His belgialainen naiset avioliittoon are employed in phenomenological opinions, analytical philosophy, together with reputation of philosophy assisted motivate years off philosophers inside it when it comes to those sphere of lookup. Main certainly his blogs have been his instructions James and you can Husserl: Brand new Foundations out of Definition-a survey inside the contrasts regarding phenomenology inventor Edmund Husserl and pragmatist/functionalist William James-and you will Husserl and you can Analytical Beliefs, hence tracked the holiday anywhere between phenomenology and you will analytic opinions, one or two key philosophic movements of one’s 20th century.
Cobb-Stevens asserted that, while he noticed Husserl’s phenomenology approach is actually more productive than the analytical kind of Gottlob Frege-which mainly based brand new analytic way-he’d authored Husserl and Analytical Thinking with the hope of contributing to “restored conversation” between the two universities out of envision: “[Husserl and Frege] one another common the belief that we can perform a point out-of objective realities, in the event our very own accessibility facts are always perspectival and you can over the years conditioned.”
Within the 2015, a quantity of essays in honor of Dr. Cobb-Stevens, Phenomenology from inside the another Trick, was blogged, featuring benefits off several best specialists in phenomenological thinking out of North The usa and Europe.
“Manhood could be extremely remembered to possess their important humanness,” said Teacher from Philosophy Patrick Byrne. “He was warm and you may appealing to any or all the guy satisfied, and you may let you know that the guy cared in regards to you since an personal. Penis had a good spontaneity and is actually a good storyteller out of another kind: He may assist himself decrease when he drew anyone to each other of the drawing all of them on tale.”
He previously a separate current to have comforting tensions inside the conferences, that’s zero small achievement in good college form
Dr. Cobb-Stevens’ associate Professor Eileen Sweeney, speaking during the his senior years lecture in 2009, recognized Husserl and you can Analytical Opinions including out of their ability to activate that have and you can transcend for example divisions. “It’s on that cusp one to Richard’s philosophical works keeps dwelt, eschewing both the reductionism and you may scientism, toward one hand, as well as people untimely refuge towards mysticism or poetry, on the other side. We would not point out that Richard’s consider has arrived to other individuals during the certain simple synthesis or middle floor but is instead involved with a continuing dynamic dialectic.”
His triumph just like the a specialist and you may writer failed to overshadow his performance while the a teacher and you can mentor, additional Sweeney, detailing you to for over 3 decades Dr. Cobb-Stevens ran this new Beliefs Department’s training convention to have doctoral children, and had directed twenty seven doctoral dissertations. Youngsters, she said, cherished his ability to permit them to create their particular thought but in order to subject they to strict investigations and you will criticism.
His lectures got “an equivalent blend of design and you will clarity as does his composing,” said Sweeney in the 2009 enjoy. “He can continually be measured on the to your anecdote youngsters tend to consider for a long time you to definitely epitomizes an issue otherwise topic throughout the point they are practise. He or she is constantly prepared to express a narrative that presents his individual troubles and you can puzzlement in working with problems otherwise challenge, one that exposes their own mankind that have an effective humility hence college students view it you can so you’re able to imitate. ”
He or she is prepared to sort out a problem with pupils from inside the legitimate cooperation, understanding and enacting the fresh new character out-of philosopher due to the fact spouse unlike possessor regarding facts
Dr. Cobb-Stevens’ colleagues plus remembered him as the “a citizen of College or university” which obtained jobs and you will projects one contributed to the greater amount of an excellent off his service-as chairman away from 1993-2002, he delivered international detection in order to BC’s graduate programs for the thinking while increasing the amount of thinking student discipline to one of several biggest in the U.S.-and you will Boston College or university total: He was a member of new School Plan Committee therefore the College or university Informative Thought Council, certainly most other authorities.