Kant offers groundwork in the making of a young philosopher

By Franklin Crawford

During the summer of 1996, in Allentown, Pa., Jacque Darrell was introduced to 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant. Darrell was a counselor at Camp Olympic in nearby Emmaus, and, when relieved of his charges in the afternoons, he immersed himself in Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Not exactly light summer reading. But senior Darrell, now a philosophy major, wasn't seeking escape or distraction from reality. In Kant he had discovered a moral voice that resonated with his own nascent sensibilities.

Senior philosophy major Jacque Darrell, left, has a discussion with Professor Terence Irwin in his Goldwin Smith Hall office. Frank DiMeo/University Photography

"Kant presented the idea of duty and obligations to me in a way that was compatible with what I felt," Darrell said.

It wasn't until his sophomore year at Cornell that Darrell returned to Kant in a course with Terence Irwin, the S.L. Sage Professor of Philosophy and Humane Letters. Re-reading the Groundwork from a more mature perspective, under the guidance of a philosophical scholar and in the context of Critique of Pure Reason inspired Darrell to pursue an independent study.

"It wasn't until I read that book again in class with Professor Irwin that I began to understand the origins of Kant's ideas and his reasons for holding them," said Darrell. "What I found most important at that time was the ability Kant gave to human beings to set their own moral laws -- to be autonomous. The idea of autonomy is probably the most ennobling idea that I found in Kant."

Irwin's class inspired Darrell, who sought ways to keep his Kantian focus alive. In the spring of his sophomore year, he arranged for an independent study with two philosophy department faculty members: Assistant Professor William Bracken and Associate Professor Jennifer Whiting. His work with Bracken and Whiting, a study of the Groundwork and the Critique of Practical Reason, resulted in an oral presentation for the Cornell Undergraduate Research Board (CURB) in spring 2000. In fall 2000, Darrell continued his research on Kant with Irwin, engaging in a close reading of Religion Within the Limits of Mere Reason.

This was followed by a semester-long study of Kant's Critique of Judgment with Harlod Hodes, associate professor of philosophy. The results of Darrell's 2000-01 research were presented at CURB's annual forum.

"He has worked with remarkable pertinacity on the work of an extremely difficult and important philosopher," said Irwin.

Darrell is now focused on debates in contemporary ethical theory and will return to Kant in graduate school.

In addition to professorial ambitions, Darrell is keen on producing original philosophical works. Whichever branch of philosophy he pursues, he said, his early interests were sustained largely because of "the generosity and availability of the Cornell faculty."

"When a faculty member sacrifices his or her research or family time to engage in discussions, supervise readings and read papers, one can bet that that person is a dedicated teacher," Darrell said. "When I first began these independent studies, my head was filled with falsities, but each semester I began to understand more and more the materials that I read. This is in large part a reflection upon the faculty members with whom I worked. I am confident that if I should succeed in a career in this profession, my debt to the Cornell faculty for their patience and guidance will be irrepayable."

Darrell knows that the path to recognition in the world of philosophic letters is a long one. He takes Kant's life as a lesson. "Philosophy is a discipline that takes time. Kant didn't achieve renown until he was in his mid-to-late 50s," Darrell said. Having sized up the territory ahead, he is contemplating specializing in ethics and the philosophy of education.

"The philosophy of education is an area of philosophy that has not been exploited to its full potential since the beginning of the 20th century," Darrell said. "It's a neglected branch."

If he holds to his present course, it won't be neglected in this century.