Raymond Spencer Rodgers
Encyclopedia
Raymond Spencer Rodgers was a British
-born American
educator and futurist who spent most of his adult
life in Canada
.
in International Affairs
and a doctorate
in Public Law
and Government
from Columbia University
. In 1966 he accepted a teaching position at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
), where he became interested in saving the Cajun French
dialect from extinction — an eminent threat by the second half of the twentieth century. “Louisiana
should fight to preserve the French language," he noted. "But unless the fight starts now . . . all is lost.” Rodgers called for closer ties between south Louisiana and French Canada, and was appointed by Louisiana governor John McKeithen
to map out the Quebec
-Louisiana Cultural Agreement, which arranged for artistic, educational, and economic exchanges between the two regions. Rodgers was an original member of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana
(CODOFIL), having been appointed to the organization by its first president, former Louisiana congressman Jimmy Domengeaux.
. It was during this period that he renewed an early interest in futurism
, particularly in regard to the computer
and its possible impact on society
. As a result of this reflection, in 1971 Rodgers self-published a book
let on the subject titled Man in the Telesphere. In this essay he described the emergence of an “electronic web” and observed, “The future system is a global society, expressing a kaleidoscope
of tastes within a common ethic, eschewing imposition serviced by a multi-directional web of computerized electronic technology and macro/micro transportation; living in a milieu where centers cease to be primarily physical locations; governed by a structure passing to decentralized unity; and unfolding as a transcendental organism
dialectically both collectivist and individualistic in capacity.”
Among Rodgers’ other futurist works was an essay on “transcending the food cycle” in which, according to one author, “He suggested that humanity - perhaps more 'easily' in the future on locations other than the surface of Earth — deliberately seek to transcend the food chain and directly manufacture nutrition
from inert
materials, for meta-ethical
reasons.” Rodgers argued that “Life
as we know it . . . is predicated on a system — the food chain — in which plant
s and animal
s murder
one another. Murdering living vegetation
is as much a form of predation as any other. . . .”
— described on its web site as “a consortium of globally located public and private institutions” — which in 2007 was ordered by the British Columbia
Supreme Court
“to stop granting degrees in B.C.” because the school was “breaking the province's Degree Authorization Act by offering degrees without permission.” Rodgers responded by stating “We don’t conduct degree programs in B.C. . . . . The degrees are printed in other jurisdictions and signed outside of B.C. and have been for some time.”
Rodgers died in the midst of this controversy on June 5, 2007.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator and futurist who spent most of his adult
Adult
An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age....
life in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Education and early career
Born in 1935, Rodgers held a master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in International Affairs
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
and a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in Public Law
Public law
Public law is a theory of law governing the relationship between individuals and the state. Under this theory, constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law are sub-divisions of public law...
and Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. In 1966 he accepted a teaching position at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
), where he became interested in saving the Cajun French
Cajun French
Cajun French is a variety or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern and southwestern parishes....
dialect from extinction — an eminent threat by the second half of the twentieth century. “Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
should fight to preserve the French language," he noted. "But unless the fight starts now . . . all is lost.” Rodgers called for closer ties between south Louisiana and French Canada, and was appointed by Louisiana governor John McKeithen
John McKeithen
John Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms...
to map out the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
-Louisiana Cultural Agreement, which arranged for artistic, educational, and economic exchanges between the two regions. Rodgers was an original member of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana
Council for the Development of French in Louisiana
The Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, or CODOFIL — known in French as le Conseil pour le développement du français en Louisiane and Konséy pou Dévelopmen di françé en Lwizyàn in Creole — is a state agency created in 1968 by the Louisiana legislature...
(CODOFIL), having been appointed to the organization by its first president, former Louisiana congressman Jimmy Domengeaux.
Rodgers as futurist
Rodgers returned to Canada in 1968 to teach at the University of WinnipegUniversity of Winnipeg
The University of Winnipeg is a public university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and theology as well as graduate programs. The U of W's founding colleges were Manitoba College and Wesley College, which merged...
. It was during this period that he renewed an early interest in futurism
Futurism
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...
, particularly in regard to the computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
and its possible impact on society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
. As a result of this reflection, in 1971 Rodgers self-published a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
let on the subject titled Man in the Telesphere. In this essay he described the emergence of an “electronic web” and observed, “The future system is a global society, expressing a kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope
A kaleidoscope is a circle of mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as beads or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other end creates a colorful pattern, due to the reflection off the mirrors...
of tastes within a common ethic, eschewing imposition serviced by a multi-directional web of computerized electronic technology and macro/micro transportation; living in a milieu where centers cease to be primarily physical locations; governed by a structure passing to decentralized unity; and unfolding as a transcendental organism
Organism
In biology, an organism is any contiguous living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole.An organism may either be unicellular or, as in the case of humans, comprise...
dialectically both collectivist and individualistic in capacity.”
Among Rodgers’ other futurist works was an essay on “transcending the food cycle” in which, according to one author, “He suggested that humanity - perhaps more 'easily' in the future on locations other than the surface of Earth — deliberately seek to transcend the food chain and directly manufacture nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
from inert
Inert
-Chemistry:In chemistry, the term inert is used to describe a substance that is not chemically reactive.The noble gases were previously known as inert gases because of their perceived lack of participation in any chemical reactions...
materials, for meta-ethical
Meta-ethics
In philosophy, meta-ethics is the branch of ethics that seeks to understand the nature of ethical properties, statements, attitudes, and judgments. Meta-ethics is one of the three branches of ethics generally recognized by philosophers, the others being normative ethics and applied ethics. Ethical...
reasons.” Rodgers argued that “Life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
as we know it . . . is predicated on a system — the food chain — in which plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s and animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
one another. Murdering living vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
is as much a form of predation as any other. . . .”
Controversy
In his later years, Rodgers served as president of Vancouver University WorldwideVancouver University Worldwide
Vancouver University Worldwide was an unaccredited vendor of higher education credentials, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, which described itself as a "secular consortium university of globally located public and private member colleges". It offered to evaluate "external learning"...
— described on its web site as “a consortium of globally located public and private institutions” — which in 2007 was ordered by the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
Supreme Court
Supreme Court of British Columbia
The Supreme Court of British Columbia is the superior trial court for the province of British Columbia. The BCSC hears civil and criminal law cases as well as appeals from the Provincial Court of British Columbia. Including supernumerary judges, there are presently 108 judges...
“to stop granting degrees in B.C.” because the school was “breaking the province's Degree Authorization Act by offering degrees without permission.” Rodgers responded by stating “We don’t conduct degree programs in B.C. . . . . The degrees are printed in other jurisdictions and signed outside of B.C. and have been for some time.”
Rodgers died in the midst of this controversy on June 5, 2007.