceedings from the 2nd International Wittgenstein Symposium
  22. Renu Sharma: Hypnosis: Psycho-Philosophical Perspectives and Therapeutic Relevance, p. 294, Concept Publishing Co, New Delhi, 2011. ISBN 8180697274
  23. Roderick M. Chisholm: Philosophie des Geistes, Philosophie der Psychologie: Akten des 9. Internationalen Wittgenstein Symposiums: 19. bis 26. August 1984, p. 65, Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky, 1985
  24. Rudolf Krejci: A cofession of an old philosopher, Studia philosophica, 2010, year 57, number 1, p. 83-98

Further reading
  • Andrew Fusek Peters: The Professor of Philosophy, in Out of Order. Evan Brothers Limited, London, 2002, ISBN 0237523167
  • Andrew Fusek Peters: At first to live, then to Philosophise. A poem to Rudi Krejci's 75th birthday. 2004
  • Andrew Fusek Peters, Rudi SS Poem, Hubenov, Czechoslovak 1945, May 1–3
  • Ludek Navara: Příběhy železné opony (Stories of Iron Curtain). Published in Host, Brno, 2004, ISBN 978-80-7294-135-3
  • Michal Pehr: Czech Philosopher in Alaska. Americke Listy, 2007
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