The Record 4 · interesting discussing who, lecturers, in-(even) simply we questions person a...

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The Ethical Record Vol. 87 No. 4 EDITORIAL What Lectures and Discussions? THINKING BACK THROUGH the lec- tures and discussions at Conway Hall in the past year, only a few of which have reached the pages of the Ethical Record, it is obvious that :—(a) on most subjects we consider there are many aspects to be developed for a more cogent understanding; (b) there is some dichotomy of view by participants in the meetings as to the relevance of any particular subject to current ethical needs and as to how far we should concentrate on "academic"! topical bases; and, (c) a feeling on the part of a few members that, in our discussions, we are "prisoners held in the vice of our social in- stitutions", so often considering subjects in a fixed way. We are, anyway, all at varying levels of CONTENTS MAY 1982 understanding, information and ability to digest and incorporate new material. Nevertheless SPES offers a unique forum and an unusual range of topics. We need to develop this forum to keep abreast of changing conditions and ideas: for which purpose we need a continuing evaluation of which are the rele- vant topics; who are the people to talk with us about them; and, how to develop in ourselves the ability to discuss them, relating a concern for social, historical, scientific material to current ethical prob- lems and aspects. This latter point is one of the reasons why the return of the "in- formal Tuesday discussions" (see page 2) is to be welcomed. With the current tutorial classes over until concluded on page 4 ComingtoConwayHall: SamBeer,John Durant, Peter Heales, Peter Hunot, Leah Levin, Ardon Lyon,Edwina Palmer, JasperRidley,Victor Rose, Barbara Smoker, Nicolas Walter, Tony Ward. 2 Land of Milk and Honey West: Ian MacKillop. 3 Date and Time of AGM..... 3 From the Administrative Officer: David Joseph. 7 From the Honorary Representative: Ray Lovecy 8 The 92nd Season of Concerts: George.Hutchinson. 8 What do we Mean by "A Rational Religious Sentiment": reprint (D. J. Gibson) 9 Ethical Rationality: from Dr Lovecy's notes 10 Viewpoints: Margaret Chisman. S. B. Wynburne, WinifredEason.. 11 Obituaries: Stan Chisman, George Noyes Salmon 13 South Place News: 15 The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the Society. Microfilm and reprints available—details on request. PUBLISHED BY THE SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY - CONWAY HALL, RED LION SQUARE, LONDON WC1R 4RL Telephone: 01-242 8032 (Answering machine out of hours)

Transcript of The Record 4 · interesting discussing who, lecturers, in-(even) simply we questions person a...

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The

Ethical RecordVol. 87 No. 4

EDITORIAL

What Lectures and Discussions?THINKING BACK THROUGH the lec-tures and discussions at ConwayHall in the past year, only a few ofwhich have reached the pages ofthe Ethical Record, it is obviousthat :—(a) on most subjects weconsider there are many aspects tobe developed for a more cogentunderstanding; (b) there is somedichotomy of view by participantsin the meetings as to the relevanceof any particular subject to currentethical needs and as to how far weshould concentrate on "academic"!topical bases; and, (c) a feeling onthe part of a few members that, inour discussions, we are "prisonersheld in the vice of our social in-stitutions", so often consideringsubjects in a fixed way. We are,anyway, all at varying levels of

CONTENTS

MAY 1982

understanding, information andability to digest and incorporatenew material.Nevertheless SPES offers a uniqueforum and an unusual range oftopics. We need to develop thisforum to keep abreast of changingconditions and ideas: for whichpurpose we need a continuingevaluation of which are the rele-vant topics; who are the people totalk with us about them; and, howto develop in ourselves the abilityto discuss them, relating a concernfor social, historical, scientificmaterial to current ethical prob-lems and aspects.This latter point is one of thereasons why the return of the "in-formal Tuesday discussions" (seepage 2) is to be welcomed. With thecurrent tutorial classes over until

concluded on page 4

ComingtoConwayHall: SamBeer,JohnDurant, Peter Heales, Peter Hunot, Leah Levin, Ardon Lyon,Edwina Palmer, JasperRidley,Victor Rose,

Barbara Smoker, Nicolas Walter, Tony Ward. 2Land of Milk and Honey West: Ian MacKillop. 3Date and Time of AGM..... 3From the Administrative Officer: David Joseph. 7From the Honorary Representative: Ray Lovecy 8The 92nd Season of Concerts: George.Hutchinson. 8What do we Mean by "A Rational Religious Sentiment":

reprint (D. J. Gibson) 9Ethical Rationality: from Dr Lovecy's notes 10Viewpoints: Margaret Chisman. S. B. Wynburne,

WinifredEason.. 11Obituaries: Stan Chisman, George Noyes Salmon 13South Place News: 15

The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the Society. Microfilm and reprints available—details on request.

PUBLISHED BY THE SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY -CONWAY HALL, RED LION SQUARE, LONDON WC1R 4RLTelephone: 01-242 8032 (Answering machine out of hours)

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SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY

Appointed Lecturers: II. J. Blackham, Lord Brockway, Richard Clements, Om, T. F. Evans, Peter Reales, W. H. Liddell,

Harry Stopes-Roe.

,Hall Manager: Jim Smith (tel. 01-242 8032) Administrative Officer: David Joseph (tel. 01-242 8033, Wed-Fri)

Hon. Representative: Ray Lovecy Hon. Registrar: John Brown

Hon. Treasurer: C. E. Barralet Editor, The Ethical Record: Peter Hunot

COMING EVENTS AT CONWAY HALL

Sunday morning lectures at 11.00 am in the LibraryMay 2. NICOLAS WALTER. Humanism with Feeling.May 9. ARDON LYON. Why Values can be Deduced from FactsMay 16. PETER HEALES. The Future of Work.May 23. JOHN DURANT. Darwinism and Dogma The Significance of

"Scientific Creationism" in the Modern World.May 30. Spring Bank Holiday. No lecture.June 6. JASPER RIDLEY. Garibaldi—Freedom Fighter.

Sunday Forums at 3.00 pm in the LibraryMay 9. LEAH LEVIN (Anti-Slavery Society). Slavery Today.May 23. TONY WARD. (Radical Alternatives to Prison). Is Penal Reform

Possible?

Sunday Social at 3.00 pm in the Library. Tea at 4.30 pmMay 16. SAM BEER. Was Dylan Thomas a Poet?

Informal Tuesday Discussions in the Library at 7.00 pmFrom May onwards, the informal discussions lead by and amongmembers will continue until September—except for August.(see note on page 15)

May 11. Discussion on : Are we Prisoners of our Social Institutions?opened by PETER HUNOT.

May 18. The Rastafarian Cult. Opened by EDWINA PALMER.May 25. The Immorality of Worshipping an Omnipotent Creator. BARBARA

SMOKER.June 1. To be announced.June 8. Jack London—Socialist. VICTOR ROSE.

Other members, including Margaret Chisman and Norman Bacrac haveagreed to open further discussions later in the year.

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Land of Milk and Honey WestBy IAN MACKILLOP

ON FEBRUARY 7 last I talked at South Place about the "Idea of Ease", ageneral idea which I brought down to some thoughts about the great cityof Los Angeles.

I had nothing new to say about southern California, nothing that is notsaid better (and illustrated, into the bargain) in the excellent book by ReynerBanham called Los Angeles: the Architecture of Four Ecologies, a Pelicanbook. I also recommended in my talk a novel by Joan Didion called Play ItAs It Lays and a travel book written from an unusual angle by EdmundWhite called States of Desire. And I quoted Robert Louis Stevenson, froman essay on the coast at Monterey and from Treasure Island.

I did that to show that the Californian coast is actually deeply familiareven to those who have not been there, familiar from the pages ofStevenson's classic, whose seascapes are based on that coast rather than onobservation in the South Seas.

Instead of re-writing my talk in shortened form I shall take up the offerof the Editor of the Ethical Record to make a few comments on the dis-cussion that followed the talk—at the end of which I shall make one moreliterary recommendation.

Universal Studios Better than DisneylandMany of the questions were not really connected with my talk. Many of

them, for instance, were in the form of remarks about Disneyland, whichI did indeed have a few things to say about, but things which were on thewhole not very sympathetic, whereas the audience rather assumed I was allin favour of Disneyland. Well, I certainly like Disneyland and it nostalgicallyreminds me of the old Battersea Pleasure Gardens. devised for the Festivalof Britain, with its Guinness Clock, its Rowland Emmett walkway, itscavern of the four seasons (pungent smells there), its Piazza and its 3-Dcinema—and wasn't there a camera obscura on a pier out over the Thames?

But in the talk I did suggest that there are greater wonders than Disney-land but of a comparable kind in Southern California and if there is in thisbeautiful place plenty and palpable evidence of human delicacy andingenuity in accommodation to the environment then evidence of this qualityis better found, say, at Universal Studios, where the interplay between thereal and the fantastic, between actuality and showmanship, is more interest-ing, done with more flair, and is in general simply more beautiful and also

THE ANNUALGENERAL

MEETINGWEDNESDAY, MAY 26 at 6.30 pm

SPES members only Election of committees

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more characteristic of other things to be seen in the area. I just thoughtDisneyland was a little bit unCalifornian.

However, those who contributed to the discussion thought either that Ilauded Disneyland too much or that I should not have bothered with thistrivial topic in an age of grievous problems many of which are likely toget worse, many of which America is responsible for, or if not responsibleis brutal enough to ignore. There was a good deal of anti-American feelingexpressed, some of which was denounced in a heart-warming manner. How-ever, it was a pity that some of the attack was on things that I had neverdefended.

To be fair, I did talk about the superficial in a literal sense, about the look

of things. I did not talk about people, about Angelenos in particular, butabout the fact that in this part of the world one sees, continuously, evidenceof sympathy and ingenuity—exercised in establishing a relationship withthe natural environment. I wanted to show that the way Angelenos live withthis beauty (live as builders, advertisers, travellers, enjoyers) is refreshing,even inspiring.

I did not want to say anything about the place being "laid back" or"exciting"; but I was not claiming to have a new view of the place. I talkedparticularly about showplaces, museums (notably the George C. Smithmuseum for displaying the finds from the La Brea tarpits, and the NortonSimon art gallery in Pasadena), places that were easily accessible to tourists.I did this because I have never been other than a tourist or family holiday-maker in Los Angeles and also because a sub-theme of my talk was in facttourism.

Tourists are concerned with the look of things, and such concern is,amongst the educated classes, somewhat unpopular. Tourism is superficial,travel is deep. tourism watches, travel experiences. Tourism wants places(why else carry those cameras?); travel wants people, wants to get to know

concluded from page I

any others start up in the autumn,members will be meeting on Tues-day evenings at 7.00 pm in theLibrary (through May to the endof July and in September, but notin August) to themselves lead off onsubjects of their own choice: whynot join in?On the Lectures and DiscussionsSub-Committee (meeting severaltimes a year) possible speakers andsubjects are mooted: though event-ual programmes often have to bemodified in accordance with whois available on which given dates.We suggest members of SPEScould spend a few minutes/half anhour (or whatever) to think about:(a) what they consider the mostimportant/deepest/most interestingsubject(s) we should be discussingin the coming months; (b) who,including the appointed lecturers,might most readilly/with wit/ in-

terestingly / informatively / (even)simply present the information weneed; and, (c) the sort of questionswe should ask of the persongiving the lecture or starting adiscussion.This leaves open a wide field.How about it? We (the editor) willgive as prizes a suitable book foreach of the best three suggestions(and of course a mention in theEthical Record). Send in a proposedtitle, description, possible speakersand the questions you think shouldbe asked. Your ideas will, ofcourse, be given to the sub-com-mittee to consider at one of itsmeetings.South Place, at any one time, iswhat its members variously con-tribute to it : make your voiceheard, your own contributioneffective. We shall be waiting im-patiently for the post each day,don't disappoint usl

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them, -look lik& them, not Stand Out, talk their language—and poortravellers arc so often frustrated because the places they go to, searchingfor real relations with the indigenous are so often over-run with tourists(and the natives seem to like it this way!) Better stay at home and readPaul Theroux; Graham Greene? Don't go away unless you are going tocome back changed: the Ancient Mariner did not take a tour of theSargasso Sea.

Now; of course, the sarcastic emphasis of this paragraph is not meant todenigrate travel—how foolish it would be to do so. But it is meant todenigrate the view which is snobbish about and unappreciative of the human(besides economic) value of tourism. Tourism is not necessarily decreative.Let me set down a few of the things I said about it and some others.

For a start. I said that natives may find a value in the tourist : by tellingthe visitor about what he likes and wha t's worth doing he heightens his ownappreciation of where he lives.

Then, consider tourism defined in its most negative way—as foreign visit-ing only with the purpose of acquiring natural or mechanical advantages,rather than cultural or human ones: I mean going just for the sun, the sea,or the social possibilities (probably of getting to know people from Yourown country better). This may not sound very adventurous, but at least ithas the advantage of being normal, for much foreign travel that is not out-and-out for pleasure is for a purpose, to get something that can't be got athome. •

Western Ways Not Normal for the MajorityIn the talk I said that we should occasionally remember that our Western

ways are not by majority normal: most people live in the Third Worldand in that world most people have quite regular contact with others whosereligion, custom, all sorts of things differ from home, and it is normal to goaway from your home-place for something and find, with acceptance, thateverything is rather different.

We are used to things being much the same and so look hectically forextreme foreignness. All I am saying is that it is normal for millions ofpeople to know a bit about the different types of lives of their neighbours,but not think for a minute that they have to penetrate these lives or getaccepted by these foreigners as one of themselves, as the saying goes. So theperson going abroad just for the sun and the girls, who gets to know a bitabout the locale but on the whole takes it for granted is only behaving like aThird World brother.

The next stage up in negative views of tourism might be stated as follows:tourists do take an interest in foreign parts but they only see the surface.Now, I am not against working hard on one's holidays, though I am, asshown just now, against the idea that one must penetrate and get absorbedinto the foreign: why should we lose ourselves abroad? Why should we fedwe have to master a foreign culture, or "go native" in that peculiarexpression?

Look what happened to Kurtz in Conrad's Heart of Darkness. But, yes,it's good to read the guidebooks. However, let us not look down on super-ficial knowledge. To have a sense of the texture of the surface, simply tosee and like, that is surely not decreative. It is what is done by Banham inhis book on Los Angeles—and done inwardly by many a visitor to Majorcawho would never dream of book-writing. It is quite comic to find journalistsgoing to Majorca to scoff, finding it charming, and then concluding that itis only they who have found the charming parts: ordinary people just likethe beaches, and fish-and-chips. On the contrary ordinary 'people like the

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other parts as well but they - have to stay somewhere. They •cannot get•around as much as journalists.

Then comes the fish-and-chip syndrome, as I shall call 'the view whichsays that tourists (Of The Worst Kind) only go abroad to consume thingsthey could get at home anyway; this view usually goes along with the firstview I characterised, that of tourists just going for natural and mechanicaladvantages. So ordinary people cat fish and chips on the Costa Packet.

Well, this point of view has something to be said for it, because it seemsto me that people do like to go to places with which they -have affinities andSpain (apart from its climate) has a number of affinities with England: Iwould hazard that if there is such a thing as national character that ofSpaniards comes closest to the British one, closer than that of any otherEuropean nation. Spaniards also like f ry-ups and therefore the fish-and-chipsfound there (compare churros) are simply items of Spanish cuisine withwhich we have affinities.

Tourism is Normal, Not De-creative

So far, in characterising some negative views of tourism, much of whatI have said has been negative—only that tourism should not be snobbishlylooked down upon and that it is in some sense (which I hope I've madeclear) normal, not decreative. The nearest I came to a positive point wasto say that superficial knowledge is knowledge still and in conclusion per-haps I might stress my view that knowledge of foreignness as opposed tothe vulgar ambition to disappear into the abroad a la. T. E. Lawrence issomething we could do with a good deal more of.

in her excellent book Patterns of Culture, Ruth Benedict says that acharacteristic of the west is to think all other cultures arc aspiring to ourown and that variations in our own Western culture are perversities thatwith reason could be ironed out.

Thus American life looks like ours, but when it is botheringly foreignthis is merely because it has failed to achieve the normality of our versionof culture. So the Californians (comically) value psycho-therapy; so theCalifornians- (tragically) have smog. They have the latter, not because ofgeography but because they will not learn (say we Western governesses) touse less gasoline. And as for psycho-analysis, this is because they have toomuch money and too much optimism.

I will not continue with these libels—but only say that a good many suchhostilities emerged in the discussion after my talk (Californians are nastyto the old, have sun-shrivelled skins, are often bisexual—there was somecheery barracking when this point came up). Mightn't superficial knowledgebe accepting? Mightn't setting a value on this knowledge encourage theuseful activity (to use the cliché) of taking other manners at their face valueand mentally start from scratch with them, instead of wheeling out abarrow of assumptions that people who live in quite different conditionsshould follow one's own little habits.

British View of Mental Illness Contested

I did say something about the banal British view of psycho-therapy, notbecause I know much at all about the therapies practised on the west coastof America, but because I can't help, unfortunately, knowing about theBritish readiness to believe that a positive attitude to mental stress mustbe foolish hokum. To contest this view I quoted from memory some re-marks from a sober British professor of psychology and literary critic. Whathe said was this: "If every child were psycho-analysed as a normal part .of

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its !education,' Vve• 'should almost- certainly, enjoy arr: incomparably • morecomfortable world" (Money-Kyrle).• And at all events in the first generation of such a scheme the parents toowould need to be analysed. The cost, argue the analysts, would be negligiblecompared with the cost of armaments!

Yes, armaments—mentioned because D. W. Harding was writing at thebeginning of the last War and arguing that in war human drives to befound in peacetime are simply formalised and made respectable. He goeson in article to say that the idea of having most people analysed arousesdeep hostility—and wittily says that it arouses as much hostility as JaneAusten had to dental care.

I think he has a point to make. If he has. then Californian ways may bemore defensible than people sometimes think, and if they are defensiblethen we should remember that there arc drives (or inertia) in us.that preventus seeing the face of things, and then remember that if we cannot actuallylook at the surface we will never see anything else. •

Thus I return to my defence of touring and looking. (Harding's essay, bythe way, first appeared in the general cultural journal Scrutiny in December1940: -it is called "The Custom of War and the Notion of Peace"; but thebest way to read it today is to get rrom a library a copy of Harding's out-of-print book The Impulse to Dominate which includes much of the essaymaterial). 0

From the Administrative Officer

THE ;any PROGRAMME of Sunday lectures commences with the welcomedreturn to Conway Hall of Nicolas Walter—the General Secretary of theRationalist Press Association. His lecture on May 2—Humanism withFeeling—will focus on certain emotional and aesthetic aspects of themodern humanist project.

In March Ardon Lyon was unable to give his lecture Why Values can beDeduced from Facts? due to illness. His lecture has now been re-scheduledfor May 9.

One of our appointed lecturers, Peter Heales, makes another visit toConway Hall on May 16 to discuss The Future of Work. We can expectfrom Peter a philosophical response to the contemporary problems ofemployment—or, more precisely, the lack of employment.

En the USA the christian challenge to the scientific evolutionism ofDarwin is more than a peripheral dispute in academic biology. It has crossedthe threshold of academic institutions into the field of major political debate,with the Reganite New Right forcefully promoting the- cause•of "scientificcreationism". Thankfully, the cause of "scientific creationism" has beensomewhat muted in Britain, although it has its following in certain even"scientific" quarters.. John Durant's lecture on May 23 Darwinism andDogma: The Significance of "Scientific Creationism" in the Modern Worldwill bring this dispute—with its intellectual and political dimensions—toConway Hall.

Perhaps there is a unifying thread that can be traced through all .fourlectures for May. This unifying feature is that each lecture will examinephilosophically and critically a feature of modern social relations. Moreabstractly, each lecture portrays aspects of a philosophy with practicalintent..

The Sunday Forums for May are of a different nature:They focus on twocontemporary problems, without the degree of philosophical reflection thatis nedessary for:Sunday.lectureg.. Lealt.Levin will talk on SlaVery Today,

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pointing to the fact that slavery did not disappear in the XIXth century andstill exists in large pockets of the modern world. This Sunday Forum is onMay 9. On May 23 Tony Ward, from "Radical Alternatives to Prison",will address himself to the subject : Is Penal Reform Possible? With risingcrime rates and the total failure of the present penal system to reformcriminals, nobody can doubt that Tony Ward's talk will be important.

On a more administrative note, will members please make a note in thediary for the Society's Annual General Meeting on Wednesday May 26 at6.30 pm. Although I've been at South Place for almost three months now, Istill have not met many members. Thus, I look forward to meeting you allat this year's AGM. DAVID JOSEPH

Notes from the Honorary RepresentativeWE WERE SORRY Ardon Lyon was unable to lecture ow March 28 due to aslipped disc, but he will be giving the same lecture in May. Our very bestwishes to Ardon for a speedy recovery.

David Joseph and I had a very interesting chat over lunch with IanMacKillop who is writing a book on the British Ethical Societies, which heexpects will be published at the end of this year. He explains that his bookis written on the assumption that its readers will refer to works by historiansand sociologists dealing with the period and relevant issues and that he hasapproached the ethicists from a different discipline. To quote "I have usedthe space to include morc "background". For example, I have tried onoccasion to characterise, rather than summarise, the ideas on which theethecists worked or which appealed intensely to them.. .." This book will beof great interest to many of our readers. Anyone who has personal recollec-tions of incidents and personalities involved in the Society in the past, pleasewrite to Mr. Ian MacKillop, 39 Louth Road, Sheffield, I I, as he may findthis information useful.

Our Legal sub-committee have met to discuss the amended Trust docu-ments submitted by our legal advisers and then the Charity Commissionwill be consulted. We should—hopefully—be having our Special GeneralMeetings in June to finalise our Trust documents, Rules and appointmentof new Trustees.

I will write about the Conway Memorial Lecture in the next issue as thisis going to press before it takes place.

Try to attend the AGM on Wednesday, May 26 at 6.30 pm, for 7.00 pm.RAY LOVECY

The Next Sunday ConcertsThe 92nd season will comprise every Sunday from October 3 1982 to

April 24 1983, except December 26, January 2 and April 3. Starting timewill be, as usual, at 6.30 pm. Price of admission will be £1.00 (but evenless by Season ticket which also guarantees a seat up to 6.20 pm). •

As usual the programmes will be based on the String Quartet. Shosta-kovich String Quartets will be featured—also the more popular pianoquartets from Schumann to Shostakovich and the chamber of music ofSchumann.

An outstanding concert will be given on January 23 by the Lindsay StringQuartet and Imogen Cooper—Haydn, Beethoven, Schumann—when allconcerned will be 'giving their services in aid of the Musicians' BenevolentFund.

During the course of the season the Ethical Record will give more details

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about the programmes, hut the best way to keep in touch is by sending twostamps to the Hon. Treasurer, 129 West Hill Road, SW18 when you will besent a copy of the Annual Report and Future Arrangements Leaflets.

GEORGE HUTCHINSON

Looking Again at Past Contributions

What do we mean by "A Rational Religious Sentiment"?

(Reprinted from the Monthly Record of November 1964 from a talk by D. I. GIBSONin the Conway Discussions series given on March 24,

1964)

THE PHRASE "A rational religious sentiment," which occurs in our statementof aims, I would define as a conscious disciplining of the self, making theape and tiger die within us in order that higher attributes of justice, com-passion and mercy may blossom to the full in a truly civilised human society,whose further evolution knows no bounds other than those which we our-selves impose.

When early man began to use his mind to change his environment andmould it nearer to his desires, he was exhibiting his longing for such acivilisation, taking, in other words, his first step upwards from the jungletowards Homo Sapiens or Rational Man. By irrational religions he thengroped for the next step, a refinement of the self, which the priests told himhad become soiled with "original sin" and must be "bound back to God",defining religion as a "binding back" and not a discipline.

Perhaps we Failed to Eat the Fruit of the "Tree of Knowledge"?

From the misconception of man's origin arose a variety of fancifultheories and tales, of which one well-known example is provided by the bookof Genesis—in which, you will recall, an anthropomorphic deity, aftercreating light twice in one chapter, proceeds to create man and woman andlets them fall into the hands of an opposing deity, the "evil one", the origin(according to both the Zoroastrians and most Christians) of "all our woes",as Milton put it. Oddly enoueh, this disaster is ascribed, in Genesis, toeating the fruit of the "tree of Knowledge"; it could surely have been moreaptly attributed to failing to cat the fruit of the "tree of knowledge" andrelying instead on irrational speculation, for there can be no doubt thatnearly all our woes arise from ignorance and irrational emotion rather thanfrom knowledge.

To the rational Humanist, there is no such thing as "original sin"—onlyprimitive ignorance and primitive emotions. It should be the aim of HomoSapiens to eliminate or sublimate these, in order that he may himself con-sciously create a higher being with nobler attributes in a higher civilisation.

Einstein's concept of Relativity can be applied not only to the physicaluniverse but also to the "metaphysical" realms of ethics and aesthetics, inthe sense that there are no absolute values or standards. All are relative tothe individual, to current knowledge, and to the civilisation in which he orshe lives. As civilisation progresses. so the standards must be raised or the"affluent society" can, very easily, become the degenerate society, as eventhe briefest review of past civilisations will readily show.• To those who view man as a "fallen angel", religion signifies a means of

return to a former state, now lost; but with our present knowledge this viewof man appears to be a completely erroneous one. There is ample evidencethat man is no "fallen angel" he is, on the contrary, an evolving animal, and

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his further evolution .will .be mainly conditioned by his own knowledge andconscious aspirations.

Steps Towards the-Harmonious Evolution of Mankind"A rational religious sentiment"...can–therefore be explained, I would

suggest, as a state of mind which seeks to visualise the next constructivestep towards the further harmonious evolution of mankind and- then pro-ceeds to turn this vision into reality by conscious, constructive effort, by asynthesis of science and aestheticsscience, ethically used,-. to provide ourmaterial wants, and aesthetics to satisfy our mental and spiritual aspirationstowards a better ordering of society into a more satisfying and harmoniouswhole.

As The Humanist World Digest has aptly stated:"Man is not to be treated as a means to an end, but as an end in himself.Hitherto man has too often been considered as a means of furtheringthe purpose of gods, states or economic systems. Man has made his ownhistory and will create his own future".

A rational religious sentiment aims.at making this world a fit place tolive-in and human life worth living. ft is a common faith which all can useto rise above the barriers of the irrational beliefs which now separate themand to create a real brotherhood of man in which all may share equality ofopportunity, personal freedom and justice based on rational ethical principles.

A Brief Word on Ethical RationalityAt the series of meeting on rationality in October 1980, various aspects

were discussed and the views of those speaking were published (see page 8,March 1981: Jonathan Stopes-Roe on Cultivating Social Rationality; page10, March 1981Ethical Record: Antony Chapman on Cultivating HumanistRationality; page 10, April 1981 issue: Govind Deodhekar on CultivatingSecular Rationality). Below a brief-resumé is given, based on notes left byDr Albert .Lovecy, of his comments at the fourth of the series on October28, 1980, prepared by Ray Lovecy." Rationality refers to something more than Logic. Most of us recognise

that Logic has to be strict, or rigid. The result or outcome of a logical-trainof thought is intended to be reliable, and consistency is a test we apply todecide reliability of a logical inference or deduction.

In all matters of fairness or justice to the interests of individuals it isobviously necessary to reason in a logical way, to reach reliable conclusionsand avoid inconsistencies.

'Something more than Logic is often essential to ensure that the result ofa train of thought will be reasonable, and not absurd. Probably most of usremember dimly the process of "reductio ad absurdum" which is often usedin elementary maths., and geometry teaching. By this procedure we takethe view that what is absurd cannot be accepted, and therefore the basis,or the reasoning, has to be put right if we want a reliable answer.

The second test of reasonable is the practical one—is the outcome feasiblein practice ie conflicts of interest, soluble and insoluble problems, etc.•

Tutorial Classes Completed.At the London University Extra Mural Tutorial Class on. Philosophy,

with Peter Heales, summaries of proceedings were made each week bymembers:of theiclass.: • , „ .

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.--Barbara-Smoker made the following summary of. the 22nd session onMarch 16 and it is published as an example of the studies made in the•class.

Using Philosophical Guide Lines to Deal with Ethical Problems

For the past few weeks we had been considering the application ofvarious ethical systems to a particular ethical problem—the issue of nucleardisarmament—by a hypothetical head of state, using the different guidingprinciples and methods previously studied in abstract.

During the past three weeks we had looked at this moral issue throughthe following ethical schools of thought : (a) Utilitarian (seeking the greatesthappiness of the greatest number on an assessment of the probable con-sequences of alternative policies—as expounded by Bentham or John StuartMill), (b) the "Homeostatic" (judging morality by intention rather thanaction, on the idea of moving close to the objective); and, (c) the Formal

(by which actions, rather than intentions, are assessed according to universalprinciples—e.g. the Stoics and Kant)., •

This week was devoted to a fourth approach—that of Intuition. Thisphilosophical term refers to gaining direct knowledge, whether or notthrough any of the five senses. It has quite a broad base. Two main types ofIntuition are particular Intuition (intuiting the right course of action inparticular situations—as put forward bv David Ross) and general Intuition(intuiting general ethical principles for applying to particular cases—associated with G. E. Moore). A sub-class of Intuition introduces the ideaor the "inner voice", suggesting a mystical path to moral knowledge.

The XV1IIth century philosopher Francis Hutchinson j-Who is associatedboth- with Utilitarianism and with Intuition—saw Intuition as the directperception of morals through what he called "moral sense", this beinganalogous to one or more of the five senses, through which other facts aieperceived. •

More recent Intuitive philosophers have dropped the idea of reliance onmechanics of the mind, preferring to the emphasise the immediacy of theethical experience. The most extreme form of Intuition sees each situationas discrete, and is thus, in modern terminology, a form of "SituationalEthics". •

If our hypothetical head of state approached the nuclear disarmamentquestion from the standpoint of Intuition, his or her process of reaching adecision would depend on direct observation of the facts rather than onabstract reasoning.

While it is not necessarily capricious, Intuition holds no guarantee ofconsistency, and its critics object that it provides for no rational discussionto resolve differences of opinion. Cynically. one can reduce the theory ofIntuition to one of psychological drives.

- Viewpoints

Eight Ideas for South Place Activities

Some suggested new activities for members of South Place:

1 An occasional "Saturday Seminar", say from 10.30 am to 4.00 pm onAspects of Humanism.

2 Tuesday Talk-ins, from 12.30 to 1.30 pm, at which a variety of speakerswould talk for about 15 minutes, followed by discussion. Simple refresh-

ments could be sold for, say, half an hour before the talk. Offices in thevicinity of Conway Hall, the nearby public libraries, etc: could be askedto display' leaflets on their notice boards. ._.•

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3 A sub-committee could be set up to explore and help make practicalproposals for turning Conway Hall into a living and lively HumanistCentre.

4 The Annual Dinner could be revived, perhaps in buffet form.5 Consideration could be given to the purchase of a Video Tape Recorder

(and TV set) for evenings of films on Humanist and related themes,followed by discussion.

6 The Entrance Hall is bleak and old-fashioned. Let's have a competitionfor ideas to modernise and utilise it.

7 The various sub-committees of the General Committee have a varied andheavy load of work. More non-General Committee members of theSociety should be encouraged to serve on them.

8 We should create a "Moving History" of the Society, including photo-graphs of the Annual General Meeting and the New General Committeeeach year.

MARGARET CHISMAN, Member of the General Committee

(Any member wishing to discuss any of these ideas with Margaret Chismancan reach her at : 41 Penn Road, London N7 912E; telephone: 01-607 4755.She tells me she would be glad of help to elaborate them—Editor.)

How Are You Using the Word "Truth"?Harry Stopes-Roe states his concern for truth as the One Fixed Thing

(Ethical Record March '82) but admits that all life stances or philosophiesmake the same claim. I am equally dogmatic but am kept to my professional,and therefore narrow, context within the space and time limits of thesecondary school classroom. I instil the HABIT of truth in my pupilsthrough the daily basic English translation lessons over seven years whenthe Ogden-Richards art-technique forbids them to write down the word"truth" as it is not in their meta-language. They could not make PontiusPilate's logical mistake on "question", but would write down: "How areyou using the word "true" in the statement "P is True"? Truth is aproperty of sentences as Bertrand Russell tells us.

On leaving the classroom, the pupil shows his sense version of the originalpassage to the scientist, who is the only authority capable of telling us thefacts of the universe at this point in time. The philosopher-turned-logician isthe only authority with the expertise to criticise our use of language and tosee how and why the variety of our errors and stupidities is greatly limited.

Improvement in its practice with language is what the world needs. My1000 lessons—copyable and adaptable by any education system in the world—are demonstrably the implementation, the putting into practice, of Stopes-Roe's distinctively humanist "way we look for truth" without, however, thevalues expunged by our semantic analysis.

S. B. WYNEURNE, Belfast

The Important Question of Why and Where?It has always seemed strange to me how little interest the average person

takes in the meaning of life. ie why we are here on this Earth; where we werebefore we came to it, •and where we are going when we leave it! In fact, itseems only after some great personal disaster such as the death of a lovedone, or some severe illness that does not yield to ordinary treatment, thatthey begin to ponder on such matters.

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Surely this is a most important question, especially as the orthodox Churchis quite unable to give any satisfactory answers on the subject. Therefore,most people who are able to think for themselves either become atheistsor seek outside the conventional channels, the latter being the fortunateones, as answers to such questions on a scientific and spiritual basis cannearly always be found in the "right" Esoteric School?

WINIFRED EASON,member SPES, London SW19

(Do other Members believe that this "how" and these "where"s are the relevant questions; or that any "esoteric" systems may provide "ans-

wers"? Let readers of the Ethical Record know your opinions—Editor).

That Mind/Body Separation

At a recent SPES lecture a claim was made for the separate existence ofthe mind from the body or brain. This seems to me to be self-evidentlyimpossible and a continuation of a dualistic outlook which is damaging tounderstanding.

Body, mind and brain are aspects of what we recognise as an entityexisting in an eco-biological and social system, within space and time. Otheraspects of reality, which we do not understand, must nevertheless alsocomprise a unity with what we know and appraise already, not somethingexisting on their own.

The same goes for the idea, which has also been expressed at somemeetings, of a "something" which has planned our existence, evolution andsystems—so easily become The Devine One, The Creator, God or what-haveyou—with emphasis on the "mysterious" (surely really a name for what wedo not yet know or understand). Although we get to know more about theorganising principles of the "reality" in which we find ourselves, there is acontinuous, shifting "front" along which we do not yet understand. Andeven with the "wildest" ideas of parallel universes, anti-matter and the restI cannot conceive any of it as something with which we are not contiguous.We can never "know it all", nor should we think that's terrible or that itsignifies any sort of "being" "behind" it all. The latter is without a doubt ameaningless concept anyway.

I like and enjoy and struggle with the search for "truth", but am contentto get only as far as is possible within the context of my own life-span. Inother words we should neither be self-satisfied nor too expectant of anyfinality—we live in an ocean, always on the move.

The "mind", in fact, only continues in the passed-on knowledge andunderstanding, not as some essence, floating for ever with your own uniqueindividuality. And God, in any form, is so manifestly "Big Daddy" (and apatriarch at that) that it is embarrassing for adults to have him aroundany more. PETER HUNOT, London

ObituariesSTAN CHISMAN, whose philosophy was expressed in the phrase: "we should

put back into society more than we take out—leaving the world a betterplace than we found it", died after prolonged illness (which he bore withfortitude) on March 24 at the age of 63.

His participation in SPES as a member, as with other organisations, waslively as well as practical. He always took part in our discussions withvigour—seeking "truth" with passion. But he also helped SPES out lastyear, deputising for the Treasurer. His interests covered intellectual, social,

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practical and physical activities (not long ago he was training in the "art-of hang-gliding)--from the local community (where, for example, he photo-graphed children at the annual street festival, but also organised 45enumerators in last year's census) to the global one of ecology. He will besadly missed by all of us who knew him, casually or in greater depth.

PETER HUNOT

GEORGE NOYES SALMON, who died on March 29, 1982, aged 78, was aTrustee of South Place and a member of very long standing. He found inSouth Place the freedom and attitudes and ideas for which he had beensearching and which coincided with his own beliefs.

George served for many years on the General Committee, of which hewas currently a member, and also the Building Sub-Committee and wasalways ready with help and advice regarding Conway Hall premises and itsfittings and fixtures.

He worked very hard and was active and energetic. He was most honest,earnest and straightforward in his views, as well as being thoughtful andalways searching for truth and new explanations. We shall miss his sensibleoutlook, and his friendliness.

LOUISE BoOKER

— "SOUTH PLACE" APPEAL 1981-82

In June 1980 we were granted charitable status inthe High Court of Chancery by Mr Justice Dillon.It was held that the Society's present objects werenot for the advancement of religion, but that theywere for the advancement of education and werecharitable as being for the public benefit.

We are now a registered charity with all the advan-tages and security that that involves.

Have you made a contribution ?

We ask all reached by this Appeal to give as gener-ously as possible. PLEASE HELP.

South Place Ethical SocietyConway HallRed Lion Square, London WC1 4RL

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South Place NewsThe Bridge Club Closes Down

The South Place Ethical Society Bridge Club, which has been runningbridge sessions at Conway Hall over a number of years, has finally beenclosed down. This was because of the low attendance at meetings of theClub.

Annual General Meeting Change

The date of the AGM of the Society has been changed from the dateoriginally stated in the February/March issue of the Ethical Record. Thenew date is Wednesday, May 26 at 6.30 pm..

A London Ramble in May

On Saturday May 15, John Brown will lead a Springtime Ramble, startingfrom East FinchIcy (Northern Line) Underground Station at 8.30 pm. Afterwalking through Cherry Tree and Highgate Woods, there will be spectacularviews across London from the footpath that formerly carried the AlexandraPark Railway. Tea in Highgate: distance 21- miles.

Outing to See the Barbican

Meet at the entrance of Moorgate Station on Saturday May 8, 2.45 pmfor a visit to the new Barbican Centre and possibly, to St. Giles Churchadjoining. Leader of the outing will be CONNIE DAVIS (Telephone: 01-3285038).

Revival of the Informal Tuesday Evening Discussions

At the request of a number of members of the Society, the informalTuesday evening discussions are being organised by the members themselvesin the library again this year, now that the Tutorial classes are over andwhen the original Tuesday Conway !Discussions would also have beencompleted if we were organising them in the same way as previously.

At the present series (see the details for this month and the beginning ofJune on page 2) the intention is to have one member sneak very briefly(15-20 minutes?) on the subject of his/her choice and then develop thediscussion among the other members present. These meetings, tending to besmall, give a chance for everyone to participate, which is what is neededto develop our ability to participate, criticise and provide constructivesuggestions. Why not join in this year?

Art Exhibition•

The exhibition by Jean Hunot and Gill Withers, proposed for May at •Conway Hall, has been cancelled at the request of .the two artists.

Public Meeting in the large Hall (Conway Hall). Friday, May 21, at 7.30 pmorganised- by P.O.P.E. (People Opposing Papal Edicts) prior to the Pope'svisit to the United Kingdom.

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South Place Ethical SocietyFOUNDED in 1793, the Society is a progressive movement which today advo-cates an ethical humanism, the study and dissemination of ethical principlesbased on humanism, and the cultivation of a rational religious sentimentfree from all theological dogma.

We invite to membership all those who reject supernatural creeds andfind themselves in sympathy with our views.

At Conway Hall there are opportunities for participation in many kinds of

cultural activities, including discussions, lectures, concerts, dances, ramblesand socials. A comprehensive reference and lending library is available, andall Members and Associates receive the Society's journal, The EthicalRecord, free. The Sunday Evening Chamber Music Concerts founded in1887 have achieved international renown.

Services available to members include Naming Ceremony of Welcome toChildren, Memorial and Funeral Services.

Membership is by £1 enrolment fee and an annual Subscription.

Minimum subscriptions are: Members, £2 p.a.; Life Members, £42 (Lifemembership is available only to members of at least one year's standing). Itis of help to the Society's officers if members pay their subscriptions byBanker's Order, and it is of further financial benefit to the Society if Deeds

of Covenant are entered into. Members are urged to pay more than theminimum subscription whenever possible, as the present amount is notsufficient to cover the cost of this journal.

A suitable form of bequest for those wishing to benefit the Society bytheir wills is to be found in the Annual Report.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

TO THE HON. REGISTRAR, SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETYCONWAY HALL HUMANIST CENTRERED LION SQUARE, LONDON WCIR 4RL

The objects of the Society are the study and dissemination of ethicalprinciples and the cultivation of a rational religious sentiment. Being insympathy with these objects, I desire to become a Member. I will accept therules of the Society and will pay the annual subscription of . . . (minimum£2 plus £1 enrolment).

NAME (BLOCK LETTERS PLEASE)

ADDRESS

OCCUPATION (disclosure optional)

HOW DID YOU HEAR OF THE SOCIETY?

DATE SIGNATURE

—The Ethical Record is posted free to members. The annual charge to subscribersis £2. Matter for publication should reach the Editor, Peter Hunot, 17 AnsonRoad, London N7 ORB (01-609 2677) no later than the first of the precedingmonth.

Printed by David Neil & Co., South Street, Dorking. Surrey.