Louis H. Mackey
Encyclopedia
Louis H. Mackey was a professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin
in the USA.
, USA in 1926. After earning a B.A. at Capital University
in Columbus, Ohio
he pursued graduate studies in philosophy, first at Duke University
, and then Yale
, from which he received his Ph.D. in 1954. His dissertation was titled "The Nature and the End of the Ethical Life according to Kierkegaard."
in 1959. He then moved to the University of Texas at Austin in 1967 where he remained for 35 years until his retirement for health reasons. He had a reputation at each institution as an engaging teacher. In 1987 he won the Harry Ransom
Award for Teaching Excellence at the University of Texas at Austin
As a scholar, Mackey was known for his works on Kierkegaard including Kierkegaard: A Kind of Poet (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972) and Points of View: Readings of Kierkegaard (Florida State University Press, 1986). He also wrote and lectured on Saint Augustine and Medieval Philosophy
. His published work also included literary criticism, literary theory, and inquiries into the relationship of philosophy to literature, and in particular applying the tools of literary criticism to philosophical texts (early in his career using the tools of the New Critics, and then later with an emphasis on Jacques Derrida
and Deconstruction
). He was especially interested in the fictional works of Gilbert Sorrentino
and Thomas Pynchon
.
and The Rolling Stones
"display a phenomenal melodic inventiveness and a harmonic and contrapuntal imagination that even us squares can dig." He was also an occasional actor and appeared in two Richard Linklater
films, Slacker
(1991) and Waking Life
(2001).
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in the USA.
Early life
Louis H. Mackey was born in Sidney, OhioSidney, Ohio
Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,211 at the 2000 census. It is named after English poet Sir Phillip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award...
, USA in 1926. After earning a B.A. at Capital University
Capital University
Capital University is a private liberal arts university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Bexley, Ohio, founded in 1830. In addition to its rigorous liberal arts program, the university also offers a reputable adult degree program in Columbus, Ohio. It is one of the oldest...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
he pursued graduate studies in philosophy, first at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, and then Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, from which he received his Ph.D. in 1954. His dissertation was titled "The Nature and the End of the Ethical Life according to Kierkegaard."
Teaching and research
Mackey was an assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy at Yale before moving to Rice UniversityRice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
in 1959. He then moved to the University of Texas at Austin in 1967 where he remained for 35 years until his retirement for health reasons. He had a reputation at each institution as an engaging teacher. In 1987 he won the Harry Ransom
Harry Ransom
Harry Huntt Ransom was a faculty member and administrator at the University of Texas, becoming the university's president in 1960, and ultimately served as the Chancellor of the University of Texas System from 1961 to 1971...
Award for Teaching Excellence at the University of Texas at Austin
As a scholar, Mackey was known for his works on Kierkegaard including Kierkegaard: A Kind of Poet (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972) and Points of View: Readings of Kierkegaard (Florida State University Press, 1986). He also wrote and lectured on Saint Augustine and Medieval Philosophy
Medieval philosophy
Medieval philosophy is the philosophy in the era now known as medieval or the Middle Ages, the period roughly extending from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century AD to the Renaissance in the sixteenth century...
. His published work also included literary criticism, literary theory, and inquiries into the relationship of philosophy to literature, and in particular applying the tools of literary criticism to philosophical texts (early in his career using the tools of the New Critics, and then later with an emphasis on Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher, born in French Algeria. He developed the critical theory known as deconstruction and his work has been labeled as post-structuralism and associated with postmodern philosophy...
and Deconstruction
Deconstruction
Deconstruction is a term introduced by French philosopher Jacques Derrida in his 1967 book Of Grammatology. Although he carefully avoided defining the term directly, he sought to apply Martin Heidegger's concept of Destruktion or Abbau, to textual reading...
). He was especially interested in the fictional works of Gilbert Sorrentino
Gilbert Sorrentino
Gilbert Sorrentino was an American novelist, short story writer, poet, literary critic, and editor.In over twenty-five works of fiction and poetry, Sorrentino explored the comic and formal possibilities of language and literature...
and Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
.
Other Activities
Mackey was known as an ardent lover of music and accomplished amateur singer of madrigal, oratorio, cantata, and liturgical chant. However, he was also on record as a defender of popular music claiming that The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
"display a phenomenal melodic inventiveness and a harmonic and contrapuntal imagination that even us squares can dig." He was also an occasional actor and appeared in two Richard Linklater
Richard Linklater
-Early life:Linklater was born in Houston, Texas. He studied at Sam Houston State University and left midway through his stint in college to work on an off-shore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. While working on the rig he read a lot of literature, but on land he developed a love of film through...
films, Slacker
Slacker (film)
Slacker is an American independent film written and directed by Richard Linklater, who also appears in the film. Slacker was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991.-Plot summary:...
(1991) and Waking Life
Waking Life
Waking Life is an American animated film , directed by Richard Linklater and released in 2001. The entire film was shot using digital video and then a team of artists using computers drew stylized lines and colors over each frame.The film focuses on the nature of dreams, consciousness, and...
(2001).