Human Heritage Project and Library

In loving memory of Jasper John Blystone, beloved philosopher, professor, scholar and friend to all.

As many of you know, Jasper’s philosophical interests took a turn toward understanding humans through praxis and pragmatics; that is, to understand human nature we must study the activities that humans perform as well as the artifacts that they make. 

Through symbolic action and art, the human best reveals its nature. In 1997, Jasper laid out these ideas in his book, The Pragmatics of the Human Heritage.  And, as any good philosopher should—especially one who always had a keen eye on what humans actually do and what they make, not just what they think, Jasper saw the importance of creating an artifact, a physical space in which the Human Heritage Project could evolve. 

He envisioned a sabbatical space, for students and faculty alike, that would be both a library and a locus point for scholarly investigation into and discussion about humanity.  With this in mind, we humbly request that, in lieu of giving flowers, you consider donating to Jasper’s vision, to be instrumental through your actions in making his vision a tangible and lasting artifact—for Jasper’s legacy, and for humanity’s.