Key Themes in Writing

Abstract

This chapter summarizes some key themes in Richard’s illustrious career. We witness formal academic pursuits where he was a key figure in major shifts in paradigms in criminology, from the dominance of the more conservative “consensus paradigm” to the rise of “critical criminology.” But he was constantly “on the road again,” ever seeking to transcend even his well-received work. He resigned his prestigious university professorship at NYU, accepting visiting professorships at five universities, to pursue unrestrained engagement with a quest for understanding. He was a wonderer, a traveler toward the possible, never fully satisfied that he had discovered the answer. We also witness his work in Eastern Philosophy, introducing a spiritual dimension to purely materialist critiques of political economy and criminal justice. And we witness his increasing search inward for understanding the nature of struggles and how to overcome them.