"I am trying to maintain in my mind an open discourse about its qualities of consumerism and spectacle," he says.

High literacy and open intellectual discourse led to Philadelphia becoming a leader in science and medicine.

Demanding that agencies weigh costs against benefits "would push the question into the realm of open discourse," he added.

There cannot, however, be an open discourse without well-founded, educated arguments.

"It gives the impression that the company is confident enough of its products to allow open discourse," he said.

We want a common tongue, a language of open discourse.

And male opinions are too rarely heard, despite the treasured tradition of open discourse at the academy.

"We try to keep an open public discourse," he said.

Yet as an advocate of open and accessible discourse, he believed that, to a general audience, even technicalities should be presented in reasonably plain English.

Mr. Rawlings stressed the importance of service to community and the need for open discourse.