Sydney University School of Philosophy, 1965-1985

Component identifier:

Series 6

Content Summary:

Armstrong was appointed Challis Professor of Philosophy at Sydney University in 1964. In the following year he was a central figure in a public dispute when the Professorial Board overruled the decision of a Selection Committee to appoint Frank Knopfelmacher as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy. Divisions within the Department became acute in 1971-1973. The issues included the introduction of a Marxist-Leninist course in 1971, the appointment of Patrick Flanagan as a tutor in 1972, an attack on Armstrong by his colleague Michael Devitt in a private note which led to debates and questions in the State Parliament, and moves to introduce a feminist course in 1973. These disputes culminated in a staff and student strike and demonstrations in June 1973. Faced with the possibility of an exodus of philosophers, the Vice-Chancellor decided in October 1973 to split the Department into two units: the Department of Traditional and Modern Philosophy initially headed by Armstrong and the Department of General Philosophy initially headed by John Burnheim. Together they constituted the School of Philosophy.

Armstrong assembled and retained a comprehensive collection of papers and printed material documenting these disputes in great detail (files 1-21). They include correspondence, both private and official, open letters, statements, submissions, petitions, draft motions, agenda papers, circulars, leaflets, student newspapers and other publications, issues of journals and parliamentary debates. The correspondence includes letters from members of the public commenting on the disputes. The papers were kept in manila files or loose in box letter files under the headings 'Knopfelmacher dispute', 'Marxist-Leninist dispute' and 'Philosophy disputes' and this general arrangement has been retained by the Library.

The 1974-1984 papers in this series (files 22-37) mostly deal with the relations between the two departments following the 1973 split. They refer to such matters as proposals for common courses and seminars, the appointment of tutors and other staff, the staff-student ratios in the two departments, decision-making within the departments, the 1977 report on problems in the School of Philosophy, transfer of staff between the departments, discussions about curriculum, the role of Armstrong as the only full Professor in the School, and arguments about possible amalgamation of the departments in the early 1980s. They include copies of letters and other documents supplied to Armstrong by his colleagues in the Department of Traditional and Modern Philosophy.

The correspondents include John Burnheim, Keith Campbell, Paul Crittenden, Michael Devitt, John Gunn, Owen Harries, R. Ian Jack, Frank Knopfelmacher, Professor Henry Mayer, Graham Nerlich, Professor W.M. O'Neil, Professor H.L. Rogers, Professor R.N. Spann, Professor Edward Shils, David Stove, Professor Alan Stout, Professor J.M. Ward and Professor Bruce Williams.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were donated by Professor Armstrong to the National Library under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme in 1992. Further papers were added in 1999, 2001 and 2012.

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