London, GB | Formerly of New York, Buenos Aires, Fife, and the Western Cape. | Saoránach d’Éirinn.

Alice von Hildebrand on Life

This superb lecture to a high-school audience by Alice von Hildebrand, the retired Professor of Philosophy at Hunter College of the City University of New York, was sent to me by an acquaintance at the University of Caen in Normandy (a town I had the pleasure of visiting some years ago).

The speaker is the widow of the famous Prof. Dietrich von Hildebrand, and speaks with a fascinating insight tempered by good humour. I thought I’d just listen to a bit of it but became entranced and couldn’t tear myself away from it.

Mrs. von Hildebrand covers an astonishing variety of subjects but the animating focus of the lecture is the relationship between body and soul, and how that is reflected in the relationship between man and woman.

“It’s a privilege for an elderly person to share her experience with young people,” Mrs. von Hildebrand says. “It’s a very special joy to share with you the gifts I have received.” However privileged the speaker feels, I’ve no doubt it is rather the listeners who are privileged to hear so a woman of such great wisdom speak to them at so young an age.

I know one of the most memorable interactions I ever had was with the Polish freedom fighter and Auschwitz survivor Jozef Garlinski when I was just sixteen years old — the late Mr. Garlinski’s most important lesson continues to exert a profound influence over me, and was one that I have always remembered at the more trying times in life since then.

These students are blessed to receive such an important life lesson.

Published at 8:12 pm on Sunday 20 June 2010. Categories: Arts & Culture Church Featured Tradition Tags: .
Comments

Thanks a lot for that beautiful audience of Madame von Hildebrand. I don’t know very much english, but her speaking was so claer that I could follow easy and drink all her words. It’s a beaume on our soul to hear such things and to know people like her exist thinking like us. I go now for looking if her audience exist on writing. Once again, merci infiniment !

— Marie Moncelon 22 Jun 2010 12:36 pm

I should love to read or hear this lecture which I am sure will be quite superb from such a distinguished lady whom I have heard at Oxford. But where is this lecture? I have clicked everything that is clickable but it does not appear. Is the Devil hiding it?

— Chrysostom 29 Jun 2010 3:05 am

Just click on the “play” symbol on the embedded video.

— Alberto Corteguera 29 Jun 2010 7:54 am

If the video embedded above is not appearing for some reason, you can click this link to access it at vimeo.

— Andrew Cusack 29 Jun 2010 1:09 pm
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