CULTURE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 106, 31 October 1931, Page 12

CULTURE

JiEASON V. INTOLERANCE

MENTORS AND PUPILS

(To the Editor.) Sir, —One cannot help but admire the impartial manner in which space in your columns is placed at the disposal of correspondents from time to time par-1 ticularly regarding subjects having a more or less educational value. In reading the present discussion on "Culture," the thought that naturally comes to one's mind is: Are these writers true exponents of culture, and is its influence evident in their letters? 1' take it that the generally accepted meaning of the word indicates an all-round development of the higher faculties, both mental and .spiritual, or to use :i dictionary definition, "'Training or discipline by which man's moral mid intellectual nature is elevated." This surely includes tolerance of other peoples' views and accomplishments, which although perhaps not parallel to one's own arc of equal importance fo the community as a whole, • for, as St. Paul puts it, "If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?—the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee," etc.

The fact strikes one that if this correspondence emanates from exponents of culture, then the tone and spirit of the discussion is on a very low plane indeed. Specialisation in one of the higher brandies of art or learning because one has a natural aptitude that way, and has been fortunate enough to have had opportunities for its development, to the exclusion of the recognition of the value of what ive may consider lesser attainments in others, .but whose' qualities may be of equal value to the complex requirements of the community as a whole, is not necessarily culture. It may be mere intellectual snobbery., One can almost see one of these gentlemen, when ho has posted a letter, rubbing his hands and saying, "Well, I've put it all over him this time for sure." Then his opponent returns to the charge, and in his turn he says, "Now, I've smacked him good and hard, and I hope lie has had enough." One looks in vain for any demonstration of culture here. It is a case of self-justification, "getting one on to" each other, hoping to have the last word, mundane, ordinary, of no' profit to the reader, and should be spelt "Kultur." To be of value in our communal life, culture should surely not only expound, but teach by example to live in studious appreciation of the better things of life, in a spirit of mutual tolerance and appreciation of'the efforts and attainments of' others, and not be confined to mere intellectual development to be used in acrimonious fashion when occasion offers. The world has progressed greatly in intellectual respects, far beyond the capacity of one life, time to grasp even an outline of what is merely general knowledge to-day, there is almost too much knowledge to use. It has made much less progress on the moral side, and it seems just as difficult as ever for us to see the other person's point of view, to give credit where it is due, and nowhere is this more evident than among certain sections of the leaders of our political life. Surely culture should include and even emphasise the qualities of courtesy, tolerance, sweet reasonableness, and an honest endeavour to put into practice the golden rule. —I am, etc.,