THE HAPPY MEAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21932, 16 October 1934, Page 12

THE HAPPY MEAN

PROBLEMS OF TO-DAY OLE) PHILOSOPHY APPLIED A convincing and practical application of Aristotle's philosophy to problems of the present day was given by Mr. J. W. Shaw when addressing the weekly luncheon of the Rotary Club yesterday. Taking as bis title "Extremes and the Mean," he showed how applicable to present conditions is the philosopher's conception that the path of virtue is a middle course between two extremes. True courage, for instance, was the mean between cowardice and rash recklessness. Generosity was the pa.th that lay between parsimony and the giving away of everything. One of the most striking applications of the principle of finding the happy mean was made by Mr. Shaw in the sphere of cricket. He referred to the great controversy on tho subject of bodyline bowling, and indicated the two extreme views about the game. One was that the rules were everything, and the other was that it was merely a game and that it did not matter in the least who won or lost. Somewhere in the spirit of English sportsmen there was an unwritten line between these two attitudes. There had lately been developing in the game that had given the very highest ideals of sport a tendency to use everything that was allowable by the law. "I think it is one of the great tragedies of the time," he said, "that the word 'cricket,' with all its gracious associations, should have been drained of its highest significance." Turning to the question of war and pacifism, Mr. Shaw said they were all inclined to say that war was so hatefid that it must be removed at any price, and yet when they came to look at the other side, they felt there were cases where it was absolutely necessary to use the strong hand. It was hard to know where to draw the line between tho two extremes. Should a nation disarm completely and absolutely? Should it take the position of a martyr for the sake of humanity, and would it achieve anything by such a sacrifice? If they were not going to be pacifists, where were they to draw the line? "The biggest thing of all," said Mr. Shaw, in conclusion, "is to do one's own job and not worry too much about how other people are doing theirs." The thanks of the club were expressed to Mr. Shaw by Mr. C. F. Bonn<?tt, who suggested that a study circle might be set up to consider the stand of Rotarians in regard to tho League of Nations.