IDEALS IN LIFE

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 May 1934, Page 3

IDEALS IN LIFE

DEAN INGE’S CHOICE - * Dean Inge, in his address as president. of the Classical Association, asserted that the four following things were those ho would choose in life: — (1) Wisdom (knowledge of the rel:>t'vo Value of things): (2) domestic h:-rwiiiess: (3) recognition and encouragement, which is a ".real. part of Hiemlship: (!) the welfare of my country. In the course of h.’s address (states) “I’uhlic Opinion") he said: — We- English do not tali: much about ibo best parts of our makeup—our gi rt, kindliness and toleration, our ; i’oi'L memory for injuries, our love of ,fii:-:t:co and fair play, our hatred of (uclt y. We pride ourselves on our business wpaeity, which is very moderate: oar energy and industry, in which we are rather deficient: our political wisdom, which shows itself chiefly in our disriit.i. cl' logic and our convict ion (by no means always right) that “force is no remedy." The Greeks knew all about the beauty of the human body, and it was possible that, the new cult of sun bathing and a minimum of clothing might once more open (he eyes of artists to tlm possibilities in that direction. We want to change things and make them be : ter. 'Ah' have our own nostrums a revival of religion, better educa I ion, humanitarianism. Socialism, and what. not.

I am inclined to think, observed Dean Inge. that, the belief in the regeneration of society by concerted human effort is our distinctively modern contribution to practical philosophy. Well, what are the ideals and ideas pm- own tone? Hnnm’.Tm. you will s.ay, ami chiefly scienl’lie humanism 1 Some, chiefly in the name of science, object to humanism. A large number

say “humanism by all means, but why '• aiimanism? ’ The Greeks mixed rmast.es, and dancing with " On. They' would have opened the V. .’mblcdon tournament. with a : ■in ?■. and accompanied the games flute. Il the King’s horse- hap- : m d t .■ w a the Derby he would have (■: I'm. Mi. John Masefield to write a hymn about it. Their greatest statues W'W’C o', the- gods. Than is not. our w; ; of looking n t art and athletics. U fit - of the classics is just old-! I fashioned. h(- have still a great deal to learn i: ,'.w th - Greeks. Our life is far too c.-mpli'at.cd. We increase one want ■. and demands on society quite it: ;.lioually. We like to have everyhng done for us. "You press the biWom we do the- rest.” We shall soon J.’avo population who cannot walk or read or write or think. A drastic sim--Ition cf life would improve our health. cur minds, and our characters. [’>■ nmciacy speaks with contempt of intellectuals and highbrows, and has brought the daily papers with the I 'V'cs: circulation to the lowest depth of Cat inly and vulgarity. Wrtil'l that Ruskin were alive to deal faithfully with the big drivellei;-: . ho bid us seek our models in the "rr!." of the savages of Benin or the t"c<' cf Easter Island: who bid us mimi! the facades of public buildings i:h female, figures apparently suffering j.ait elephantiasis, and sometimes give us even a canvas scrawled with I geometrical zigzags. The who’c thing is manifestly a disease. Some <>f Hie new .architecture is rot much better. A child could produce a, model with a box of bricks just, like a modern pile of flats. The new dictatorships are far more tyrannical, more searching in their inquisitional terrorism, than the rule of any Tsar. Sultan, qj* Emperor. A completely mechanical society would be a i servile Stale in which all spiritual and ’nicl.’eci.ual UW would be strangled. The consummation of this type of po! . ity may be. studied in the beehive ot ' lite termites’ nest.