Anthony Damiani - An American Philosopher
Eulogy given by Paul Damiani at a memorial service

His love for wisdom and meaning in all its historic diversity may only be compared to his love of humanity and its higher potentials. It was an occasion to find a thinker or philosopher with whom he wasn't acquainted. For philosophy to him meant comparative philosophy, involving dialogue, debate, discussion, and exchange of ideas. For it was this, in the realm of thought he is most American, accepting all philosophies from around the world as valid perspectives but demanding an open exchange through rational discussion. And if he demonstrated preference, it was the spirit of Greek philosophy where the spirit and principles of democracy itself were born some 2500 years ago.

Yes, he is an American philosopher in the tradition of Ralph Waldo Emerson, wherein he placed upon himself the demand to acknowledge and investigate man's striving for a nobler life as bodied forth in its diverse cultures, religions and philosophies. He studied under Christian Jesuits, Hindu pundits, Zen Buddhists, N.Y.U. professors. Yet, like Emerson, he had to go his own way in the face of opposition from all quarters, friends, foes, family and students; not in the spirit of criticism and rejection but in the need for universalism of approach and understanding in our times which flowed from his vision.

Yes, like the other great leaders he had an ennobling vision, where different thinkers, religions, philosophers could think together, contemplate divinity together, laugh together, without giving up their own heritage, could side by side enrich life through their different approaches.

Yet for all his erudition he was no scholar or academician, but more like an artist inspiring those around him to explore the mysteries of the universe, soul, and God. Always egging one on, ensnaring one into thinking, and in the act of thinking he would point to those diviner implications in man, the light of his soul, its ordering presence and facticity of each person's higher potentials.

Philosophy for Anthony was an inalienable aspect of man; no school, religion or group has a monopoly on it, for it flows along the spirit of wonder and enquiry itself. For, as he once expressed, philosophy aims to bring about Good Citizenship with the whole of mankind and the world. So we who make claims to be his students now have to take a larger role in unfolding philosophy, each according to the conditions and circumstances of his own life, for that is where philosophy can be most effective. For Anthony, philosophy is the goldenrod of life.

We have suffered a tremendous loss with Anthony's passing-- family, friends, residents and members of Wisdom's Goldenrod. For, as Kenneth Hurst said, Anthony has always been giving, giving, giving; and the past year while dying he continued to give, of himself, this knowledge, guidance, his very breath.

"The genius of the heart who silences all that is loud and self-satisfied, teaching it to listen; who smooths rough souls and lets them taste a new desire--to lie still as a mirror, that the deep sky may mirror itself in them--the genius of the heart who teaches the doltish and rash hand to hesitate and reach out more delicately; who guesses the concealed and forgotten treasure, the drop of graciousness and sweet spirituality under dim and thick ice, and is a divining rod for every grain of gold that has long lain buried in the dungeon of much mud and sand; the genius of the heart from whose touch everyone walks away richer, not having received grace and surprised, not as blessed and oppressed by alien goods, but richer in himself, newer to himself than before, broken open, blown at and sounded out by a thawing wind, perhaps more unsure, tenderer, more fragile, more broken, but full of hopes that as yet have no name, full of new will and currents, full of new dissatisfactions and undertows..."