Letter Re: The Budget Cuts at the University at Albany

Translation of e-mail message from Jean-Luc Nancy, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy,
University of Strasbourg; Professor of Philosophy, European Graduate School

18 October 2010

To choose between eliminating French or Philosophy . . . what a fabulous choice!
Should one rather take out the liver or the lung? The stomach or the heart? The eyes or
ears?

We need to invent teaching that is, on the one hand, strictly monolingual – for isn’t it
true that everything can be translated into English? – and strictly lacking in all forms of
questioning (for example concerning what is implied by “translation” in general and from
one language to another in particular). A single language unencumbered by the static
[parasites] of reflection would be a great subject for university study, smooth,
harmonious, easily submitting to the controls of acquisition.

We should propose eliminating both of them, French and Philosophy. And everything
existing in proximity to them, like Latin or psychoanalysis, Italian, Spanish or literary
theory, Russian or History. Perhaps it would be wise to introduce in their place, as requirements, certain computer languages (like Java), as well as commerical Chinese and technological Hindi, at least until such languages are able to be completely transcribed into English. Unless the inverse were to happen first.

In any case, let’s teach what is displayed on our advertising billboards and on the stock
exchange monitors. That and nothing else!

Courage, comrades, a new world is about to be born!

Jean-Luc Nancy, Emeritus Professor of an old French (not for long) university.

Translation by:
David Wills
Professor of French and English
Humanities 216
University at Albany-SUNY
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany NY 12210