ftbe ®$en Court A MONTHLY MAGAZINE 2>evote& to tbe Science of IReliafon, tbe Helfaton of Science, ano tbe Extension of tbe "Religions parliament loea Founded by Edward C. Hegeles Vol. XXXVIII (No. 4) APRIL, 1924 No. 815 CONTENTS PAGE Frontispiece. Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen's Philosophy of Religion. George Burman Foster 193 Patriotism: With Some Aspects on the State. L. A. Shattuck 206 The Bhagavad Glta, or Song of the Blessed One. (Continued.) Franklin Edgerton 235 The New Liberalism. Curtis W. Reese 247 The Chinese State Religion. Julius J. Price 252 TLbe ©pen Court ^ublisbing Company 122 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, Illinois Per copy, 20 cent* (1 shilling). Yearly, $2.00 (in the U.P.U., 9s. 6d.) Entered as Second-Class Matter March 26, 1887, at the Post Office at Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879. Copyright by The Open Court Publishing Company, 1924. ; This is the time to read The New Testament An American Translation By Edgar J. Goodspeed In translating the New Testament into the language of today, Doctor Goodspeed has not sought to supplant the King James' version, nor to replace its beautiful phrases with the slang of a rushing twentieth century America. He has tried merely to make the Bible passages as easily understood by us all as they were by the common folk of ancient Greece. He has utilized the best of our modern scholarship to bring out the original meaning of the New Testament in a dignified and reverent way. Regular Edition: postpaid, cloth, $3.12; leather, $4.12; morocco, $5.12. Pocket Edition (India paper) : postpaid, cloth, $2.62 ; leather, $3.62 morocco, $4.62. The Story of the New Testament By Edgar J. Goodspeed In a popular narrative manner, Doctor Goodspeed here tells how each book or letter in the New Testament came to be written and how each sought to meet the special situation in early Christian life to which it was addressed. All readers of the American Translation will turn with interest to this answer to the questions, "Who wrote the New Testa- ment, and when and where and how?" $1.50, postpaid, $1.60 Let us Paul, Son of Kish you By Lyman I. Henry. $1.90 and $2.50 net send Epochs in Buddhist History our latest By Kenneth J. Saunders. $3.00, postpaid $3.10 The Rise of Christianity bulletin By Frederick Owen Norton. $2.00, postpaid $2.10 "About The Social Origins of Christianity By Shirley Jackson Case. $2.50, postpaid $2.60 Religious Law and Freedom in the School Books" By George A. Coe. $1.75, postpaid $1.85 THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS CHICAGO 5832 Ellis Avenue ILLINOIS <HW^> bW*v_ Frontispiece to The Open Court. The Open Court A MONTHLY MAGAZINE Devoted to the Science of Religion, the Religion of Science, and the Extension of the Religious Parliament Idea Vol. XXXVF1 56.67 Tf33 TfBTF8 222HNo Tm(Vol.)Tj4ET/F1 31.67 TfBT6581301 24)Tm(Vol.)TjET3/F1 33.89 TfBT8 0 02APRIL(Science,)Tj4ET/F1 34.17 TfBT10721924(XXXVF1 56.67 /F1 30.83 TfBT15392HNo Tm(Vol.)Tj42T/F1 47.5 TfBT16691535 2815)Tm(Vol.)TjET2/F1 35.56 TfBT280 0540178 296pyrightTm(Vol.)Tj4ET/F1 31.67 TfBT5/F253978 2byTm(Vol.)TjET/F1 31.67 TfBT58/F253978 2960 Tm(The)Tj48T/F1 37.33 TfBT700F253978 2964 Tm(Open)TjET/F1 31.67 TfBT836F2538178 2964 Tm(Court)Tj43T/F1 34.17 TfBT998F2538178 2Publishingm(Court)Tj46.1531 47.5 TfBT1 77F2538178 296mpany,3 Tm(of)TjET/F1 34.17 TfBT151 5253978 21924(XXXVF1 56.66./F1 33.89 TfBT290 0388178 2IBSEN'S48 Tm(A)Tj8T/F1 37.33 TfBT130388178 2PHILOSOPH(MONTHLY)Tj77 /F1 30.83 TfBT11130381356 2OF(MONTHLY)Tj76.1531 47.5 TfBT1 0 0381356 2RELIGIONTm(Open)Tj8T/F1 37.33 TfBT1596F24 0 78 21(XXXVF1 56.67F1 37.33 TfBT2/F22 1178 2BY(XXXVF1 56.67 2/F1 32.78 TfBT70 0 2 1178 2GEORG(MAGAZINE)Tj5ET/F1 33.89 TfBT88/F22 1178 2BURMANm(Court)Tj43T/F1 38.89 TfBT1105F22 1301 2FOSTER(MONTHLY)Tj73.7/F1 47.5 TfBT15130160 78 2"PWOm(Court)Tj4ET/F1 30 TfBT36630161178 2quest(EsTm(Vol.)TjET41531 47.5 TfBT6/F2161178 2arem(Court)Tj46./F1 31.67 TfBT12130161301 2imbedde4 Tm(and)TjET/F1 37.33 TfBT98130161301 2iExtension)Tj8T/F1 37.33 TfBT10 0 0161301 2718 Tm(the)Tj4ET/F1 31.67 TfBT116110161301 2depthsTm(Vol.)TjET/F1 34.17 TfBT1 40 0161301 2718 Tm(of)Tj52T/F1 31.67 TfBT14 0 0161178 2human Tm(the)Tj4ET/F1 31.67 TfBT162/F2161178 2naturem(Court)Tj5/F1 47.5 TfBT15630098178 2Xm(Court)Tj46./F1 31.67 TfBT22930096535 2774 Tm(and)Tj43T/F1 47.5 TfBT3 0 0096535 2determinextension)Tj8T/F1 37.33 TfBT0096535 2718 Tm(the)Tj1.2/F1 47.5 TfBT70096535 2lifeTm(Vol.)TjET/F1 34.17 TfBT8110096535 2718 Tm(of)Tj8T/F1 37.33 TfBT8893009 532 2775 Tm(the)TjET/F1 31.67 TfBT0 0 0096535 2spirit.Tm(Open)TjET2/F1 35.42 TfBT11823009 532 2ForScience,)Tj4ET41531 47.5 TfBT12963009 532 2on5 Tm(the)TjET91531 47.5 TfBT1405F209 532 277ing,3 Tm(of)TjET/F1 31.67 TfBT15709 532 2weTm(Open)TjET0/F1 32.78 TfBT1660 0096535 2waParliament)TjET/F1 30.83 TfBT11930029477 2774 Tm(to)Tj52T0/F1 32.78 TfBT18/F2029477 2knoweligious)TjET0/F1 32.78 TfBT33/F2029477 2that(XXXVF1 56.67 /F1 37.33 TfBT451F2029477 2which(XXXVF1 56.26./F1 31.67 TfBT614F2029477 2isTm(Vol.)Tj1ET/F1 30 TfBT664F2021356 2;xtension)Tj8T/F1 37.33 TfBT98F2029477 2forScience,)Tj8T/F1 37.33 TfBT791F202 820 2718 Tm(the)TjET91531 47.5 TfBT880 002 820 2o718r,3 Tm(of)TjET/F1 31.67 TfBT1046F2021356 2w8 Tm(the)Tj4ET1/F1 67.71 TfBT 0 3 002 820 2askm(Court)Tj46.2/F1 47.5 TfBT1234 002 820 2what(XXXVF1 56.63T/F1 31.67 TfBT1372 002 820 2oughtTm(Vol.)TjET/F1 30.83 TfBT1528F2021356 2774 Tm(to)TjET/F1 38.89 TfBT1 96F2021356 2be.3 Tm(of)TjET/F1 31.67 TfBT1684 002 820 2960 Tm(The)Tj4/F1 47.5 TfBT12TjE60 78 2formerScience,)Tj2ET/F1 47.5 TfBT30/FE61477 2isTm(Vol.)Tj36./F1 31.67 TfBT3 0 1 1 124 2 Tm(Idea)Tj0.2/F1 67.71 TfBT40 0E61477 2quest(ETm(Vol.)TjET/F1 34.17 TfBT6 0 1 1 124 2718 Tm(of)Tj8T/F1 37.33 TfBT7050E61477 2truthTm(Vol.)Tj1ET/F1 30 TfBT8391959356 2;xtension)Tj8T/F1 33.89 TfBT87E61477 2t18 Tm(the)TjET41531 47.5 TfBT9650E61477 2latterScience, 194 THE OPEN COURT in conflict with what ought to be. Socialism is nothing but the prac- tical question, whether the real is also the rational, whether what is is ivhat ought to be. Still socialism is the beginning, not the end of this question. Socialism knows this question only for the masses, only for their industrial life, their material requirements. But the mass is that which is — is it also that which ought to be, is it rational? Is it rational that there is jnass in humanity? Is this mass that which ought to be ? Thus one question leads to another. Individualism is born of socialism— the query whether the things of life are rational, not only for the mass, but for the individuals of whom the mass consists. Thus, the problem of life is spiritualized, and takes possession of society and law and art and science and family and education. Ultimately it turns to man himself and puts the question to him : Is thine own being rational? Art thou thyself what thou oughtest to be? This problematic aspect of modern life, no one has so sharply seen as Ibsen. What Lessing said of truth, Ibsen said of freedom. Not its possession, but the eternal struggle for it, is the worthful thing. Ibsen stands on the same platform with the great modern preachers of free personality, with Max Stirner and Nietzsche, with Tolstoi and Kierkegaard ; but he surpasses them all. He struggles with every problem which he discovers or creates, until all his strug- gling, creative life seems as a death from which a resurrection may be expected. In addition, the poet must fight his way through the religious problem,—religion apprehended, not as a psychic experience, not as a question of science and world-view, but as a thing of worth or worthlessness for human personality. From this side Ibsen often touches upon the religious problem in his social dramas. The reli- gious problem is central in two of his creations: in "Brand," and in 'Emperor and Galilean." In "Brand," it is rather the ethical side of the problem that is treated: in "Emperor and Galilean," the mystical side is treated. Brand's religion is totally a religion of the will. His God is youth- ful force, youthful strength, and summons strong and world-moving words in the souls of men. The God believed in by the people. The church, however, is a weak and senile God : and, impotent himself, makes terms with the weakness and feebleness of men. He himself loves half-measures, imperfections, closes his eyes when men are cowardly and weak. I lis task is to make life easier for men, to decrease life's burden for them. Therefore, on this very account, men IBSEN'S PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION 195 serve and love him only half-heartedly. A little earnestness and a little levity : today, a little of this, and tomorrow, a little of that ; one eve turned to heaven, the other squinting' at the earth. Then comes Brand with his solution, his cry: "All or nothing!" The decision and resoluteness of the old Christians live anew in this northern preacher—those old Christians whose ( iod demanded that thev should he one thing or the other— cold or hot —else he would spew them out of his mouth.