CLIMAX OF YEAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26769, 12 May 1948, Page 6

CLIMAX OF YEAR

DEGREES CONFERRED IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY ADDRESS ON PRINCIPLE OF JUSTICE The University’s fitting celebration of the successful completion of the studies of its students —the annual ceremony of conferring degrees, or, as it is commonly known, the capping ceremony—was held in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. The body of the hall was occupied by the gowned graduands, while friends and relatives filled the sides of the hall and the galleries. As the last chime of 3 o’clock faded, the organ diapason swelled, and the procession comprising the council and staff of the Universitv of Otago, followed by the Chancellor, the Very Rev. Dr D. C. Herron, and the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, Sir David Smith, entered from the front of the hall and moved slowly to the platform. With the sombre gowns and richly-hued cowls and vestments indicative of erudition covering the prosaic suits and frocks of normal wear, the procession was impressive and dignified. The ceremony was opened “in voice of thunder” with the University Anthem. The presentation of the graduands to Sir David Smith, who conferred the degrees, occupied over one hour. Each group of graduands was presented by the dean of the- appropriate faculty. As each man or woman st,ood forward, 1 the Chancellor repeated his or her name and formally conferred the degree, holding the ceremonial cap above the recipient's head for a moment. The graduate was then handed the scroll of the degree, and, moving back from the stage, donned the cap he or she was carrying. Value of Inquiry A strong commendation to “keep acquainted with the urgencies of the world,” and to use the method of disinterested inquiry to ascertain the facts and consider the alternative courses of action, was given by the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, Sir David Smith in his address to the graduates. The use of this procedure, he said, would assist the victory of persuasion over force, but to apply it effectively an integrated life based on permanent values was needed. That end could be achieved with the help of the principle of justice. “It is, of course, right,” he said, “ that we should be greatly concerned with the duties immediately in front of us, and with doing them with all our might. But, when there are urgent needs in the world, clamouring to be satisfied, it is. not wise to neglect their existence. We should become, and remain, aware of them. They affect us. They may affect us so much that if, God forbid, there comes a third world war waged with the present known weapons, atomic and bacteriological, we may cease to be.” It was therefore obvious, Sir David continued, that the preservation of peace was a prime necessity in the world. Visitors from Great Britain had said that the removal of the threat of armed" conflict was the greatest practical blessing that could be conferred on mankind. But it was not the first necessity, the chancellor claimed. The quality of life for which the First World War was fought was more important even than peace. Problems of Peace Discussing the difficulty of achieving peace, Sir David said: “The tremendous difficulty is to get large groups of people who feel strongly aoout their urgent needs to agree to a method of peaceful solution, if everyone had the mentality and disposition of people oi oil years, there would, 1 think; be little difficulty in arranging the machinery of peace. A youtmul cynic might say that the more sheeplike we become, the less warlike we are. It may be so. Yet it is a tragedy that every generation of younger people has to learn its own lesson in this matter.” Ultimately, however, the solution depended upon the attitudes of mind and the modes of conduct of those people who were able to influence public opinion in their respective countries. “ My suggestion is that you cultivate the power of disinterested inquiry. This is an attitude of mind which should arise naturally from university studies. You should reach the stage where you can follow an argument to its logical conclusion without being distracted by extraneous consideratloSir David warned the graduates, however, that they must beware of being too tied by precedent. They could not be sure that events would develop according to the pattern of the past. He suggested that the best method was to try the consideration of alternatives and to try to visualise, where each course would lead them at the end of several years. If it were widely enough adopted, persuasion would tend to supersede force.

A standard of judgment was involved, Sir David remarked, and a standard of judgment in human affairs involved moral values. “ For my present purpose, the important thing is that Judgment should be exercised according to values which will produce harmony in the individual life and in society. The lack of a central moral purpose seriously affects the ability to act consistently.” Begging the graduates to forgive him his professional partiality, he suggested that a central purpose could well be found in the conception of justice. Justice and Truth

“Justice means, first, finding the truth about a situation,” he continued. “It means also a fair decision upon the true facts. We reach a fair decision by understanding the point of view and the circumstances of each person involved and by arriving at a conclusion in the light of the accepted standards of good conduct. So justice in its application involves the principles of both truth and goodness. It flows naturally from the mental process of disinterested inquiry. It should be the moral result of disinterested inquiry. It can apply in ali spheres, domestic, academic, artistic, civic, national, and international. In the long run. nothing will be settled that, is not justly settled.