PHILOSOPHY AT CANTERBURY COLLEGE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21760, 17 April 1936, Page 19

PHILOSOPHY AT CANTERBURY COLLEGE

TO THE EDITOR OF THt PBBSS. Sir,—Your issue of this morning contains a letter over the signature of T A. Mac Gibbon, M.D., commenting on philosophy? Although it is a very good letter in the main, there is a point or two I cannot quite agree with. When he writes, of practical psychology and psycho-analysis as a "muck rake" he leaves himself open to a very severe criticism. However, as it would take up a great deal of space and time to do justice to itmore time than I can afford—l will let it pass for other critics. I would recommend Dr. Mac Gibbon to read "Kraft-Ebings, Psycho-pathia Sexualis," also Dr. J. D. Quackenbo's "Hypnotism in Mental and Moral Culture." There are many other good books on the same subject. Dr. Mac Gibbon states that "philosophy tries to explain the eternal 'Why?' Psychology, ethics, logi6 are off-shoots of philosophy." I will grant all that, but psychology is a comparatively young science, a natural concomitant to philosophy, and its mission is to explain scientifically that which philosophy cannot do. Philosophy is a great scout for knowledge, but it is all inferential and inspirational. It all has to be sorted out, classified, and analysed, and psychology is the way. In conclusion, I would like to say that psycho-analysis as a branch of science has come to stay, and it is no use trying to throw a wet blanket over it. In importance it will in the future be co-equal with medical science. It will have as its objective the care and cure of our psychomental cripples and deficients. As an example of what can be done, we have only to consider the recentlyformed New Zealand society for the care and cure of physically crippled children. ' Given the same amount of money arid organising ability, we could begin to do some of the work that Jesus allotted to us 2000 years ago.—Yours, etc PHILOSOPHIC BILL. April 16, 1936.