PASSING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26772, 15 May 1948, Page 2

PASSING NOTES

Qualls pater, talis filius (as the father such the son). —Old Proverb. Amid the changes wrought by war, social unrest, and financial difficulties, men are apt to lose sight of, or rather never to see, those slower, more subtle, and more lasting changes that are ever at work. Thus a recent Galton lecturer in England says that over the last. 25 years there has been an average decline in intelligence as measured on children of 11 and the size of the family. Professor Godfrey Thomson reached this conclusion from intelligence tests to find out the 1.Q., that is, the intelligence quotient. It would seem that as the more intelligent, have smaller families than the less intelligent. and as heredity is at work, the average intelligence goes steadily down. At the same time, isolated instances of great talent or genius may be appearing even while the decline is proceeding. But the factors to consider are complicated. The more intelligent are kept longer in education, therefore marry later, therefore have fewer children. Also, food and home conditions exercise an influence. Larger families have fewer social advantages. Professor Thomson’s serious conclusion deserves full investigation, for it is not a mere off-hand opinion, but is based on much testing and statistics, and it points to a steady decay. But much more evidence is necessary to settle this. There is no known method of increasing intelligence. Eugenic selection might do U, but that is only a dream. But there are known ways of increasing human happiness, and education is one way, if directed to that end. Education, the most important thing that can be thought on.— Milton. Several speakers have recently deplored the absence of an aim in education. This raises the question: Can there be in modern life an aim, one aim? There certainly is no one aim, perhaps there ought to be. but what can it be? Teachers as a rule teach subjects, or if they consciously teach and train human beings that is something over and above the common routine. In the higher reaches of education there are practically as many aims as there are modes of obtaining a living. Hence efficiency in any one of these certainly is an aim of very wide connotation. Students at university, technical schools, or agricultural colleges have definite aims, mosi of which are mainly economic. This is inevitable, particularly in view of the fact that throughout modern civilisation there is no one universally compulsive aim. In the Middle Ages there was a unity of thought, social activity and religious aspiration throughout Western Europe. Educa : tion then looked “Ad Majorem, Dei Gloriam,’’ to the greater glory of God Some still hope that a unifying philosophy of life can be importeu into education to inspire all'effort and to point all the various aims to one supreme all-embracing aim—the recognition of the Divine as the culmination, the inspiration, and the nope of human enlightenment. Now, if we could have a synthesising philosophy of that nature universally acceptable! Ah, if! Panta rhel (all things flow).— Heraclitus. A very learned man once remarked that any deep discussion on the nature of education will ultimately become grounded in two problems, one, the immortality of the soul, the other, the existence of God. This is profoundly true, though this truth will only be revealed when the discussion is carried on by those who in Plato s language, are willing to follow the argument wherever it leads. Way gain more knowledge, why strive for greater excellence in art or conduct, why put a value on virtue, nobility, valour unless beyond all these there is a Value of values? We all have thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls. Yet we are all pushed forward by some unseen force of social evolution. Education in the broadest sense must accept the status of society as it is and endeavour to meet its needs. But beyond this each human being will heed the yearnings of his own soul for some surety beyond the flux and reflux of the changing mortal tide. It seems wholly improbable that any synthesis, philosophic or moral, will be adopted in education. Even the materialism of the anti-God country has had to tolerate religion. Amongst us the conflicting aims are so numerous that no general aim is likely to meet acceptance. Yet while all things flow, the One remains, and each must seek for himself O singer of Persephone. , Dost thou remember Sicily? —From Echoes from “ Kottabos.’ Reader, no doubt you know what psychologists call the S-R bond, i.e., stimulus and response, signifying that our conduct consists of responses to stimuli. You will have noted too how one solitary word calls up a whole field of experiences. This morning I saw in the newspaper the heading “ Theocritus ’’—alas! only a racehorse—not the famed Pegasus whose celestial hoof striking on Mt. Helicon, the abode of the Muses, caused to flow that fountain of inspiration named by Keats in his melodious line: “Full of the true, the blushful Hippicrene.” The stimulus. “Theocritus,” brought to mind the Sicilian poet of that name, who though not the inventor of the bucolic idyll, yet gave it a beauty never attained before or since. Good reader, an it should hap to thee not to be familiar with his Doric Greek, turn thee to the prose version by Andrew Lang or the verse by Calverley. The opening lines, how soft and musical, where a shepherd and a goatherd meet to pipe and sing: Sweet are the whispers of yon pine that makes Low music o’er the spring, ana, Goatherd, sweet Thy piping—second thou to Pan alone. And the Goatherd’s reply: Shepherd, thy lay Is as the .noise of streams Falling and falling aye from yon tall crag. Verily I would that every stimulus of word or act could evoke so pleasant a response in me. But then the response is conditioned by previous readiness. Honour to whom honour is due. I publish with great pleasure a letter from Mr A. H. Reed in reference to my recent paragraph about the gift of books and manuscripts made to our Public Library. It is the first time I have made public the name of the writer of a letter to “ Passing Notes ” column. I may say that I have received permission from Mr Reed to use his name thus. The good work done by him hnd by Mrs Reed will remain in perpetuity amongst us, a treasury of information for research workers in literature and a lasting witness to the public spirit of a good citizen—two good citizens, in fact. Only those who have had any experience in similar collections can realise the time, devotion and money that made the gift possible. Here is the letter:— Dear Clyls,—May I just say thank you for your kind reference to my wife and myself. I " felt my heart strangely warmed,” to borrow a phrase of John Wesley, when I read " have recently presented,” for that is exactly how I like to think of it. It is now nearly ten years since my wife “ passed on,” but in paying a brief tribute to her the other day I said I believed she knew what was taking place. The writer’s touching expression of faith will find full endorsement in many hearts. It is one of the most gracious elements in Christianity expressed thus by Browning: “On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round.” Without this our religion is merely a moral philosophy. Civis.