Comments on: Dr. Brian Goodwin. 1931-2009.

By: Erland Lagerroth

Erland Lagerroth — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:30:45 +0000

Really sad to hear about Brian Goodwin’s death. I thought it was an after-effect of his aorta-operation, an operation we both underwent, but now I see he could have lived much longer. I have recently written extensively and with great admiration on Nature’s Due and got his word that the title is a pun: both meanings are intended.
His death is a great loss to a world that is so unwilling to learn, but fortunately there still are some who think better: Stuart Kauffman, Stephen Harding, Robert Ulanowicz, Henry Bortoft – I have written on them all (in Sweden, however, I am alone). But gone are Ilya Prigogine, Erich Jantsch, Gregory Bateson, E F Schumacher – gone, but there books are still with us!
Erland Lagerroth, http://www.lagerroth.com

By: Lynn Margulis

Lynn Margulis — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:12:16 +0000

Dear Schumacher and Transition Network Friends of Brian,
Although I have been immensely saddened by his death I am delighted that Annamaria Coursi (Oxford University e-Research Centre) this spring invited him to participate in her program on modeling and life. Reluctant to return late at night to Devon and with a date at Wadham College the next day he stayed with me here in this privileged ambiance at Eastman House until after breakfast. Although I had known him for years it was this final cadence, the memory I will cherish. He insightfully still criticized branches of biology that have separated themselves from the realities of life: neoDarwinism, reductionist molecular biology, developmental observations in ignorance of environmental awareness. He eschewed these “fallacies of misplaced concreteness” and many other fashionable but intrinsically limited frantic and mercantile trends. Here with the much admired twinkle in his eye he spoke mostly about the future, his future with his beloved Christel, their imminent move to South Africa and the transition to social sanity he advocated and for which he worked ceaselessly.
How shocking now his demise. He was an original wiseman and will be missed by you and all of rest of us who enjoyed, if even only sporadically, the pleasure of his scintillating, yet gentle and mindful company over the years.
Eventually I hope that a fittingly lively ceremony in his memory will be planned. LM

By: Robin Durie

Robin Durie — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:16:33 +0000

I had the privilege to work with Brian on occasion, & he was generous enough to participate in workshops that I organised here in Exeter. He was one of the two great intellectual inspirations of my life.

By: David Howells

David Howells — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:33:07 +0000

A great and shared sadness at the loss of Brian to the spirit in the sky, he inspired the many people he met.

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:56:54 +0000

Thanks for that Ella, much appreciated. That was the story I had heard. My condolences.

By: Ella Blunden - Grand-daughter

Ella Blunden - Grand-daughter — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:43:17 +0000

Just to let you know it was his hip he broke, not his arm.

Otherwise nice to hear your comments.

By: neil

neil — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:44:10 +0000

So sad to hear this. I didn’t know Brian well, but I knew that he was wise and gentle. We’ll miss him. Condolences to family and college community.