The Monthly Record of South Place Ethical Society CONWAY HALL, RED LION SQUARE, W.C.1. Telephone: CHANCERY 8032,
" THE OBJECTS OF Tug SOCIETY are the study and dissemination of ethical principles and the cultivation of a rational religious sentiment."
Sunday Morning Meetings
• at ELEVEN o'CLOCK. November 27—W. B. CURRY, MA. B.Sc.—Bertrand Russell on " Power " Pianoforte Solos : Two Intermezzi .. .. Brahma Op. 118. No. 2 in A. Op. 110. No. 2 in E. Mr. WILLIAM BUSCH, Hymns: No. 11 and No. 12. December 4—Professor T. H. PEAR, M.A., B.Sc.—The Psychology of Conversa- tion. Bass Solo : Bright is the ring of words .. liouglum Williams MT. G. C. DOWMAN So prano Solos : ) A. Songs my mother taught me .. Dvorak B. How fair this spot .. Rachinanino f f MiSS HESE SIMPSON. Hymns : Nos. 17 and 42. December 11—MORITZ J. BONN, D.Sc.—The Problems of Appeasement Sonata in G minor for Violoncello and Pianoforte .. Handel Miss EILEEN MCCARTth and Mr. WILLIAM BUSCH. ' Hymns : Nos. 25 and 100. December 18—J. P. GILMOUR—Loyalties: True and False Bass Solo : Hark! Hark I the Lark. .. .. Schubert Mr. G. C. DOWMAN Soprano Solo: A Carol . Eric Thiman MISS HEBE SIMPSON. Hymns: Nos. 115 and 32. December 25—NO MEETING January 1—JOHN LANGDON-DAVIES—Prospects for Reason in 1939 Pianoforte Solo : First Two Movements of Sonata .. Greer Franck I Prelude, II Chorale. Mr. WILLIAM BUSCH. Hymns : Nos. 10 (tune 207), and 231.
Pianist : MT. WILLIAM BUSCH. A Collection is made at each Meeting, to enable those .present to contrlbute to the expenses of the Society.
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MEMBERSHIP Any person In sympathy with the Objects of the Society is cordially invited to become a Mrimiza. The minimum annual subscription is las., but it is hoped that Members will subscribe as generously as possible and so assist the Society to meet its heavy annual expenditure. Any person may join as an Associate, but will not be eligible to vote or hold office. Further particulars may be obtained before and after the Sunday Meetings, or on application to the Hon. Registrar, Mrs. E. Washbrook, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, W. C. 1, to whom all subscriptions should be paid. HONORARY OFFICERS Trews Hill, Lehighton, Essex. Editor of MONTHLY RECORD F. G. GOULD, WOOdrising, Minutes Secretary...... F. A. Sowes, 38 Ellerton Road, EWA& ReAsgistnytes.of Members and 33 Claremont Close, NJ. socia.. 1Mrs E WASEBROOIC, Treasurer ...... C. E. LISTER, Conway Hall, W.C.1. Secretary : S. G. Green, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, W.C.1.
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ETHICS versus POLITICS Both ethical and rationalist societies ought to hold themselves deeply concerned with the recent revelations of the unreasonable and unethical conduct of man in all parts of the world. When I was young, the world in general seemed to be moving towards wider acceptance of reason and morals in its internal government and in its international relations. Individuals and groups of citizens within the several nations thought of politics as a comparatively unimportant affair, and though differing over labour questions found settlements that gave a " fair deal" to al/ parties. Wars happened st fairly long intervals, but the idea of the necessity of world-wars, of hostile -ideologies never entered anybody's mind. Ethics and• rationalism could, -therefore, keep out of controversial politics without much trouble. The situation is very different now. The apparently inevitable struggle between totalitarianism and democracy cannot be understood, much less conducted, without a recognition of the repudiation of all that we understand as ethics and reason by the totalitarian states and the dangerous limitations of these faculties by so-called demo- cracies. The progress of civilisation until recently was understood in terms of a humanism which meant the application of the ordered activities of mankind in the higher qualities of life in all parts of the world and in all grades of the populations. This humanism was, of course, fully conscious only among the better members of each nation but it was strong enough to inspire the co-operation on an inter- national scale of an increasing variety of progressive activities. It is not true that all this co-operation for humanity has disappeared, far from it, but it is everywhere crippled and retarded by the rise of new forms of nationalism which are based on unreason and immorals. The latest and perhaps worst sort of this nationalism is the exclusiveness which insists that other nations, or their individuais, have no right to intrude their criticism or interference upon the totalitarian states even if they offend the ordinary codes of morals and by their barbarity imperil the interests and corrupt -the morals of democratic nations. Worse still, when the statesmen of demo- cracies accept this exclusiveness and- interfere with freeercrintiaclilsym so p nthsfabtle thf eoyr may shake hands and co-operate with men who are P 1- so es murder, robbery, torture and every barbarity in their own countries and those- which they can bring under their control. The statement " This is not our con- cern" uttered freely to-day by men of mark in this country is the negative side of the profession " We win only fight for our own vital interests." These " vital interests" apparently consist of the quarter of the globe acquired in the. oast by the same methods Germany, Italy and Japan are now employing with such other countries as are deemed essential to their interests. Now it needs to De fairly understood that this attitude in a democracy, implies not merely the acceptance of force as the basis of right (the totalitarian open profession) but a denial of the essence of democracy. For " govermhent of the people by the people 3 for the people" is inconsistent with imperialism in any of its shapes or forms. The test for our Government will come, if and when Germany demands the return of her colonies. For this seizure was perhaps the most indefensible act of the Versailes Treaty, the mandatory form being inserted to cover the policy repudiated in Mr. Wilson's " ten points" and the allotment of the colonies being " regularised " by the League after the scramble for their possession by the Allies had taken place. Shall we have the effrontery to make the consent of the peoples in these colonies a condition for their return, when no such consent was exacted for their taking over in 1919? I have entered into these controversial topics in order to expose the truth that ethicists and rationalists cannot any longer " keep out " of current political con- troversies, however .such, controversies may endanger the sone arity of our societies. For such exclusiveness or autarchy as is demanded by certain nations, either totali- tarian or pseudo-democratic, is a denial of ethical principles M the government of mankind. Breaking mankind into a number of self-concerned nations whose vital interests lie entirely within their own boundaries they might conceivably retain a sort of large family civilisation. But all of them claim " rights" to external acquisition of territory or trade which are nothing other than the successful employ- ment of force in their own national interests. Whether this material end be coveted as power, prestige or sheer possession it matters not from the standpoint of ethics, for " right " is robbed Of all ethical significance whatever the end of the national " force" may be. It is idle to pretend that such modes of political and economic advancement can be left to the good or bad will of each nation. For it is manifest that the necessary self-protection of the nations, threatened by this " force " policy, can only be met by force of a corresponding nature, though with a purely defensite aim. But this defensive force is itself a menace to democracy and, unless it can be kept at a minimum involves a loss of self-control and voluntary co-operation in the arts of government. This is the practical issue immediately confronting us and is essentially a moral issue and an aPPeal to reason and the expanding co-operation of mankind.
J. A. HOBSON. DR. MARIE JAHODA ON - NEW METHODS OF SOCIAL INVESTIGATION " (October 18, 1938) Readings from " The Polish Peasant in Europe and America " by F. Znaniecki. Dr. Jahoda said that although there was an increasing interest in social inves- tigation and the social sciences, owing to the complexity and rapid changing of modern society, a number of Universities were not quite convinced that social investigation was related to science, or that there was any method of investigating and describing in scientific terms our present system. In consequence of this mistrust, many social investigators looked to natural science for help. They saw the enormous progress made by the use of exact methods in physics and mathematics. They used similar methcds for social sciences, even expressing their results in the form of a mathematical equation. It was, however, far more important to describe the results of social investigation in terms of quality rather than quantity. Social investigators must learn from the physicists that the way to form a theory was not to quarrel with former theories, but to expound a new one to explain facts not previously known, as Einstein had developed his theory by enlarging upon those established by Newton. It was very important to develop new methods of reporting and registering new facts. This was easier said than done, DS the social investigator was part of his own object; he had his place in the society he was studying and acquired his ideas from it. It was not possible for him to be objective under the influence of parents, friends and the social class in which he lived. This personal bias in the individual went so far as to make diffi- culties arise even over language. Every social worker had to realise that he would interpret his experiences according to his own history and circumstances. Each group of social investigators working together on the same subject should contain people with a different personal bias. Only thus was it possible to get a true picture. There were various methods of social investigation, the only valuable one being going out to observe for oneself. Dr. Jahoda described a social investigation in an Austrian industrial village where the factory on which the people depended closed down, and most of the adults lost their employment. A team of ten persons investigated the psychological effects of unemployment on these unfortunates. Everyone in the team had a definite social function in the community. For two months they lived with the people on friendly terms, collecting all sorts of personal and intimate material. This was of the best ways of approach. one
4 In Vienna they studied the problem of the beggar. They discovered that the attitude of the beggar .was not that of someone who knew he was an outcast of Society but that of any other worker to his job. He had fixed hours. Dr. Jahoda went on to describe the Subsistence Production Scheme which had been applied, under the guidance of the Society of Friends, in South Wales. A community of about 400 unemployed men had been founded to produce all the necessities of life for themselves. The goods were sold to everybody working in connection with the scheme and private profit was totally excluded. The men continued to draw the unemployment allowance and the scheme enabled them to purchase two or three times as much as they could have done otherwise. It also made life worth living for the people engaged in it. The organisers felt that class distinctions were only a consequence of private profit-making and that this little community could be free from them. There was perfect equality and everyone had the right to purchase the same amount of goods. It was a way of working which released the creative urge in man and no form of compulsion was used. The men worked 53 hours daily. The investigators wished to discover the effect of the new ideas, wart from the economic effect of the scheme, upon men whose ideas and outlook had been conditioned by the industrial system. They lived with a different unemployed family weekly. Thus intimate knowledge of 12 families and all their personal friends in the valley was acquired. They worked during the day in the scheme—weaving and baking, etc. The data they received showed that only this method could have produced the inforination they required. A questionnaire or an interview or con- ' versation with an organiser, or any other sort of statistics could not have brought the same result. Dr. Jahoda expressed the conviction that if the method she had described were applied to many of the social problems of our time—to factory life, family life and class distinctions, we should not only be able to understand society better, but perhaps provide means and ways to change it. E. W. MR. W. B. CURRY, M.A., B.Sc. ON THE PROBLEM OF FREE WILL " (October 23, 1938) Readings from J. B. S. Haldane's Essay on "Scientific Calvinism." Mr. Curry said that until recently physical science was based on the view that a rigid determinism existed in the physical world. Scientists did not claim to have discovered all the laws controlling the behaviour of matter, but they believed they were there to be discovered. Although one or two rather eminent scientists have cast doubts upon determinism, Einstein and others are still determinists. Mr. Curry discussed at some length problems in physics, and estecially the quantum theory of the atom which has lent a little support to indeterminism. He pointed out, however, that while we do not know why electrons change from one orbit to another the fact that something is not known to-day does not mean that it will not be known to-morrow. Proceeding he said that our daily life is based on the assumption that there are causal laws. We cannot prove universal determinism but we should be rash if we behaved as if it were not true. Anyone who says that he has found a region where he knows there are no causal laws is theoretically and practically ill-advised: theoretically because that type of negative is intrinsically incapable of proof, and laws may be discovered to-morrow; practically, because he will desire to damp down the search for discovering the laws. Since people will entertain a general proposi- tion in favour of determinism, human behaviour cannot be regarded as an exception to this and we cannot behave as though we thought it could. When a member of the family does anything of which we disapprove, whether we believe in deter- minism or not, we ask for a reason and if one is not forthcoming, we find one for him. We hold the belief that other people's behaviour is governed by laws, however spontaneous we think our own may be. We all think that psychology is a possible branch of scientific investigation, that there are truths about human behaviour which can be discovered, that psychology is attempting to discover them, and we habitually use psychology ourselves amateurishly. Similarly we all use Bradshaw, which con- sists of nothing but a prediction of the behaviour of engine drivers. We all believe in education and that it is passible to modify children's motives, desires and behaviour by certain methods. We believe in the efficacy of praise and blame. In the essay from which the readings were taken, J. B. S. Haldane gives a profound analysis of the behaviour of twins from which it is shown that from the study of criminal records the fact emerges that correlation of behaviour in the case of identical twins is extraordinarily high, although there is little correlation in the records of the members of a family generally: This happens even when the twins are separated from each other for several years where they cannot copy 5 each other. This identity of behaviour supports the view that there was immense, equality in the origin. .According to biology a large part of behaviour is determined. There are various difficulties in regard to this, some genuine and some based on confusion. Theologians find it difficult to reconcile deterministic behaviour with the idea of a God who is a creator both good and omnipotent. Some people object that they have a feeling of impotence if everything is determined. That is due to confusion because power is simply one's ability to realise the effects one intends to create, that is, the power to realise one's wishes. Determinism is concerned to ascertain that the wishes were caused by heredity, upbringing. etc. It 54-ems unr-asonable to rumble that while you can do what you want to do you can't do what you would rather not. Your acts are the result of your own volition, whether determinism is true or not. There is a similar answer to Eddington's difficulty that the reality of struggle is denied by the denial of freewill, but the struggle is part of the cause. Whether you will struggle effectively or not depends upon the sort of person you are—on heredity, environment and the rest. A great . many people say that they have an intuition of free will, meaning that they are aware when they make a choice that they might hew made a different choice, but there is ambiguity in the use of the word " choice." All that the intuition means is that the sense of other possibilities was there, but it is a mistake to infer from this that the decision was uncaused. It is said that determinism undermines the feeling of responsibility, that if we are no longer responsible for our actions all decency will go to the wind. That is a confusion. Our acts are due to our volition, not to someone else's. People are worried about praise and blame, but it these are used rationally they influence people's behaviour. If behaviour is not deter- mined by rule there is no means of discovering rules. If you believe in determinism you discover rules governing people's behaviour and by using the rules you influence it. Determinism does not affect the question of what things are gocd and what things are bad. Praise in the sense of admiration, and blame in the sense of the opposite are, therefore, still relevant. Determinism has nothing to do with the foundation of ethics, which are concerned with what things are admirable on their own account. Free will in the sense of the opposite of determinism makes the whole of moral education meaningless. Influencing people's desires and emo- tions to cause them to do good and not bad is inconceivable without belief that rules are to be discovered. Therefore determinism is probably true and all the rounds for regretting the fact are mistaken. E. W.
PROFESSOR F. AVELING, D.Sc., ON " WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?" (October 30, 1038) Readings from : Carveth Read's " The Metaphysics of Nature," chap. X, paras 1 and 2. The question "What is psychology?" is best approached historically: by finding out what man has thought about himself at different periods. Early man had a strong belief in a life after death. He thought that the soul of a dead man was a material being in need of material things. Thus we find that household goods and even slaves were buried with the dead. How did this belief arise? Probably by analogy with sleep. Man noticed that in dreams normal activities were carried on although the body of the dreamer was apparently inactive. Therefore it was assumed that man's temporary separation from his body during sleep was the same as the permanent separation at death. So came the belief in duality : body and (material) soul—a belief which has had a place in philosophical and religious systems ever since. Psychology thus originated (as its name implies) as the study of the soul. There is another usage of the term "soul " which deserves attention. Aristotle noticed that there were two sorts of change : physical, and the kind peculiar to living beings—thoughts, desires, etc. These latter seemed to be due to something in the being itself, the soul-organism. Psychology in the Aristotelean sense meant the study of vital phenomena inoluding physiological processes. A third definition of psychology is " the science of mind." Descartes proceeded by the method of universal doubt. He built his philosophy on the unquestionable fact of consciousness. He developed a mechanical view of life. The animals, he believed, were purely mechanical, but man was a body-soul system in which each member aeted on the other through the agency of the pineal gland. Spinoza approached the problem in another way. He said that mind and body were two aspects of the same thing, at one time thought, at another extension. Hobbes divided the qualities of matter into two categories : primary (mobility, impenetra- bility, etc.) and secondary (colour, temperature, etc.). These latter he considered to be merely the mind's ways of perceiving matter and not realities in themselves. Locke and Berkeley questioned the objective existence of the primary qualities 6 also. Thus the property became the substance : mind became thinking; substance, extension; and perception, consciousness. Things were merely collections of ideas; minds and their ideas were the only realities. Hume pushed this scepticism one stage further. He denied not only the existence of matter but of mind also, leaving only a random stream of ideas and collections of ideas. This led to the definition of psychology as the science of consciousness, free from theological implications and capable of being brought into line with the other sciences. During the 19th century the conception of to a revolution in Psychology, which became the science of behaviour.evolution The was gap launched. This led between man and the other animals was bridged. Man became a creature of Instinct; the brute was given a mind. Psychology was enlarged to include the study of mind-body interaction and was no longer confined to that of a contem- plative mind. The study of the springs of action was also brought in. Psychology to-day is concerned with the " normal" adult in " normal " con- ditions and with the differences between individuals. Pathological studies and studies of growth have also been made, while the comparative study of primitive peoples and of the lower animals brings to light mental and behaviouristic as well as physiological evolutionary links. To-day's answer to our question is: Psychology is the science which studies behaviour from the point of view of its mental implications. F. A. S. MR. CHAPMAN COHEN ON -THE NEW SCIENCE AND • THE NEW GOD" (November 6, 1938) Readings: (1) "Belief in Immortality," by Sir James Frazer. (2) "Life of Reason," by George Santayana. Mr. Cohen said that science is not the same as knowledge. You can have much knowledge and still have no science. Charles Darwin was not a great scientist because of his extensive knowledge of natural history. There was no science ia ancient Egypt or in India but plenty of knowledge. Science was the creation of the Greek mind in the days of ancient Athens. The Greeks took the great step of asking what is the general law which causes the development of the things around us, and that question started science. It is the creation of laws. Scientific laws are creation. Newton created the laws of gravitation. Darwin made the law of Natural Selection. Sir Oliver Lodge expressed himself accurately when he said with regard to the ether it was created in a particular house at a particular time by a particular person. Can we discover the common principle from which all things flow? The atomic theory of Democritus held the field for many centuries. It was crushed out during the Christian period but it still rules in the form of atoms of energy. The Greeks first put gods inside Nature. Other people had them out- side. That was a tremendous development. These two ideas marked the real beginning of the conflict between religion and science, and began the clash of the two cultural stages, primitive and modern. A compromise is largely in force to-day. It may be granted, say the- theologians. that you cannot find Clod inside Nature, but you must find God somewhere. Dean Matthews says evolution as a whole cannot be explained. Of course not, there is not any such thing. There is no such thing as the Universe as a whole. There are different things evolving which all together make up evolution. The Universe is made up of Separate things and if you take them away there is nothing left. The first attempt to get rid of anthropomorphic belief is to get rid immediately of the human qualities of God. You must think of him with intelligence, will, likes, dislikes and preferences, but not with arms and legs. What is the essential difference? Intelligence, will and love are just as much human qualities as red hair and side whiskers. All are human or animal attributes. Dean Matthews and Dean Inge say science can never bring You into touch with reality. Religion does. The Greeks asked what is it that we know. They catalogued what they knew and then asked how they knew. They said that whatever you know is never more than a combination of sense impressions. It is asked how we know that the senses are reliable and what the world would be like if we had no senses. Any question that cannot be answered ought not to be asked. The Greeks said whatever the world is like in itself it is not like the world that appears to us. We are conscious of the world we know, and we apprehend that something that is behind it. The Greeks used various words such as noumenon. Now it is called " reality " which is something which is not real. It is something you dornt know, and never will know, and if you cannot make a God out of that you never will make a God. On the religious side you had this conception of God, but as the scientific side grew the religious side weakened. There was, however, an established religion with 7
an established vested interest. On the one side was the scientist, and on the other the priest who wanted to perpetuate his superstition. Gradually an unarranged compromise was reached. Your unknown is our God, and the scientist said "Very well, have it your own way." Jeans as an expositor is admirable and his books on astronomy are excellent, but when it comes to thinking scientifically he is poor. He says the Universe shows evidence of somebody thinking. He asks you to admire the Universe as an illustration of the wisdom of a God who is omnipotent and not, therefore, limited by the laws of the Universe. God might have selected other of the many existing laws. Jeans does not seem to recognise that a law is a summary of what is seen to occur. Laws are not imposed, they are the expression of things that occur. Then Eddington who is a far better man says God must be a mathematical symbol. What is he a symbol of? You cannot worship a mathematical symbol. All this a mere attempt to blind you. Others say God Is only a hypothesis. He may be, but a hypothesis cannot be a God. The only God of any use to religion is the human-like God and the moment you let go of that you begin to let go of religion, and your belief in some sort of' a god means that you have not thought out your position. Mr. Cohen knew very few professing atheists in this country. He knew of people who talked about " Goodness in itself " or held that substance is not reality. Atheism is a frame of mind which requires a lot of getting into in a religious environment. An ancient Athenian coming to London would be surprised to hear people say "I don't believe in this or that." The Greeks said every institution you have is an item in social experimentation which can be discussed and modified. That is the atheistic point of view. You must do away with this word "Creed." Life is one long process of experimentation. Every institution should be ques- tioned. In proportion as an institution fails to push the world forward and lead to better views it needs modifying and something better putting in its place. Every institution and form of belief tells man he has the making of his own destiny in his own hands. F. G. G. CONWAY DISCUSSION CIRCLE PROF. .J. B. S. HALDANE ON " IS DARWINISM DEAD?" (October 25, 1938) Prof. J. B. S. Haldane gave a succinct account of Darwinism, and of the various lines of argument drawn from the facts of heredity and variation, experiments in breeding, geographical distribution, pain-ontology, etc., which go to support it. Darwin's special contribution to the idea of evolution, which was mooted long before his time, was the theory of Natural Selection. Species tend to multiply beyond the means of subsistence. This leads, to a struggle for existence in which only the types most favoured by the environment survive. Variation and heredity, taken in conjunction with the selective power of the ever changing en- vironment, are the factors of Natural Selection. Not all variations are materials for Natural Selection. Darwin did not discriminate between the different kinds of variations. It appears that Natural Selection is concerned with the relatively large and discontinuous variations known as " mutations" rather than with the small and continuous variations which fluctuate about a given mean. The idea of Evolution is increasingly substantiated by new discoveries. " Miasing links" continue to turn up. Quite recently forms intermediate between the true fishes and tho jawless quasi-fishes, like the lancelot, and others linking the reptiles with the elemental types of mammals have been brought to light. The Lamarckian theory of the inheritance of the results of changed organic habits, which was accepted by Darwin, is not sustained by good evidence. Evolution would be completely discredited if fossils of the higher species of animals, like man, were found in undisturbed geological strata of the earlier periods of the earth's history, but no instance of this is known. The record of the rocks points to an unbroken chronological transition from the simplest to the most complex organic types. Sexual selection, which Darwin also sought to sustain, appears to be largely a myth. The beautiful colours of male butterflies are not due to the aesthetic appreciation of innumerable generations of their females, but are protective features which frighten away rivals. Darwinism must not be regarded as a dogma, but as a working hypothesis, indis- pensable for certain classes of scientific workers, though not for others. While palseontologists ought to get along without Darwinism, Geneticists should not. A. D. H. S. 8 NOTES The appeal on behalf of members of the Czecho-Slovak Freethought organisation which we print elsewhere was signed by the President. Capt. J. M. V. Voska who spoke at Conway Hall and at the Scala Theatre during the course of the recent Congress. It will be remembered that on both occasions he introduced a Sudeten German— Mr. H. Sacher—who was under-burgomaster of Chomutov. Capt. Voska states that Mr. Becher escaped with his family, and is now in Slovakia where he is being taken care of, The letter gives, however, the names of 35 members who, with their families, have fled to Prague and are in want. The General Committee are fully satisfied that money subscribed will be used for its proper purpose. A letter from Capt. Voska has already been received in London in acknowledgment of a donation by another Society. It reads : " I can- not find words to express the pleasure you have given our members. It is indeed true that we recognise our real friends in times of need. I assure you and your members that we will not forget your prompt assistance in our time of need."
We regret to announce that owing to want of helpers the Conway Children's Circle has come to an end. The Warden of the Peel Institute may attempt to carry on some of the work as an activity of the Peel Institute and he would be glad to hear from anyone who is willing to help. There was an urgent appeal for helpers in the last MONTHLY RECORD but it did not ' bring any response. Mrs. Hart's health has suffered badly from the strain of attempbing to keep the work going and she had to resign the Secretaryship. No successor could be found for her either as Secretary or as Leader of the Girls' Club which she had been in fact, though not in name for some time past. There is good reason for thinking that the work put in during these last four years has meant a great deal to the children living round about and both the children and their parents will miss the Circle very much.
Members are reminded of the Special General Meeting in the Library at 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday November 30. Formal notice containing full particulars should have reached each member early in the month. The statement on page 9 of the November issue that the Special General Meeting should take the place of the Half-Yearly Members' Meeting due to be held about this time does not accurately express the intention of the General Committee. It is expected that consideration of the proposed alterations of rules will occupy all the time available on November 30, but if the proposals are accepted a further Special General Meeting to confirm them will be arranged in accordance with Rule 21 for a date about the end of January : If, as may happen, the formal businesS on this occasion be transacted rapidly it will be possible on its conclusion for the Half-Yearly Members' Meeting to follow immediately. CORRESPONDENCE " WHAT SHALL I DO TO BE SAVED? " To the Editor of " THE MONTHLY RECORD." Sm,—Dr. Joad puts the question " What shall I do to be saved?" But the answer—which he derives from Aldous Huxley—seems to me to add to our perplexities rather than dissolve them. A Universe which contains real absolute values of Truth. Beauty, and Goodness must also, of necessity contain absolute disvalues of Error, Ugliness, and Evil. This is the infamous truth which dislocates all the metaphysically " real " theories of ethics. They plunge us headlong into a disastrous dualism. The same dilemma meets us in theology. The old theology was at least crudely consis- tent in crediting God with the goodness of existence, and debiting the Devil with the pain and evil of existence, but now that modern apology has shown the Devil out of doors, it has become involved in an ethical predicament from which there is no escape. Theologians who have tried to bite this file have merely broken their teeth. The whole problem is cogently, powerfully and convincingly argued from the philosophic standpoint. in Dr. Joad's "Guide to the Philosophy of Morals and Politics." The arguments advanced there can be ignored or evaded at the cost of our philo- sophic integrity; or, if we seek to sentimentalise the Universe after the mariner of those who have been called " Tender-minded " philosophers. But answered satis- factorily they simply can not be. A. C. Y. BELL. 9 THE F.P.S.I. LEAFLET To the Editor of " THE MONTHLY RECORD." DEAR Sm—On the back of the leaflet of the Federation of Progressive SocietiesA and Individuals enclosed with your NoVember issue there is a statement to the- effect that official rationalism in making war on old forms of superstition is flogging. a horse which is dying, and may shortly be dead; and stating also that Rationalism has no criticism to make of the new twentieth century superstition which makes a god of the State. May I be permitted to reply briefly to these statements? Tbe old forms of superstition may be dying, but the process looks like being a prolonged one, and we find that in their dying (?) state these superstitions are still very powerful and are doing a great deal of harm. Surely this is ample justification for Rationalism continuing its efforts to hasten the demise of these still harmful, though ancient, forms of superstition. Evidence abounds in the world to-day that religious superstition is still a potent evil influence. The good Marxist believes, does he not, that capitalism is dying, and that it must eventually die of its own inherent shortcomings. But that does not Prevent him from carrying on his yropa- ganda to hasten the death of capitalism. Why, then, object to Rationalism when it seeks to hasten the death of slowly dying religious superstitions? What is sauce for the Marxist goose is surely sauce for the Rationalist gander? As to the new forms of superstition which buttress modem dictatorships. Rationalism is, and inevitably must be, opposed to these, for they destroy that freedom of thought and expression which Rationalists regard as an essential con- dition of society. Our alternative to dictatorship is democracy, by no means a perfect instrument of freedom, but the best that humanity has so far been able to devise. General Secretary, Rationalist Press AssociationERNEST Ltd. THIIRTLE,
"I ACCUSE . . ." To the Editor of "THE MONTHLY RECORD." DEAR Sta,—Mr. Busch's criticism of Professor Levy's talk on October 2 seems to- call for some comment, and I am constrained to offer my own contribution, as the.. matter seems to be of such vital importance. Assuming that the public generally, and the Ethical Society in particular, have followed the march of events during the past few years, it would be interesting, if it were possible, to take a vote on Professor Levy's choice of a subject and his- manner of dealing with it. If the news and the views expressed thereon in some of the English Papers and in the American and Canadian Press are any guide, one may safely conclude that such a vote would be almost unanimously in favour of Professor Levy's choice. He seems to have dealt with the situation and all the tremendous issues involved with extreme ability and clarity; and it is inconceivable that a man with such intellect and vision could withhold the expression of emotion which such a terrible state affairs as he describes is bound to evoke. of To relegate the position into which the whole world has been plunged still further' by the unconditional handing over to the aggressor of his latest objective—Czecho- slovakia—into the sphere of mere " politics" seems a misnomer. The matters dealt with in Professor Levy's lecture extend far beyond politics, involving as they the widest human interests and a consideration of all those fundamental prin- do ciples of ethics upon which politics should be based. Judging by the summary in Tim RECORD of Professor Levy's lecture, I would suggest that, for the first time for many a long day, the South Place Ethical Society has been brought face to face (and none too soon) with the stark facts of life, fast moving to a dreadful climax, and made incalculably worse by the signing of the. Munich Treaty with the aggressor, who was waited upon in his own stronghold by the man who is supposed to have represented the views and wishes of a once great nation. And in this connection I would like to repeat that the word " politics" is utterly out of place. Surbiton. EDITH CLAPPE,
DEAR Sm,—Referring to the letter from Mr. Wm. Busch in the recent issue of the MONTHLY RECORD, I consider that the criticism by him of Professor Levy is more- in bad odour than the latter's criticism of Mr. Chamberlain... Our lecturers are very carefully selected and many who have spoken on political matters at Conway Hall, have not only criticised our own politicians but also those of other countries... Speakers surely are within their rights to state their views frankly- on their subjects. 10 It seems to me that Mr. Busch would like the methods of dictators adopted at Conway Hall in order that those who disagree could be muzzled. . . . Reading between the lines of the letter it appears that the objection is not so much that the lecture was political, but that it happens to be at variance with the views of the writer. Personally, I am not a bit pleased with Mr. Chamberlain's action, or with the manner in which he allowed himself to be bullied into submission at Munich. I know that many thousands are of the same opinion as Professor Levy. I question whether Mr. Chamberlain has averted war as asserted by Mr. Busch— it is rightly said that he has merely postponed it, and in so doing has greatly .strengthened the enemy, by weakening our friendship with a very friendly nation, and lowering the prestige of this country in the eyes of the whole world. The deadly war therefore will be even more deadly, when it suits the aggressor to begin tt. " Many of us are also filled with shame," to quote the words of Mr. Busch, that any Prime Minister of England should or could have shown weakness or willingness in betraying our friends. It required no statesman to accomplish such -a result. I beg of our friend Mr. Busch not to attempt to curb our speakers, otherwise we shall not know the truth. Hendon. HARRY BROWN. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED PERSONAI. PIE by " Protonius " of the Literary Guide. Walls. 2s. 8d. If there is a fault to be found with this book it is that it is too short. Although mainly autobiographical it comes somewhat abruptly to an end in this respect when the author arrived in London in his early twenties and apparently after a few vicissitudes settled down as Editor of a trade and technical journal. We are told nothing directly of how he came to be interested in the Rationalist Press Association or of the numerous men and women he has probably met in connection with its work. One gains the impression that he has been no great lover of the limelight. The instinct that has caused him to hide his identity in the Literary Guide under a pseudonym displays itself in his book where few names of persons except those of the very great are mentioned. We hear of Lord Kelvin whose lectures on physics at Glasgow University " Protonius" had the privilege of attending but his professor of geology and zoology, who seems to have been a remarkable man, is referred to throughout by a nickname. Our author reminds -us that success in life depends upon the wise choice of •ancestors, and he proceeds to show us within the very narrow limits of his know- ledge that he chose his rather well. The story of his early schooldays near Glasgow . and his reactions to the farcical religious education will strike many a sympathetic !chord in the minds of older readers. He was fortunate at the age of twelve, like some London boys and girls who had the advantage of education at the Birkbeck Schools to be sent to a school where the curriculum was wholly secular, and included much of a technical and scientific- character. He expresses his conviction that an , educational system with a strong infusion of science is the best system for every- body. " Protonius " has much to say of religion and his own attitude towards it. He was brought up apparently in an orthodox family, but not too orthodox, and he tells us how his own father at the time of Bradlaugh's struggle over the Parliamentary Oath held the opinion that Bradlaugh was a great man. " Protonius " ascribes his full emancipation from orthodox religion to the study .of geology. It put the creation story and its orthodox Christian sequel in their true perspective as myths and on the other hand it gave him a picture of the slow orderly .development of the world and of life. In other words it was a revelation of evolution. The story of his early days as a journalist makes interesting reading, but among the weightiest passages in the book are his observations based on experiences of later life of the relations between employers and employed, and of the importance of Industrial Psychology. Our author is far from dealing only in negatives.
GALILEOAND THE FREEDOMor THOUGHT. By F. Sherwood Taylor, Ph.D., MA., B.Sc. Watts. 7s. 6d. This is the sixth issue in the Library of Science and Culture edited by Prof. H. Levy. Galileo was born at Pisa in 1584 and he died in 1642 nearly 78 years of age. This valuable and dramatically interesting book by Dr. Taylor describes the life and work - -Its secular and religious rulers. 11 Galileo was primarily a man of science. The object of his life was the discovery and vindication of the facts of science, and his involvement in theological con- troversy seemed to him the unhappiest of accidents. Dr. Taylor tells us of the scientific background of the latter half of .the sixteenth century. It was still very much under the influence of the teaching of Aristotle, and men of learning were still much disposed to refer doubtful questions to the works of the great Greek philosopher who flourished more than three hundred years B.C. rather than to their own powers of observation. Much of Dr. Taylor's book deals with the controversy over the nature of the heavenly bodies and their relation to each other. Galileo championed the theory of Copernicus that the earth with the planets revolved round the sun as against the view of Aristotle, as explained mathematically by Ptolemy, that the stationary earth was surrounded by invisible rotating spheres which carried with them the visible heavenly bodies. Galileo's invention, or possibly re-invention, of the telescope had a vital bearing on this matter for it led to the discovery of four planets of Jupiter which could be most plainly seen to revolve round Jupiter just in the fashion that Copernicus had held that the moon revolved round the earth which itself revolved round the sun. He made many important contributions to our knowledge of physics but it was Galileo, the astronomer, who came into conflict with the Church. Unfortunately for science there are many Scriptural texts to prove that the earth is at the centre of the Universe, and Joshua's exploit with the sun is unhelpful to Copernicus. Galileo was not anxious for trouble and he seems to have been ready to oloak his convictions with evasions, but the fervour of his zeal outran his discretion and notwithstanding his numerous friends among rulers, cardinals and even with the Pope himself, he eventually got into the clutches of the Holy Inquisition. Dr. Taylor sets out the course of events with great clearness and he quotes documents relating to the trial, condemnation and abjuration. The book is written throughout in a judicial strain. F. G. G. THE WILL TO Criatissrion. By John Katz. Seeker & Warburg, 12s. 6d. The object of Mr. Katz's book is to construct a philosophy of civilisation. Such books are more common in Germany than here. Spengler's " Downfall of the West Is the best known. Katz's book is consciously an anti-Spenglerian interpretation of the civilisational process. Katz describes the process of history as moving from the clan to the state, from the state to the Church, and from the Church to the universal commonwealth. The epoch of the clan is the epoch of animistic religion, when the function of religion is to make the powers of nature seem friendly by uniting them to the clan in trans- cendental fellowship. This period is one of paradisical innocence and unconscious- ness of self. In the epoch of the state man creates urban civilisation and begins to control nature. This is the first great age of human self-assertion. The purpose of religion in this period is to create devotion to the state, the object of worship being the nation-group summed up in its theocratic king, as notably in Egynt. The third epoch results from the break up of the state; it is the epoch of disillusionment. Man's civilisation having crumbled, he turns from the real world to find satisfaction in a transcendental world, and creates the Church. The Church at best, says Katz, is a doss-house, sheltering the lost individual during the dark night of civilisation. New human beings now appcar, the individualist, the mystic, the monk, the metaphysi- cian, all escapists,. all seeking a private heaven. The fourth period, which in turn we have now arrived at, is that in which man retreats from the Church and regains his faith in civilisation. Katz realises that he will be asked whether this is a fact or a prophecy and answers that it is both. The retreat from the Church and the recovery of a faith in humanity is a fact; that this fact will envelope the globe and find expression in the Universal Commonwealth is a prophecy. The function of the philosopher, Katz tells us, is to criticise and compare the possible futures of the civilisation of the day. We have seen that a possible future before us, in his view, is a unified world civilisation. What is needed to achieve this? The primary need is " the will to civilisation" and a philosophy and a to produce that will. Katz's book is an attempt to satisfy the latter need; man's religion own faith must supply the former. What are the hindrances? Katz indicts first of all the Church because it leads man to find satisfaction in a transcendental world; secondly the metaphysician, for he wastes his energies in merely formal analysis; and thirdly the liberal individualist, whose primary interest LS in realisation of his own personal life. the Katz defines the problem of building a civilisation as that of reconciling the 12 prMeiples of unity and creativity. Creativity is at once the glory and the disgrace of human nature; it is the glory, because the fruit of creativity is civilisation: it is the disgrace, because the competition of creativities is the chief cause of moral evil. A modern world civilisation cannot be created unless the principle of unity acts as a check on creativity. The era of unrestricted individualism which was partly the creation of Protestantism must come to an end. An integrated society is in- evitable. We have, then, only two choices, Fascism or the Creative Commonwealth, either a congery of mutually hostile fascist states, or a world federation of commonwealths. Katz develops his great theme with wide and profound learning and with brilliance. He is surely right in holding that if civilisation is to survive, an integ- rated world is necessary, and that it is of the utmost importance to oppose to the Nazi creed a view of civilisation which shall orientate and invigorate our will. He is probably also right in his strictures on philosophical liberalism with respect to its tendency to lay emphasis on private and personal instead of on social creativity. But why should Katz be hostile to metaphysics, to the disinterested study of reality? Are there not metaphysical assumptions behind Katz's own view the validity of which can only be examined by metaphysics? Katz's view also shows inadequate recognition of the insight of great ethical and religious leaders as indeed also of many of the liberal individualists who are the subject of his attack. Surely it is only by means of the standards and values we owe to their insight that we can judge the merits of a world civilisation. It is the ethical and religious leaders who can best teach us how to acquire the devotion, the capacity for service of. non-perSonal ends, which humanity needs if it is to create the Universal Com- monwealth which Katz so eloquently and so passionately urges us to work to achieve. J. B. C. CIVILISATION : THE NEXT STEP. By C. Delisle Burns. Nicholson & Watson. 8s. 8d. This work was not designed as the utterance of an expert for other experts or for students of social technology. It is the appeal of a convinced democrat to the good sense and social idealism of the democracy itself, As the Preface indicates, it is intended for "ordinary people, as from one of their company," and presents neither a dogma nor a doctrine, but a discussion of "the action they ought to take in private intercourse and in public affairs" and all indication of the most effective means of improving the civilised life of which they are a part. As befits an ethicist, the writer's aim is both practical and idealistic; he seeks to quicken Everyman's sense of the interdependence of all elements in the social organism, and to replace class warfare by that system of mutual aid which Prince Kropotkin so earnestly advocated from the platform of South Place forty years or so ago. To cover so wide a field in some 280 pages, employing always langnage as simple. and direct as the subject allows, and suggesting in each province of human affairs the next step forward, is no small feat. It has been made possible only by a series of assumptions—some almost axiomatic, others debatable. With a robust faith in Demos, the author assumes the existence in ordinary men and women of a moral motivation clear-sighted and powerful enough to be relied upon as a controlling force in national affalrs; and on the other hand is the dubious assumption that the rich, the clerical and the official classes have acted generally from selfish motives and that politicians are (as Carlyle said of Londoners) mostly fools. Nor will all his readers be prepared to dismiss as lightly as he does the great literature of the past, from /Etschylus to Shakespeare and Goethe, as based upon "obsolete civilisations.– Encouraged by the evidence of marked social advancement during the past half-century, Dr. Delisle Burns suggests further practicable improvements in the- marriage tie, the training of children, social distinctions and international relations. He underlines the supreme evils of Dictatorship--its destruction of individuality and of "the moral basis on which the fulthority of every system of government must rest." In education, as in the world of adults, he reacts strongly against the old doctrines of tradition, repression and terror, in favour of kindlier and more positive methods. "Understanding is (for the young child) the best escape from fear." Among the nations and races he desires co-operation and mutual respect, justly dismissing as fantastic the German exaltation of Aryan purity of blood. But when, apropos of Hitler's cruelties, he writes " the best weapon against violence is the quiet mind . . The fanaticism of half-educated Dictators is not likely to survive the general movement towards closer intercourse between peoples," one asks how civilisation is to be saved from wreckage meantime. Such doubts are left unresolved; more than one assertion is left unsupported by argument or evidence. Yet the impress of a bold, alert and constructive mind upon these pares cannot fail to arouse interest and stimulate thought in respect of their many-faceted subject; and this result is precisely the service the author eagerly wishes its book to render. ERNEST CARR. 13 THE CZECH DISTRESS FUND An appeal has been received from the Czecho-Slovak Freethought organisation, Volna Myslenka. by South Place Ethical Society for financial assistance to enable them to meet the difficulties in which many of their members are involved through the cession of Czech territory to Germany. Their letter states : " Fifty of our branches, out of a total of 260. are now in ceded territory. Many of our members were forced to flee from this territory, especially since, as exponents of Free Thought, they would have been placed in concentration camps and prisons. Of those remaining we have not as yet received definite information; we only know that many were taken, in loaded trucks, into the interior of Germany. " Of those who escaped the majority came without anything but the clothes on their backs, while a lucky few managed to save parts of their household goods. We helped these friends of ours by sending cars. etc.. for them. This, of course, made deep inroads on our finances. And, although there are many who do not require our help, there are many more who turn to us daily for financial assistance. In Prague alone we have thirty-five members, with their families. Also in other towns and cities there are many refugees, approximately 200.000. many of whom are our members. Here again our information is not exact, since om railways. post-offices, etc., have been torn apart and disorganised. It will take at least several weeks before an exact survey can be made. "Of the most needy we list those now in Prague. They are living in the large hall of the Lidovy Dun (People's HOUSW in Kosire, Prague. Because of the new conditions which require our immediate help, we shall be unable to continue with the teaching of Secular Ethics in schools and shall be unable to go on with the pub- lication of books since financially we cannot do more at the moment than meet the pressing needs which the situation has occasioned. Any financial assistance You may be able to give us will be most gratefully received and appreciated." In response to this appeal the Committee made an immediate grant of £50 from the Society's Funds, and it has decided to open a Fund to assist the Czecho- Slovak Freethinkers. All who can possibly contribute are invited to send their donations to the Czech Distress Fund, c/o The Hon. Treasurer, South Place Ethical Society, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, W.C.1. Cheques and postal orders for the Fund should be made payable to the South Place Ethical Society, The following amounts have already been received : Proceeds of Special Collec- tion at Meeting on Sunday, November 6, 211 Ss. Privately subscribed 25 4s. OBITUARY EDWARD SNELLING Born: May 12, 1857. Died : November 17, 1938. We lament the passing away of Edward Snelling, a very dear, old friend. An Alleviation of our sorrow is that he lived a full life, a good life, and a long life. He was a simple, cultured man—a gentle man. Loyalty to friendship, to principles, to belief was a cardinal characteristic of his nature. No one could be unfriendly to Edward Snelling. His charm of manner and his sterling character disarmed un- friendliness. You wished to agree with him, even if you differed from him. He always took a keen interest and sometimes an active part in public affairs, but in this connection his chief concern was the furtherance of rationalism and freethought. For a great many years and until his death he was a very devoted member of South Place Ethical Society and our Society was very dear to him, He was an active member of the General Committee during several terms of office, and among various activities of the Society in which he played a part, he undertook one task in particular, that of care of the bookstall. He carried on this somewhat thankless duty for very many years, first at the old South Place Chapel and subsequently at Conway Hall. He was a great reader and doubtless his love of literature led him to join the Play-reading Circle and the Poetry Circle. I am sure his participation in the meetings of these Circles must have given his fellow members much pleasure as he was an experienced and dramatic reader and reciter. He was very fond of poetry, serious or humorous, and I have the happiest recol- lections of evenings spent in his home when he delighted us with his renderings of tales and poetry. It was a great joy to hear him recite from "The Ingoldsby Legends." His sense of humour was highly developed and he had a whimsical style of his own that was enchanting. When he laughed everybody laughed with him. In his gaiety of spirit he was a boy who never grew up. His family, his relations and his friends will miss him deeply. The funeral took place at Golder's Green on November 23. The address prepared by Mr. J. P. Gilmour which was delivered at the service will be published in our next issue.—EDITOR. C. J. POLLARD. 14 WALTER T. RESTALL The older members of South Place Ethical Society will remember Walter Resta11 and will grieve to hear of his death which took place in Edinburgh on Sep- tember 30, when he passed peacefully away in his sleep. He, William Varian and Alfred Clements were friends from their early manhood, they were all about the same age, and have died within a few months of each other. Mr. Restall—like Mr. Varian—was a Civil Servant in the Exchequer and Audit Department where his ability was recognised and brought him frequent promotion: in 1918 he received the GB E for his services to the Government. He married Miss Edith Pugh—a sister of Mrs. Sheowring—and they had three sons, the eldest. Kenneth was killed in action in France in 1916. Mr, RestaII on several occasions wrote most excellent biographical notes for the South Place Sunday Concerts when the Programmes consisted of the works of one special composer. He was a member of the Concert Committee for seven years, and, after he left London on his retirement, continued his keen interest and generous support of the concerts up to the last. He was always kind, gentle, considerate for others and a true friend: he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. D. M. C. THE SOCIETY'S ACTIVITIES Matter for insertion in the January issue of the early in .the month, RECORD should reach the Editor and in any case not later than SATURDAY, December 17. " AT HOMES "—The next monthly " At Home " will be held in the Library on Sunday December 18, at 4 p.m. An entertainment entitled "Literary Conversations " will be given by mem- bers of the Literary and Study Circle. These " At Homes " provide an excellent opportunity for new members to meet fellow members and officers of the Society. Tea is provided at a charge of 6d. The club room is available on Sundays for those who wish to bring their lunch. CONWAY CHILDREN'S CIRCLE.—See announcement on page 8. CONWAY DISCUSSION CIRCLE (organised jointly by the R.P.A. and S.P.E.S.) meets in the large hall at 7 p.m. on alternate Tuesdays. December 6—John Langdon-Davies " A.R.P." The lecturer's careful studies of air warfare against civilian population as carried out by Italo-German forces in Barcelona have led to new views as to many details about the needs of London and other cities. In his lecture he will describe the new methods of attack and suggest the appropriate programme of defence against them. He will also discuss the social and political implications of A.R.P., and the dangers which may arise from the regimentation of the citizen. December 20.—A. D. Howell Smith : " The Art and Religion of Tibet " (Lantern Lecture). Secretary : Mr. E. Thurtle, M.P., 4 & 6 Johnson's Court, Fleet Street, E.C.4. COUNTRY DANCE GROUP.—Classes are held every Monday evening in the Library from 7 to 8.30 p.m. The fee until Christmas is 10s. or alternatively an entrance fee of 2s. 6d. and Is. per lesson attended. All payments to be made to the Hon. Treasurer, Mrs. Lindsay. A party will be held in the Library on Wednesday, December 14, at 7.30 p.m. Tickets Is. including refreshments. Visitors welcome. Further particulars can be had from the Hon. Secretaries, Miss H. Shott, 31 Horsham Avenue, N. 12, and Miss P. Snelling, 8 Amberley Road, E.10. DANCES.—Saturday, December 3—see special announcement under "Members' Party." Saturday, January 7, Grand New Year Carnival Ball. '7.30-11.55 p.m. Fancy Dress Parade—Spot Dances—Novelties—SPecial Prizes, Admission 3s., including refreshments. Please get tickets early, at Conway Hall or by post from the Hon, Sec., Mr. C. E. Barralet, 34 Clarendon Way, Chislehurst, Kent. LIBRARY—Open Sunday mornings before and a f Ler the Meeting. on Mondays during the Country Dance Class, and at the Sunday "At Homes." Free to Members and Associates. A slip must be filled in for each book borrowed. When books are returned they must be handed to the Librarian or left with the hall-keeper, and not be replaced on the shelves. Librarian: Mrs. T. LINDSAY, 33 Dawlish Ave., Greenford, Middx. 15 LITERARY AND STUDY CIRCLE.—Meets first Thursday and third Wednesday in each month at 7.15 p.m. Thursday, December 1—Mr. A. A. Burall, "Class Distinctions." Wednesday, December 21—Mr. Fred Coates, " An evening with James. Stephens." Hon. Sec.: Miss F. Wilkins, 7 Evelyn Mansions, Queen's Club Gardens, W. 14. MEMBERS' PARTY.—December 3, at 6.30 p.m. Members and friends of S.P.E.S. can be sure of an enjoyable evening at. the Annual Members' Party which is again being arranged jointly by the Social and Dance Committees. The programme will be as follows : 6.30—Light Orchestral Music and Games. 7.15 (approx)—" Love and Learning." A comedy by Romain Coolus, played; by Eileen Barralet, Daisy Battersby, Marianne Idiens, Joan NevM, J. A. Hutcheon, and D. V. Watkins. Produced by Marianne Idiens. 8.0 (approxl—Refreshments. 8.30-11.30—Dancing to the Harlequin Band, with spct and novelty dances. and prizes. Smoking room available for cards, etc. To assist the Committee in making catering arrangements please order your tickets NOW, price 2s., including refreshments, obtainable at Conway Hall or by post from the Social and Dance Secretary : Mr. C. E. Barralet, 34 Clarendon Way, Chislehurst, Kent. PLAY READING CIRCLE—Meets in the Library on second and fourth Thursdays. at 7 p.m. Season October-April. Membership open to members ard associates of the Society. Subscription for season 2s. 6d. Plays are chosen for literary. quality as well as dramatic interest. Visitors are welcome. December 8.—" A Hundred years Ago," by Quintero. December 22.—No Meeting. Hon. Secretary Mrs. Wood, 6 Taylor's Lane, Willesden, N.W.10. POETRY CIRCLE.—Meets in the Library on the third Thursday of each month at 7.30 p.m. December 15.—Members of the Circle will read or recite their favourite. poems. A discussion will follow. Members and friends are cordially invited. HOn. Secretary Mrs. M. Idiens, White Gates, Oak Walk, Hockley, Essex. RAMBLES.—Sunday, December 11.—Surrey Ramble. Train 1.23 p.m. Charing Cross. to Tadworth. C.D.R. 2s. Od. Leader : F. A. Sowan. Tuesday, December 27.—All-day Christmas Ramble. Train 10.30 a.m. Euston to Kings Langley, C.D.R. 25. 8d. Leader : Miss D. Winter. Sunday, January 1, 1939.—Herts to Bucks Border. Train 1.10 p.m. Baker Street to Rickmansworth, returning from Chorley Wood. C.D.R. 2s. 3d. (excess. from Chorley Wood 3d.), Tea at Chalfont St. Giles. Leader : A. 0. Orrett. Hon. Sec.: Mr. C. S. Newsom, 9 Homefield Rise, Orpington, Kent. SOUTH PLACE STRING ORCHESTRA.—Conductor ; Mr. John Hollingsworth.. Practices take place on Friday evenings, at Conway Hall from 7 to 9 p.M. A concert will be given in the Large Hall in February. There are vacancies for all strings. Enquiries are invited by the Hon. Sec. : Mr. E. J. Fairhall, 18 Golden Manor, W.7. YOUNG PEOPLE'S PARTY—Monday. January 2, at 6.30 p.m. The programme will include children's games, an entertainment and dancing. Full particulars next month. Tickets : ls. 6d, for adults; Is. for children (including refreshments) from the Dance Secretary and at Conway Hall. SOUTH PLACE SUNDAY CONCERT SOCIETY THE FIFTY-THIRD SEASON of the South Place Sunday Concerts will be. continued every Sunday. Nov. 27.—The Nancy Phillips String Quartet : Nancy Phillips, Jean Le Fevre, Eileen Grainger, Lilly Phillips; Solo Pianoforte : Guy Jonson. Quartets : Frank Bridge Novelletten, Glazounov in F, Op. 10, Elgar in E mi., Op. 83; Plano Solo: Schumann, Carnaval, Dec. 4.—The International String Quartet; Andre Mangeot, Walter Price, Max Gilbert, Bernard Richards; Piano: Charles Lynch; Vocalist : Mary MacNally; At the Piano : Gertude Seymour. Piano Quartet. Faure in G mi., Op. 45; String- Quartet : Franck in D. Piano Solo: Beethoven Sonata in A flat, Op. 26, No. 12_ 18 Dec. 11.—The Blech String Quartet; Vocalist : Veronica Mansfield; At the Piano: Samuel Liddle. Quartets : Purcell Chacony, Beethoven in E mi., op. 59, No. 2, Mozart in B flat, 1(.458. Dec. 18.—The Reginald Paul Piap_oforte Quartet : Reginald Paul, George ,Stratton, Watson Forbes, John Moore; Vocalist : Frederick Woodhouse; At the Piano : Norman Franklin. Quartets : Walton, Mendelssohn in F mi., No. 2; Piano Solo: Schumann Kreisleriana. Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.—No Concerts. Jan. 8.—The Philharmonic Quartet; Pianoforte : Harry Isaacs; Vocalist t Henry Wendon; Schubert String Quartet in A mi. Dvorak Piano Quintet. Members' Tickets 3s. each, admitting to Reserved Seats every Sunday for First Half-Season, to December 18, may be obtained at the Concert or from the Hon. Treasurer of the Concerts, Andrew E. Watson, Conway Hall, Red Lion Sguare, W.C.1, by sending Remittance and Stamped Addressed Envelope. Hon Treasurer: ANDREW E. WATSON, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, W.C.1. Hon. Secretary: Mrs. CLEMENTS, 8 Finchley Way, N.3. Hon. Assistant Secretary: GEORGE HUTCHINSON, Conway Hall, Red Lion Sq., W.C.1. New Members Mr. H. GELLMAN, 18 Mansell Street, E.C.1. Mr. ALAN WATSON. 17 Crescent Wood Road, Sydenham Hill. S.E.26. New Associates Miss K. A. Rance, 40 Marchmont Street, W.C.1. Miss W. E. Elphick. 18 Sutcliffe Close, Hampstead Garden Suburb, 14.W.11. Mr. K. C. Knoo, 22 Bernard Street, W.C.1. Miss W. M. KNOWLES, 88 Woodberry Avenue, N. Harrow. Mr. J. LEWIS, New Brighton Road, Emsworth. Hants. Heath Mr. EDWARD SNELLING, November 17th DIARY FOR DECEMBER 1 Literary and Study Circle 7.15 p.m. 11 Concert... 630 p.m. 2 Orchestra.... 7 p.m. 12 Country Dances.... 7 p.m. 3 Members' Party.. 6.30 p.m. 14 Country Dance Party.. 7.30 p.m. 4 Sunday Meeting.. 11 p.m. 15 Poetry Circle. 7.30 p.m. 4 Concert.... 6.30 p.m. 16 Orchestra.. 7 p.m. 5 Country Dances.... 7 p.m. 18 Sunday Meeting.. 11 wm. 6 Discussion...... 7 p.m. 18 " At Home " ... 4 p.m. 7 General Committee.. 620 . p.m. 18 Concert. 6.30 p.m. 8 Play Reading Circle.. 7 p.m. 19 Country Dances. 7 p.m. 9 Orchestra..l ... 7 p.m. 20 Lantern Lecture... 7 p.m. 11 Sunday Meeting.... 11 a.m. 21 Literary and Study Circle 7.15 p.m. 11 Ramble (See page 15) 27 Ramble (See page 15) HYMNS OF MODERN THOUGHT Cloth, 180 pages, 2s. With Music, 8vo, 284 pages, 5s. AS USED BY SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY Printed and published by THE PARLEIGH PRESS (TAT.), 17-29, Cayton Street, E.C.1.