RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26515, 1 September 1951, Page 3

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

[Reviewed by L.G.W.] An Introduction to Personality Study. By Raymond B. Cassell. Hutchinson’s University Library. 232 pp. It is very doubtful whether there exists in English any other book of similar size that covers the same ground in this unusual and difficult subject. The Research Professor in Psychology in the University of Illinois has here undertaken to expound the basic principles of personality structure, a subject which would be thought by many incapable of being- preached scientifically. But it has been done, and though the study is a young one, it has made considerable progress, as this book shows. The fundamental doctrines of McDougall’s well-known "Social Psychology” are here further developed. The somewhat vague concept of instincts is here replaced by that of ergs, a term more precisely defined. It is not an easy book to read, though the mathematical knowledge required for its understanding is quite elementary. Probably the most striking and most difficult part of Professor Cassell’s exposition is to be found in chapter VIII, where the methods of the measurement of personality are explained under the heads (a) character stability; (b) surgency-desurgency; (c) dominance-submissiveness; and (d) sensitive emotionality. This study is not purely psychological in the traditional sense, but includes the physiological aspects of personality, under the title psycho-somatics. The author is not unmindful of the limitations of his method of study. He admits that belief in “dependable causality, i.e. of determinism" is an assumption, made use of because it works. But this methodology does not dogmatically imply that free will does not exist. Morals and Revelation. By H. D. Lewis. Published by George Allen and Unwin, Ltd. 258 pp. There are few more difficult questions than that of the relationship between morality and religion. Professor Lewis has in another work dealt with certain aspects «of this subject and this problem is the main theme of the present book. The author's purpose is to criticise the moral implications of certain types of theology, especially that of the Neo-Protestants. Barth and Brunner. Almost all the main problems of philosophy are touched upon in the 10 essays here published, but the main stress is laid on the inadequacy of the two theologians just mentioned in their account of the moral life. Their doctrine, which implies the total depravity of human nature, seems to be fatal to any appeal to reason and to the belief in the moral worth of man. We can distinguish moral values from religious ones, and a man may have a sense of duty without his possessing any definite religious belief. Neo-Pro-testantism seems to hold that the merely moral mdn is worthless.

Again how is Christianity related to the other great world religions? Barth and Brunner both appear to believe that the former is “wholly other” than the latter. Professor Lewis complains that these theologians start out from certain dogmas and make the Christian revelation fit them. The process should be the other way round. This surely is a far-reaching contention well worthy O f further amplification. Among the many topics discussed in this interesting work are the traditional proofs of the existence of God, the reality of freedom in moral life, some ambiguities of mystical thought, revelation and art, and poetic truths. Every paragraph is full of thought, both acute and profound, and the whole book can be called philosophically “exciting." It is to be hoped that the author will pursue the theses maintained in this excellent book, for, as he often reminds his readers, much has been left unsaid or undeveloped owing to the limitations of space.

Arthur Liversedge. By Ormond Burton. Published by Forward Books, Auckland. 114 pp. • The subject of this biography by Mr Ormond Burton was not widely known outside the Methodist Church, of which he was a minister. But the quality of life revealed in this record is worthy of interest to all men and women of good will. Mr Liversedge was born at Barnsley in the year 1872. He was ordained in 1900 at the Newcastle Conference. After exercising his ministry in various places tn England he had a nervous breakdown, and gave up active work. In 1912 he came to New Zealand to help his brother on his farm in the middle of the North Island. After rather trying times as a farm labourer, he was invited to resume his ministry in the New Zealand Church. He interviewed the deputation of three ministers who came to see him on the subject of reviewing his clerical work, in a windowless and doorless room. Mr Liversedge was arrayed in blue dungarees. From this primitive life he went to the East Belt Circuit, Christchurch. Soon after, he married Miss Ives, to whom he was engaged in England. From the charge of Richmond he went successively to Hawera, Mount Albert, Addington and Thames. In 1935 he went to Oxford Hills. He left the lastnamed place in 1938, and did no more parish work, except a£ an assistant, for the rest of his days. This book shows Mr Liversedge as

a rare spirit, possessing great intellectual power and human sympathy. His views op Kierkegaard’s theology, on Christian Science, British Israelism and the Future Life are those of a man who has thought deeply and well. His letters to friends in distress show his understanding heart." More people than those who knew Mr Liversedge will be grateful to Mr Burton for giving us this account of a great Christian.