wThe Words of the Johnson Family
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wThe Words of the Johnson Family |
Rev.
Kwak, Dr. Wigner and Father. Dr. Eugene Wigner, Conference Chairman
and recipient of the 1982 Founder's Award, stands as he is introduced
at the Banquet head table.
Professor of Political Science and Director, Center for Strategic and Foreign Policy Studies, University of Chicago, USA Organizing Chairman of ICUS 12
Question: You feel the professors and scholars actually bring with them their own level of integrity?
We wouldn't invite anyone here if we suspected a lack of integrity on the part of the person, and my own belief is in complete openness. I could never, for instance, hide any source of income or the identity of any organization for which I did any work. I believe the life of a professor should be open, and his work should be carried out as best as he is honestly capable of carrying it out. And that's the way ICUS runs.
Concerning controversial issues: We're not telling scholars where they should be coming down on an issue; we want them to examine it honestly and competently.
Absolutely. We would not select scholars who did not, in our opinion, have their own integrity. We don't want people who can be bought: their opinions are worthless!
Question: Will you say something about the value of the conference for the scholars' own work?
I think this year the conference is genuinely making a contribution to scholarly knowledge, and I am confident that we are on an upward path in which we will improve each year. But I must admit that a few years in the past I was concerned about the level of work that was being carried on. But still I thought that the ICUS was important enough; with so many scholars from so many different countries and the work of so many disciplines, this is the only conference of its kind in the world.
Those of us in the leadership and those aiding our leadership felt strongly that we had the responsibility of making it the kind of conference that the founder, Rev. Moon, wanted.
Paragon House is extremely important because we must have our work known; otherwise it's not available to the community of scholars. Moreover, once its quality becomes known, more good people are going to be attracted to cooperate in our endeavor, so these two work hand-in-glove.
From Iran An Environmental Physicist who works in the United States
Question: Could you comment on how this conference influences your work?
I'd be glad to explain about how this conference influences my work. Scientific meetings have been too much specialized; they specialize in one topic and the scientist doesn't have any view of what goes on in any other branch of science. Coming to this ICUS, which is multi- disciplinary, you get a knowledge and view of the work which has been done in other fields of physics, and these could help tremendously your own field because a number of things you have been blind to, and all of a sudden you realize that there are new avenues for your work that you can pursue that are similar to what is being done in the other fields that you hadn't been aware of.
A second important advantage is that you get in contact with people who are active in your own field, prominent people, and just by getting in contact with them and getting their references, then you can enhance your work and make your own work much better.
Question: Did you participate in any of the committees?
I participated in the committee that concerned itself with the environment, and that is a very timely work -- half of my time at work is spent involved in projects of cleaning up the rivers. Another topic was the problems of ocean pollution. This committee had a very good cross-section of the different activities going on in this branch of physics.
As an observer in Committee 1, on the Unity of the Sciences, physics was considered foremost of all the absolute sciences, and there I realized how others are trying to copy what has been accomplished in physics, in fields like chemistry and biology and even sociology. So I became interested in those fields in the sense that there could be some kind of unity between physics and those other fields.
Question: Are you challenged by the idea of Absolute Values? Perhaps there's a simple answer for religious people, but to scientists this may be a problem.
I found that the idea of absolute values is a challenge to me because in science we talk about relative values. We talk about the validity of each phenomenon or event in terms of the frame of reference in which it takes place. So in this sense, at least in physics, there is no such things as "absolute" value. But, I like to cope with this question and find out how I can fit the notion of absolute value in the framework of science, especially my field of physics.
Anthropologist at the University of Oklahoma
Question: Did any of the ICUS conferences affect your work? This is my second ICUS and the interdisciplinary nature of the conference has greatly influenced my work and thinking. For example, last year I was invited to come and talk about the evolution of the human family and human social systems. I had almost a full year to research it and to broaden my thinking. The nature of the conference itself and the inputs I got made a lasting impression on my career development.
So, this year I was invited to this ICUS 12, and the topic discussed -- Aggression, Dominance and War -- again influenced my thinking. I hadn't planned to think along those lines this year, but I did because of the conference, and now I've been deeply thinking about the evolution of human attachment, love and hate, and aggression. This conference that just ended today is the best I've ever been in, in my whole life.
Question: Did you find controversy in Rev. Moon's financing of ICUS?
If there is a controversy in the financing of this conference, it hasn't fazed me. When I was first invited to ICUS two years ago, I naturally wanted to know who sponsored it -- I always want to know that for any conference I go to. And I've looked into the church and the movement; I attended an ICF Summer Seminar in the Bahamas in July, and I think it's fantastic that someone wants to sponsor scientific meetings. The level of discourse at this conference is certainly impressive -- top people -- those whom I've interacted with are people whose work I've respected for years, so I think the sponsorship is something we're grateful for. I think the church is constructive enough in the modern world, I think it's excellent sponsorship, so for me, there's no controversy there.
In the ceiling of mirrors, we saw reflected upside-down images of the activity below. Waiters dressed like an army in white brought china plates of tasty delights. Clattering sounds mixed with pleasant conversations of scholars and friends still saying hellos and not yet goodbye.
Crystal-beaded chandeliers hung overhead. Soft glimmers graced the people below. Round white-clothed tables dotted the ballroom floor, and hung as white oval images above. Peace reigned, and the food was very good.
In a fairy tale age, this setting would have held the vision of jeweled gowns of frothy satin and lace. Escorts would have held themselves in dignity as a sisterhood of would-be Cinderellas waited for a Prince to call their name.
Instead, these scholars had come -- enlightened minds refracting their cool rays in the milieu of a coming cultural dawn.
The music begins and the sense of romance is awakened as melodies of love are sung. Mrs. Azie Kaplan's voice carries across the room, opening the way for the love songs that followed.
We who were gathered there witnessed a twelve year courtship transforming to a happy new beginning. Science, who had stayed the course, was accepting the invitation to cautiously continue along life's stream with a controversial and irrational fellow called Faith. Science insisted, of course, that she had the proper know-how to get things done, but conceded that it wasn't totally offensive to have a companion to help steer the boat -- this scholars' ship.
A conspiracy of piano and violin worked its magic by opening the intricate lock from heart to mind, long enough for a moment of wonder to get in: Will I be invited back again? I wonder if my colleague and friend would come next time. Could my research be published here at Paragon "Home"? Hmm... Maybe I'll see that Wojcik before my flight tomorrow... Maybe we could do some- thing like this on my continent. I wonder who would foot the bill for such a meeting if it wasn't.. And who really is this... "Mr. Moon".
From around the world they had come, while American families celebrated with their own traditional turkey feast and remembered the Pilgrim Fathers' first Thanksgiving for the help given them by the Indians who dwelt on the land. Two far-distant races and cultures had celebrated peace on that day, and laid a tradition for others to see, to appreciate, and to follow.
And here we were, 113 nations in attendance, feasting together for the common purpose of peace and understanding.
At the head table Father says he wondered why Dr. Kaplan never seems to get old. "Now I know his secret -- his beautiful wife! He's too much in love to have time to get old!" As for himself, Father gives Mother all the credit for keeping him young. And then he gives Mother a kiss.
Through God's mind's eye, I can only see the scholars as gems, gemstones and jewels seeking a crown where each can most favorably gain the light. The beauty of wisdom longs for a worthy admirer. While absorbing the glimmer from each other's facets, their own truths are shared, refracted, and multiplied.
And our brothers and sisters, busy behind the scenes or helpful standing by to aid the process of unity, appear as the filigree that may sometimes seem as rough as an iron rung or base as lead. But also I can see that the spiritual alchemy of Sun Myung Moon has begun its work to reverse the satanic process of decay and turn us leaden people back to gold.