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Vol 75, No. 4 APRIL 1970

, CONTENTS

EDITORIAL: DELFILING THE UNIVERSITIES . 3

MARXIST-HUMANIST DIALOGUE IN YUGO-SLAVIA . 4

by Dr. John LewisTHE PSYCHOLOGY OF ETHICS . 6

by I-I. G. KnightTHE RACE TO THE MOON . 8

by Richard Clements 0 B ETHE SEVEN AGES OF MAN10

by H. J. BlackhamFOR THE RECORD — FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY 12BOOK REVIEWS:

PROPHETOF THE STUDENT REVOLT 14by Malcolm Livesey

THE ROAD TO UTOPIA? . 15

by J. M. AlexanderOPEN FORUM: SQUATTING MAKES SENSE . 16CONWAY DISCUSSIONS: HUMAN RIGHTS . 17

TO THE EDITOR . 18SOUTH PLACE NEWS 20COMING AT CONWAY HALL 22

Published by

BOUM MACE EMECAL SOCHOTTConway Hall Humanist Centre Red Lion Square, London, WC I

SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY

OFFICERS:Secretary: Peter Cadogan

Lettings Secretaryl Hall Manager: Nigel Sinnott Hon. Registrar: Miss E. Palmer Hort. Treasurer: V. G. Howlett

Editor. "The Ethical Record": Miss Barbara Smoker Associate Editor: Martin Page

Address: Conway Hall Humanist Centre, Red Lion Square, London, W.C.1 (Tel.: 01-242 8032)

SUNDAY MORNING MEETINGS, H a.m.(Admission free)

April 5—Dr. JOHN LEWIS: Psychologists at WarSoprano solos: Jackie Moore

April 12—MARTIN PAGE, B.A.: The Paradoxical Genius of J. M. RobertsonBaritone solos: Ken Dixon

April 19—RICHARD CLEMENTS, 0.B.E.: What Is the Modem Age About?Piano and cello: Fiona Cameron and Lilly Phillips

April 26—PETER CADOGAN, B.A.: New Frontiers in the Mind of LewisMumfordBass solos: G. C. Dowman

May 3—Lord SORENSEN: Racialism and Nationalism

BERTRAND RUSSELL MEMORIAL MEETING

on Sunday, April 5, at 3 p.m., with tributes by Richard Clements,H. J. Blackham, Dr. John Lewis and Peter Cadogan, chaired byLord Sorensen.

HUMANIST OPEN FORUM—SUNDAYS, 3 p.m. (Admission free)

April I2—Inside Franco's Jails: Miguel Garcia Garcia and Stuart ChristieApril 26—Peaceniks or Freedom-Fighters: Roger Moody and Jim Radford

CONWAY DISCUSSIONS—TUESDAYS, 7 p.m.(Admission: members free, non-members 2s. Refreshment break 7.45 p.m.)

Theme for the Month: INTERNATIONALISMApril 7—Nationalism and Internationalism: Peggy DuffApril 14—Are We Europeans?: George K. Young, CB., C.M.G., M.B.E.April 2I—The Roles of Black Men and White Men in Africa: George SangnmbaApril 28—The Deification of Power: Geoffrey Ashe

(This ends the season of Conway Discussions)

See page 23 for April programme of South Place Sunday Concerts

The Objects of the Society are the study and dissemination of ethical principlesand the cultivation of a rational religious sentiment.

Any person in sympathy with these objects is cordially invited to become amember (minimum annual subscription 12s. 6d.). A membership application formwill be found on the back cover.

THE ETHICAL RECORD(Formerly 'The Monthly Record')

Vol.75, No. 4 APRIL 1970

The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the Society

EDITORIALDefiling the Universities

THE eruption at Warwick University, spreading rapidly to other uni-versities, over the existence of secret dossiers relating to the political andreligious attitudes and activities of students and staff members hasprompted national discussion. South Place Ethical Society, with its longtradition of campaigning for freedom of thought and speech, must comeout firmly in support of the students.

It is reasonable enough for universities to keep confidential files ontheir students and staff —that is, files with strictly limited access butaccessible to the subject himself — but secret files, to which the subjectis denied access, are another thing altogether. Moreover, while academicand medical histories are unobjectionable, files of a political or religiousnature must •have 'very dubious purposes, 'whether those of (1) theacademic world itself, (2) State security, or (3) big business.

(1) The use of such files in academic circles so as to exclude graduate"undesirables" from university posts can only stultify the very idea ofa "university", with its etymological connotation. In any case, manystudents change their views radically while at university, so that the filesmay often be misleading. (2) In allowing themselves to be used asinstruments of the Special Branch, whose compulsive collection ofpolitical data extends (according to the March bulletin of the N.C.C.L.)to two million individuals (so far), our universities are prostituting theirautonomous function and their ability to subject the prevailing socialorder to critical scrutiny. It is fortunate that the students, at least, stillstand for liberty and that so many of them have been prepared to risktheir future careers in its defence. (3) In Britain, big 'business has beenslower in its "take-over" of the universities than in the U.S.A., butWarwick University was actually planned as a "business university"—subordinate to the needs of industry, though built and maintainedwith public money — and has developed towards the American pattern,so that eight out of the nine co-opted members of the University Councilnow represent big business interests, the pro-chancellor and chairman'being the managing director of Elawker-Siddeley. It is significant that itwas at this university that the existence of political dossiers sparked offthe students' protest.

In this pre-1984 situation, we must reassert the values of tolerance,openness, and independence traditionally associated with our universities—and, we may boast, with our own Society —if these values are tosurvive. In the 'open society" to which the humanist movement aspiresthere can be no place for secret ideological dossiers, for any purposewhatsoever.

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Marxist - Humanist Dialogue

in YugoslaviaBY

DR. JOHN LEWIS

A CONFERENCE organised by the International Humanist and Ethical Unionand devoted to the Marxist-Humanist dialogue was held in Yugoslaviafrom August I I to 16, 1969, and I attended as S.P.E.S. and B.H.A.representative. It took place on the beautiful Dalmatian coast at HercegNovi. As well as the Yugoslav Marxists, there were humanist representativesfrom Holland, Belgium, West Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, theUnited States, and India; the number of participants being about fifty.

The success of the Conference was due in the first place to the chair-manship and paternal leadership of Professor. van Haag, of Leyden, whoseextreme kindness, firm control of discussion, willingness to secure the fullestparticipation of all views, and able contributions to every discussion, gavethe dialogue both definite purpose and a spirit of warm friendliness. Inthe second place, thc whole atmosphere of absolute freedom to agree ordisagree, to speak one's whole mind, to accept onc another as comradesin the search for truth, was created by the Yugoslav members of theConference, who embodied a form of liberal (in the intellectual sense) andhumanist freedom, warm humanity, and disarming honesty, that were inthemselves reflections of what is surely a new form of socialist community.For we all felt the same freedom and friendliness among the Yugoslavpeople wherever we went.

The procedure of the Conference was efficient, and skilfully balancedbetween set papers and intensive group discussion. The sithultaneous trans-lation; the firm chairmanship, limiting interpolations to five minutes; andthe informality of the group discussions in English, French and Germanlanguage groups —all these made for a vigorous and profitable interchangeof ideas. This extended to the opportunities for more intimate conversation,at meal-times and the few spare hours at our disposal.

Three Major ProblemsIt would be impossible to summarise all the papers here. The theme

developed itself into three major problems:(I) The problem of the structure of society as hindering or facilitating the

fulfilment of human personality.The problem of radical change; when is it necessary? What limitationsand conditions preserve it from losing its objectives through the useof less than democratic and ethical means?The problem of the individual and society under conditions of transitionto a socialist society. The supreme importance of tolerance, participa-tion and freely-secured co-operation. in all forms of radical politicalchange.

Professor van Haag initiated the discussion on "Structural Change".The Marxists contended that alienation was not due essentially to themachine age, but to the subordination of human needs to the exigenciesof the mechanical economic laws proper to the capitalist system; and VanHaag agreed that, since man requires a meaningful life for healthy living,"Humanism is challenged to contribute to the discovery of this meaningin the context of a technical and organisational society".

Professor Paul Kurtz, of Buffalo, New York, gave a clear, persuasiveand penetrating defence of tolerance, showing that it was indispensableboth in the political struggles for a better world, and as a necessary conditionof genuine freedom in that world. John Lewis, of London, added that

4

circumstances might occur in which it would not be correct to extendtolerance to overt attempts to overthrow conditions of freedom, such asMilton and Locke had to face, and the Free World faced at the end ofthe Second World War, when it suppressed Fascism.

Opinions continued to be divided on this issue, but the discussion wasfelt by all concerned to be valuable. "The Rights of the Individual" werefurther defended by Professor Riverso, of Salerno, who pointed out that"it is impossible that rights be really granted and demands really satisfiedif there is so violent an opposition and conflict between individuals andsociety that loyalty of the individual towards society cannot be hopedfor and the duty of society towards the individual is not being fulfilled".

Human BehaviourIn the discussion on "Human Nature", Professor BeIlu, of Rumania,

drew attention to those basic contradictions in society and in man whichwill inevitably continue in every form of society. Professor Markovid ofBelgrade also struck a warning note as to Utopian concepts of the naturalgoodness of man. He regarded the "incredible eruption of human irra-tionality and bestiality" in the war as indicating "a latent pattern of humanbehaviour which is the product of the whole previous history of the race".It was objected that to explain any kind of human behaviour by "ten-dencies" and "instincts" was unscientific, and that the correct procedurewould be to discover the social, political and racial conditions under whichsuch abnormal forms of behaviour appeared, rather than to attribute themto some form of "original sin".

In the later part of his paper Professor Markovid seemed himself tomove to this position; but the importance of •his paper appeared in hissearching criticism, as Marxist, of all forms of socialist government inwhich a ruling elite stood over against the governed, who were treatedrather as "things" to be administered than as persons whose participationin government and decision-making was essential.

He saw this as still persisting under both capitalist democracy andsocialist dictatorship, whenever political power is still alienated in a hier:archical order and decision-making and contr.& are from the top. Thiswill be the case where there is concentration of economic and politicalpower in the hands of any ruling elite, whether of owners, managers,professional politicians or even technocrats. Any such permanent concen-tration of power in the hands of a particular social group is anti-demo-cratic and a limiting factor of further social development.

The Ethics of PoliticsProfessor Stoyanovid, who was indefatigable in carrying out his share

in the organisation and whose warm and sympathetic humanism endearedhim to us all, gave a most powerful paper on the ethics of politics— thevexed question of means and ends. Speaking as a Marxist, he asserted:

The revolutionary movement should not choose the end of•its activitywithout taking into account the price of its achievement. The decisionconcerning the end can be intelligently and responsibly made only if otherpossible ends are considered and all consequences of the planned meanstaken into account.

Assessing the inversion of means and ends, he said that this meant thefinalisation of means and the instrumentalisafion of ends, that is to say,what we intend only as means become the ends we did not seek, those endscarrying us no farther than the base instruments we have chosen.

To hear this from a leading Marxist revealed the critical importance ofthe events of 1949, when Yugoslavia, in the face of tremendous risks,rejected the authority of Stalin over her national policies, and proceededto create a new socialism—socialism with a human face.

5

Of the many other participants who spoke freely, interestingly and muchto the point in all our discussions, mention must be made of the eloquentand deeply thoughtful observations of M. A. Niel and Madame Niel, ofParis, whose splendid work for humanism we all admire. One of ourGerman delegates, and the youngest of us all, was Mr. Vogel, who pun-gently represented the New Left. Mr. R. M. Stein, an American businessman, shrewdly and good-humouredly spoke for American liberal humanism

, and was a kindly and much liked member. Finally, Professor J. K. Balbarof India, speaking always with clarity and eloquence, and chairing mostefficiently his group discussion, became a popular and respected figure ofthe Conference.

The publication of the collected papers and many of the contributionsto the discussions is in hand and will be of interest. It is hoped that afurther Conference will be held in 1970 by invitation of the University ofBoston, U.S.A.

(Summary of a lecture given on December 7)

The Psychology of EthicsBY •

H. G. KNIGHT

ETHICS is defined as that branch of philosophy which treats of humancharacter and conduct, of the difference between right and wrong, and ofone's sense of responsibility to the community. Psychology, on the otherhand, is the study of human behaviour, whether normal or abnormal.Both were born of philosophy; though some noW contend that psychologyis the parent and philosophy and ethics the offspring— a theory putforward by R. J. Lipton in his book The Psychology of Totalism. In thisbook he reports on a series of case-studies of Chinese and EuropeanChristian ministers who were subjected to mental reconversional treatmentwhile detained in Chinese prisons during the Cultural Revolution. Totalism,as he defines it, is the process by which the mind is, through fear, loss ofsleep, and long interrogation, drained of its original beliefs, and then fedwith alternative beliefs until they are as strongly held as the original ones.In the case-studies dealt with in this book, it would seem that deep trau-matic experiences, undergone by men detained in prison for periods rangingfrom one year to several years, had destroyed their personalities and inmost cases eradicated or seriously undermined their original Christianbeliefs, yet left their basic character traits unchanged. The question thusposed is, if ethics and religious belief are both personal concepts, why isit that the beliefs can be impaired or eradicated, yet the ethical valuesremain intact? When the beliefs of Christian ministers are so devoutly heldas to cause them to risk their lives for their beliefs, how can these beliefsbe exorcised, yet moral values remain unimpaired? Yet this would appearto be the case. As a result of their maltreatment, the prisoners suffereda personality break-up, which left them unable to reorientate themselveswith relatives, friends or their church, yet with their ethical values intact.

Can it be that the mind has dimensions of which we are unaware orcould it be that ethics, which has frequently been considered personaljudgments or values, have in fact an ineradicable base in the human mindor human nature? Psychologists and sociologists have reported many in-stances of highly moral persons reared in quite immoral environments,and many immoral persons who come from highly moral homes. Howcan children brought up in the same environment, with the same schoolingand the same class of friends, turn out to be so ethically different? Yetsuch differences are now so commonplace as to excite no comment.

6

Personal SecurityIt is now contended by at least one school of psychological thought in

America and Germany that our ethical values can perhaps be determinedaccording to the extent that our inherited "needs" or "wants" are satisfiedor frustrated. These primary "needs" or "wants" are common to all of us;they are neither good nor bad in themselves, but only in the way theycause us to behave when they are frustrated. If we consider the mostpowerful of them, the need for personal security, which stems from theinstinct of self-preservation, as long as we feel secure, there is little orno emotional reaction, but if our security is threatened, we are likely tobehave in a variety of ways quite foreign to our normal pattern ofbehaviour, becoming apathetic or aggressive, submissive or assertive. Onehas only to observe the manual worker in industry at the mention ofredundancy to witness emotional reactions that can include despair, fearand aggression. The point is, we are usually unaware of the causes ofthese emotional reactions; we are aware of the emotion or feeling itselfand the compulsion to act on it, but not the underlying cause.

Dr. Kuhn the American biologist and psychologist has also entered thisfield, with his analysis of the relative weights of humans and mammals inrelation to their brain sizes and cortex thicknesses. He contends that thepower to think or reason has no relationship to brain size or weight orcortex thickness. Nor does one's behaviour towards other members of one'sown species bear any relation to the ability to think or reason. Animalsare less destructive and violent towards other members of their speciesthan are humans to other humans. Indeed, apparent ethical behaviourcan be observed operating at a higher level amongst animals than in thehuman species. Few people would attempt to deny that animal behaviouris other than instinctive behaviour, not based on reasoning.

Lateral Thinking

Then there is de Bono of Cambridge with his concept of lateral thinking,which he claims has revolutionised the thinking process. He maintains thatmany of man's problems will remain unsolved if he proceeds accordingto the normal methods of synthesis, of building up, as it were, layers ofknowledge one upon each other. Instead, man must learn to push histhinking sideways, laterally. Having studied his theory, I am of the view thatit is nothing more than using the association of ideas in other than thenormal pattern. One might, for example, think of cat, dog, bark, tree,foliage, or one can search for a different first-idea link from cat, such asmilk, which takes you on to another chain of ideas, viz, cream, butter,cheese, protein, etc. Be that as it may, industry has fallen for his ideas,and business men both here and in America, are lining up to learn hisexpensive and, to him, highly profitable methods. He provides manyexamples of his findings in his A Five - Day Thinking Course.

All of these are but theories and, to most philosophers and psychologists,quite untenable ones; but until we understand how the mind and memoryreally work, how or why we have ideas or flashes of intuition, we cannotafford to reject any theories without examination, however absurd they mayappear at first glance. For much of what we reject is done from our ownprejudices, rather than from rational assessment of the demerits of the case.One thing is certain: we are but in the kindergarten stage of our psycho-logical knowledge; and should it be that man's ethics stem from hisinherent nature, and not directly from his processes of reasoning, wholeareas of philosophy, psychology and ethics will need re-examination. Forthat reason alone, all new theories should come under critical scrutiny andnot be automatically dismissed:

(Summary of a lecture given on November 9)

7

The Race to the MoonBy

RICHARD CLEMENTS

ON Monday. July 21, 1969, Neil A. Armstrong, a man from earth, steppedon to the surface of the moon. Millions of watchers and listeners werethrilled by the words he spoke at that historic moment: That's one sniallstep for man, one giant leap for mankind. The success of this hazardousjourney from earth to the moon and back at the close of the 'sixties —a new and incredible triumph of technology — opened up a vision to therace of a future in which "nothing would be impossible to man". It was aresounding event in a decade of scientific progress.

Doubts and Fears

The human exploration of space has naturally given rise to much con-troversy. Some there are who have doubts and fears about any suchundertaking. Others say that the moon race is a waste of time and money,and challenge the order of priorities which allows such a project to takeprecedence over the claims for money and personnel needed, at home andabroad, in the struggle against poverty, disease, sub-standard housing, andother social ills. And it would perhaps be true to say that nearly all ofus, at one time or another, have shared the view of the late KingsleyMartin: "Man's journey to the moon does not solve earth's problems".It is understandable that such differences of opinion and outlook shouldat this stage exist amongst us: they must be judged in the light of common-sense and reason. Time and constructive discussion will enable us to over-come our doubts and fears.

Meanwhile, it is well to recall how the space age dawned upon ourdivided world. As recently as October 1957 the news broke upon a startledworld that the Soviet Union had launched Sputnik I into outer space, andthat it was circling the globe at a speed of 17,000 miles an hour; a speedsufficient to balance the pull of the earth's gravity. At once, of course,questions of national prestige arose: American public opinion reeled as iffrom an electric shock; and in the Western world there was anxiousspeculation as to the impact of Soviet technological prowess on the strugglebetween the Eastern and Western blocs.

In this situation the human reactions, in the United States and in Britain,were readily predictable. An expert on space exploration, Mr. Peter Ryan,comments: "At first, many Americans in high places simply refused tobelieve the Soviet announcements of the launch. Several members of theCongress even dismissed Sputnik I as a hoax".1

New Ways of Living

Many examples of similar irrationality, caused by the technological andideological upheavals of the age in which we live, might well be cited toshow the Angst and moral confusion into which men, and indeed, wholecommunities, have been thrown. For never before in history have meneverywhere had to cope in all spheres of human life with so many intractableproblems. The pace of change has been such that, in many minds, it hasseemed to threaten the very existence of man. Hence the urgent need todayin so many countries for a social policy, based upon compassionate andethical principles, which would match the scientific and technical achieve-ments of thc modern world. For only the way forward is open to mankind.

1 See his informative book, The Invasion of the Moon (Penguin Special, 1967.5s.).

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While thc men of our age are naturally proud of scientific progress,they combine this with misgivings about the outcome in human and socialterms. They contrast the past and present conditions of man, and try toestimate both the losses and the gains involved in new ways of living. Itoften seems, even to progressive minds, that modern man's predicament isstill paradoxical and tragic. True it is that science has endowed us withtalismanic power to create wealth, but there still exists the division of ourworld into the rich and the poor nations; and, within the territories ofeven the richest nations, large minorities continue to live in poverty; townsand cities are often badly planned and squalid; the petty spirit of privateacquisitiveness takes precedence over community needs; brutal neo-colonialwars still go on; and the squalid strife of religious sects wastes life andresources in some of the world's backward areas.

The great need is to clarify and rationalise man's thinking about scienceand its role in society, and to become conscious of the collective adventurein which science will continue to engage us. For then, in Teilhard deChardin's words:

We can envisage a world whose constantly increasing leisure and heightenedinterest would find their vital interest in fathoming everything, trying every-thing, extending everything; a world in which giant telescopes and atomsmashers would absorb more money and excite more spontaneous admira-tion than all the bombs and cannons put together; a world in which, notonly for the restricted band of paid research-workers, but also for the manin the street, the day's ideal would be the wresting of another secret oranother force from corpuscles, stars, or organised matter; a world in which,as happens already, one gives one's life to he and to know, rather thanto possess),

The Work for Today and Tomorrow --

To say these things is not to indulge in an idle daydream. It is anecessary part of picture-building about the universe in which we liveand have our being. For, as much of the history of science shows, the dreamof today invariably becomes the reality of tomorrow.

By the end of the 1970's, if another world war is avoided, both theUnited States and thc Soviet Union —perhaps working together moreclosely that we can yet envisage— will mark up further significant achieve-ments. Amongst these being: (I) deeper penetration into outer space;(2) a more profound knowledge of the universe than man has ever possessedbefore; and (3) a practical application of new knowledge and new exper-ience in the production of wealth, more food from the better cultivationof the resources of the earth, and a more closely knit network of inter-national relationships to safeguard for the human race peace, security,health, higher global standards of living; and more enlightened ways oflife everywhere.

Let us, as Humanists and Ethicists, remember that thousands of the menand women already engaged in these vast new enterprises — global inscope and purpose—share our belief in humanism as a workaday philo-sophy of life in this thrilling age in which we live. The call to us is toraise our sights, to be a little less concerned with fishing about for theheads of old dead gods in the swirling seas of modernity, or tagging onto the tails of the latest thing in protest movements. Bearing in mind thetraditions bequeathed to us by the Secularist and Humanist struggles in thepast, we should make it our concern to understand and strengthen theinfluence of science, and, in co-operation with the men and women in allfields of scientific work to promote a one-world concept Of peaceful exis-tence, and the creation of classless and free societies.

This means, in practical terms, more and better scientific research, better

2 The Phenornenon of Man (Fontana Books, p. 307):

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planning in industry and in community building; extension and strengthen-ing of statutory and voluntary social work; law reform; more generousprovision for schools, hospitals; the improvement of the national healthservice; and the re-organisation of regional and local government, so asto give more responsibilities and powers to the people in the areas andcities in which They live and work. Secularists and Humanists in all partsof the United Kingdom should be seeking full participation in all thesevarious forms of social and public work.

It will thus be seen that the idea of progress remains as a rationalideal. But there is nothing automatic about it, whether for individuals,groups, or communities: its efficacy depends upon human beings. In thecreation and direction of the work of local secular societies and humanistgroups, especially when they become meeting places for active-minded men

and women, Humanists can play their part in human progress.

(Summary of a lecture given on November 30)

The Seven Ages of ManBY

H. J. BLACKHAM

SATURATED 'with centuries of Christian thinking, we associate the word"temporal" with human mortality, whereas temporality is the condition oflife, the yarn from which the fabric of all experience and meaning iswoven. Concretely this temporality is experienced in the interpenetratingphases of personal life. There are three main divisions: early dependence;the period of independence, normally from half to two-thirds of the wholespan; retirement from active life, perhaps with more or less of eventualdependence again. Adolescence is a link phase between early dependenceand active life.

"A little human being," said Freud, "is frequently a finished productin his fourth or fifth year." Nobody takes this view of human developmentliterally, but it is sufficiently obvious that a great deal is perforce crowdedinto the first years; the foundations are laid, the human being takes rudi-mentary shape, the child is father of the man. But there is room andneed for shaping and re-shaping as time goes on, in the light of experienceand reflection. "Crying for the moon" expresses the very early years:wanting to get hold of everything, to touch and taste, unaware of actualconditions, passionately impatient of frustration. Sensations are discrete andvivid, but begin to be organised by repetition, by the framework of routine,the acquisition of speech, and the interplay of fantasy, images, ideas withexperience. Relationships with persons in whose hands he is are all-important to the child. He is absolutely dependent, but striving for inde-pendence, and this induces unavoidable ambivalence and conflict. His moraland psychic weaning is liable to be spoiled by the opposite dangers ofrejection or over-protection. However he is treated, his relationships arespecific, and his reactions and relations with each person will be his own.The closer they are, the richer in possibilities, good and bad.

Childhood and Youth

. Thc child from five to fifteen is of statutory school age. At school he passes from first-hand experience to begin to take over the experience of mankind. And at school he is enmeshed in a "system", the system in little of society itself for which school is a preparation. There are built-in tests for selection, by which he is liable to be rejected: and insofar as he feels rejected, or unable to qualify, the tendency to gang-up. with his peers

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will be reinforced, and, if prolonged, will lead to alienated sub-cultures.Otherwise, this is a period of exploration and experimentation, of playingmany roles and joining many groups, of finding himself and identifyinghimself with idolised adults. Graham Greene has said that all experienceis complete by sixteen. Like Freud's saying, this is not to be taken literally;but most of the various possibilities have already been tasted, and capabili-ties have had trial flights.

Adolescence begins with puberty, and is roughly the teen-age period.Achieving independence is the main work of youth, and the underlyingmotif from birth. The wilfulness of the child from two till four and theganging-up during the "latency" period are playful anticipations of therevolt to come, when the adolescent in deadly earnest makes his bid forindependence. There are four centres of pre-occupation at this time, whichmay flare up as crises: sex, revolution, work, faith.

Becoming Adult

The adolescent is becoming adult in sexual potency, but this is associatedwith emotional, intellectual and social aspects of development which can beequally important, and it is wrong and injurious to separate them. They maybe out of step, but nothing .should be done to force them apart by con-centrating attention on one, ignoring the others: they belong togetherand reinforce one another in normal development. There is a symbol ofwhat is happening in "elopement", which used sometimes to happen in amore authoritarian society. This expressed sexual passion, and, in the con-text of revolt, the bid for independence, the assumption of the responsibleadult social r8le.

Revolution is more than mere revolt. With the prolonged educationaldependence of many young people today they have the time and opportunity,in full possession of their powers, to take a look at, and make an appraisalof, the institutions in which they are involved and the society for whichthey are being prepared. Universities are old-fashioned in their attitudesto and treatment of students; and the courses and methods may seemirrelevant and inefficient. Society is intensely competitive, and is dominatedby the profit-motive and the power struggle. Students are tempted to con-demn the generation in authority as "guilty men". Many of them can beseen to be trapped in situations of which they are victims (Vietnam hasbeen the recent symbol); and students may well feel that society itself,by the way it is organised, is a trap. Others who do not get to a universitymay feel rejected. There are militants and there are hedonists. Most livethrough the phase and make some sort of compromise with themselvesand the "system".

Work for the adolescent comes to be perhaps the most serious thingin his life, for it is his investment, his stake in the future, the means bywhich he will make good, gain the good things of life, and registerachievement—no longer something to be scamped or escaped, as it is formost schoolboys. Embodying aspiration, however, it also embodies anxiety:he has to answer his own expectations and those of others. Also theexigencies of the system tend to destroy the spontaneous and the personal,the most precious and creative elements in a young person.

Faith means in this context coming to terms with the human condition.The young person has to make up his mind on what he believes abouthuman nature and destiny —or let it go. This may involve tcnsion withparents or other adults who have influenced his earlier thinking and beliefs.

As an adult in the prime of life, the young person wants to settle down,with a job, prospects, property, family, social contacts and interests; orhe wants to keep his options open, to acquire further qualifications perhaps,to get experience, to travel, to try things out. Whether or not, or for howlong, he evades responsibility, he cannot escape belonging now to the

11

relevant, responsible generation in whose hands are society and the fateof .mankind. He is at the controls, willy nilly.

Middle AgeIn the Middle span the adult is most on his own. Parents are now dead

or in some sense dependent, a responsibility; and there are usually childrento be thought of and provided for. At the same time, one is as muchon top and master of one's skills and powers and experience as one isever likely to be. It is a time of self-confidence or of disillusionment,highest tide and lowest ebb. There is said to be a second adolescence inlate forties or early fifties, when thc mature person may embark on asecond career or on sexual adventures. In this middle period the adultis most fully responsible, not only for his own undertakings but also forsociety at large: he is, with others, running society and preparing to handit on. This was straightforward in a simple society in which responsibilitymeant mainly the maintenance and transmission of a tradition. In a moderntechnological industrial society, which depends on progress, the respon-sibility for due conservation and progressive innovation is far more com-plex and doubtful. This uncertainty, not so much the challenge of youth,has undermined the authority of the responsible generation in contem-porary society.

In middle age, also, the adult has constructed for himself a personalway of life, a style of living, a constellation of interests and pursuits. Thismay include a life of his or hcr own, apart from family, job, society.

RetirementRetirement may bring catastrophe, or usher in the Indian summer of

serene and sustained leisure enjoyment. The years have become fourfoldprecious, and one has learned how to make the most of them. But withoutpreparation and a new initiative, one is either thrown out, rejected, onthe scrap-heap, or is overtaken, doing less well whatever one was good at.In the old Bethnal Green, the old men (who had no place in the house andhome) commonly broke up and died soon after their working days werefinished. In the new towns, men of the next generation of the same families,having been partners in the home, are finding the adjustment to retirementrelatively easy. However, nearly half the hospital beds in the country areoccupied by mental cases, and 43 per cent of these are over 65.

Thc irrelevant generation, no longer responsible, find sooner or later itis time to go. Beliefs about human nature and destiny must now make somcdifference. The Christian is preparing for an audit; and for a great exper-ience. The humanist may feel with Epicurus that death is nothing to him;for when he thinks of it he is not dead, and when he is dead he does notthink of it.

(Summary of a lecture given on January 18)

For the Recordfrom the General Secretary

IF Some friend of mine, from other parts, who does not know about"South Place" asks me what I am and what I do I just don't know whereto start! How does one explain a unique job in a unique society withoutgiving a lecture on what happened from 1793! Anyhow, whatever, it is

11'm it, but I think I had better give "it" a few months chance to growon me before I try to venture a short definition. I must say that everyoneis being very kind and helpful in indicating the paths and pitfalls, and I'mlearning fast. Harry Knight has been an excellent teacher. •

12

Future Lectures and DiscussionsThe programme up to the summer has already been arranged, but the

next meeting of the Lectures and Discussions Committee (on Monday, April13) will be taking a long look at the direction our lectures and discussionsshould take from next October to the summer of 1971, and relating thisto the way we see humanism in general and the function of South Placein particular. Maybe we shall need a series of meetings to get it just right.So if you have ideas for subjects, themes, speakers, development and pre-sentation will you ring, write or call on me or one of the other memberson the Lectures and Discussions Committee? (They are Dr. Lovecy, Mr.Western, Miss Palmer, Mr. Page, Mr. Fischer and Mr. Alexander.)

An Idea about Press CuttingsI suppose most of us from time to time try to keep press cuttings— and

most of us give up! It is difficult to know where to stop or how best tokeep them so that they serve some useful purpose. From the point ofview of the Society, we need to have an attentive eye on the developmentof ideas relevant to the future course of humanism and to the programmesof lectures and discussions that we map out. One little cutting somewheremight lead to a first-class session months ahead. I take The Times andNigel Sinnott (currently taking over from Miss Palmer as Lettings Secretary)takes The Guardian and Miss Palmer herself takes The Daily Telegraph.So we start with a good coverage! Then, in addition, the General Com-mittee has decided to provide the library with the principal weeklies (whichare there for you to read any tifine you care to drop in), so, provided thisgreat weight of paper does not get on top of me, the monthly volumes ofcuttings should be a useful asset. If you see some likely item in anotherpaper or magazine will you send it in for inclusion too? Please mark onit clearly the name of the publication and its date.

This Month's SpeakersIt might be as well if 1 were to say a word or two about speakers

who arc new to the Society's lecture platform. Mrs. Peggy Duff (April 7)is Secretary of the International Confederation for Disarmament and Peace,but is better known to most people as the formidable organiser of the greatAldermaston Marches. She is an indefatigable traveller and has just gotback from Vietnam. She is a lucid, matter-of-fact speaker, with a senseof humour to match her sense of occasion.

Mr. George K. Young has been a journalist, a soldier, and a seniorCivil Servant (he was an Under-Secretary), and is today a merchantbanker. He is the author of two remarkable books, Masters of Indecision(a study of the Civil Service) and Finance and World Power. He is chair-man of the Executive Committee of the Society for Individual Freedom,and has one of the most incisive brains in this country. He is a Scot.

George Sangumba comes from Angola and has spent some years studyingin America. The Portuguese view of Africa is quite extraordinary and high-lights the black-white situation in a way that helps to explain the terribledilemmas that face the continent as a whole. George Sangumba, bothfrom his personal experience and as a scholar, is as good an independentguide as we are likely to find anywhere.

The theme of this month's Tuesday discussions is Internationalism, andit occurs to me that we might take a leaf out of the Progressive Leaguesbook (so ably explained at the last Forum meeting) and set up somekind of study group on this theme if it is felt that there is some particularfurther thinking to be done which we could do. Might we set out to definethe meaning of humanist internationalism?

PETER CADOGAN

13

Book Reviews Prophet of the Student Revolt

Marcuse, by Alasdair MacIntyre (Fontana Modern Masters Series. 1970; 95 pp.;5s.)

ALASDAIR MACINTYRE is leaving our shores; a cartoon in the Universitymagazine at Essex, where he is professor of philosophy, shows hispaunched figure mesmerised by the beckoning Dollar. His parting gift is acontribution to the new series of Fontana paperbacks, whose aim is tostudy "the men who have changed and are changing the life and thoughtof our age". In the new pantheon we find Camus, Fanon, Guevara andLevi-Strauss; Mr. Maclntyre's choice is Herbert Marcuse, the prophet ofthe recent student uprisings, and his opening challenge —"it will be mycrucial contention that almost all of Marcuse's positions are false" — isa bold one. Some commentators have seen this short book as a finaldemolition of Marcuse. But is it, and can we safely ignore Marcuse?

MacIntyre's tactic is straightforward. With "Is this the case?" as hiswatchword, hc examines the Marcusian corpus from its Hegelian beginningsin the 1930s through to the "Essay on Liberation" of 1969. His styleis lucid and scholarly, and it allows the occasional witticism: "Never usea four-letter word when a twenty-four-letter word will do" he says ofMarcuse's discussion of sex.

Incomprehensible?

I can best characterise his approach by illustrating his analysis ofMarcuse's two most influential works, Eros and Civilisation and OneDimensional Man. The former is an example of "je prends mon Henon je le troupe": Marx, Freud, anthropology and mythology are all raided,and at times one has sympathy for Malcolm Muggeridge's winced complaintthat modern prophets (e.g. John Robinson and Marcuse) are united innothing but their incomprehensibility. As one might expect, Maclntyreattacks what he sees as mere verbiage or as thought not grounded inempirical reality. Marcuse's claim that it is now within our power to movefrom a society dominated by "surplus repression" and the "performanceprinciple" to one of "non-repressive sublimation where our social relation-ships will be libidinised" provokes the comment: "Yes, but what will weactually do?" It is in such demands as these—so English, or, rather,Scottish— that one senses Maclntyre's irritation.

One Dimensional Man, that grand synthesis of psychology, sociology andphilosophy, offers MacIntyre scope for a display of intellectual analysis andbrilliance. Certainly Marcuse risks attack when he unwisely lumps togetherWittgenstein, Ryle and Austin. MacIntyre's criticism can be severe: "Thesuspicion is engendered that not only Marcuse, but also Adorno andHorkheimer, actually do not know any logic . . . and if they do know,they have taken pains to conceal their knowledge of the subject."But then he too is not beyond making some very contestable assertions:"children's crusades" is his description of the '68 student revolutions; andthe Vietnamese and Cuban peasants are apparently living under right-wingbureaucracies! MacIntyre's contempt for the young revolutionaries runsparallel to his failure to understand the appeal of Marcuse for these people,and we can detect a certain lack of imaginative sympathy. Marcuse hassucceded in articulating the frustrations of a generation; his insights intopsychology and politics, and his preparedness to go beyond conventionalcategories, may occasionally produce a hybrid monster; but such com-mitment and courage are not to be dismissed so easily.

MALCOLM LD/ESEY

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The Road to Utopia?The Floodgates of Anarchy, by Stuart Christie and Albert Meltzer (Kahn &Averill, 1970; 160 pp.; 21s.)

THIS is a vital book, not merely for the serious sociological student, butalso for everyone who has observed the phenomenon of the resurrectionof that half-forgotten philosophy — Anarchism. Hardly a demonstration hastaken place in recent years without the active participation of "Anarchists-and they have become the bete "rouge et noire" of the Establishmentas well as the target for the comic-opera activities of the Special Branchthat in the 'twenties and 'thirties were reserved for "Communists". Thereis the added interest for S.P.E.S. members when we recall that Kropotkinwas a frequent lecturer at South Place and that many of the earliermembers would no doubt have considered themselves as Tolstoyan An-archists.

The authors have attempted in this work the task of presenting a moderndefinitive case by two active participants in the struggle (as opposed to merephilosophical believers like Herbert Read) showing the role and relationshipof Anarchy to the rest of the Left. Have they succeeded? I feel that theanswer must be yes and no. By its very nature this book portrays not onlythe intellectual and emotional appeal but also thc weakness inherent inall utopian ideologies. In a succession of clearly defined, well-written,succinct chapters, we are given thc Anarchist approach to such matters as"The Class Struggle and Liberty", "The Road to Utopia", "The LabourMovement", "Violence and Terrorism". The arguments advanced are ex-tremely plausible and convincing. Unfortunately, I found the inclusion of thejargon that is so typical of Left-wing journalism and the proliferation oflabels ("Maoist", "Trotskyist-, "de Leonist") somewhat off-putting.

Labour Movement Clashes

M uch of this volume is excellently devoted to explaining, from theAnarchist viewpoint, its differences and divergences from other sectionsof the Labour Movement. Clashes between thc supporters of Bakunin andMarx from the days of the First International onwards are again recorded.The "correctness" of the line adopted by the former is assumed. Never-theless, it is the followers of Marx rather than of Bakunin that have hadthe greatest impact on world affairs and have "changed the face of history"!

By imputation Anarchists appear more opposed to the other battalionsin the Army of Liberation than to the forces of reaction. The ruthlessBolshevik suppression of the Kronstadt revolt is once again quoted as anexample. Yet, if this had not been crushed, who would have benefited?Certainly not the Anarchist sailors of Kronstadt, with Kolchak's WhiteGuards advancing, the Poles marching on Leningrad and the Britishinterventionists seeking the opportunity to destroy Bolsheviks and Anarchistsalike. And, during the Spanish civil war, despite Communist intrigue, An-archists were not entirely blameless, refusing to fight except on their ownterms. Now, this is perfectly justified — if one accepts that Anarchy is thesole alternative to present-day society with its emphasis on the State. Butis the State the real enemy? In a very real sense, "l'etat, (fest Inoi!"—liis not some evil monster imposed from above, but has developed from theneed for mutual aid by men in society. That it has become top-heavy andbureaucratic is undeniable — but is not this more an administrative weaknessthan a basic wickedness?

All in all, this is an enjoyable, refreshingly frank and thought-provokingwork, written from the viewpoint of the far-Left. But as yet the "Flood-gates" would appear to be little more than a trickle, the inundation of theState being as utopianly distant as ever.

J. M. ALEXANDER

15

Open ForumSquatting Makes Sense

(Report of meeting on February 8)

Address given by Jim RadfordJIM RADFORD began by defining squatting as direct action by homelessfamilies, or families living.in appalling conditions, who transferred them-selves into houses, whch would otherwise stay empty, with or withoutthe owner's' consent. The justification for it was that it was demonstrablysoeially beneficial, and that the need served was much more important thanthe owners right to keep property empty, legality, or bureaucratic con-venience. It was absurd to keep half-a-million houses empty when threemillion families were living in grossly inadequate accommodation Thiswas unjust and harmful, not only to individuals but to society as a whole.

The best way to show that squatting made sense was to show that thepresent system did not make sense. Housing was second only to basicincome in the priorities of working people; but since the war, althoughevery Party had talked about the importance of housing and made innumer-able vote-catching promises, these had not been kept. In 1970 there were1,800,000 houses still in use which had been officially condemned; 2+million without bathrodms, and 2+ million urgently in need of repair. Allthe major social evils stemmed largely from bad housing. In London170,000 people were on housing lists and many more were waiting.Thousands of children every year were taken into care, mainly becauseof bad housing, and thousands of families were broken up permanently.The cost to the country in ancillary services such as probation, childwelfare and mental health, was fantastic.

It was easy to say that if someone else was suffering, it must be theirown fault. Less than 6 per cent of people in hostels were there because theyhad refused to pay rent, and most of these had valid reasons which localcouncils rarely bothered to find out. There were 181 thousand officiallyhomeless, but the real figure was nearer one million, since many peoplewould not go to the authorities and many more were turned away.

When the Protection from Eviction Act was passed in 1964 there wereapproximately 3,500 legal evictions a year; now there were more than5,000, not because tenants were refusing to pay rent, but because landlordswanted them out. Since this Government came into power we have hadcolour television, Polaris missiles, and• Concorde. But only 3.3 per centof the gross national product went on housing. In Germany it was 5.5per cent, and in Italy, a poor country, 6.5 per cent. West Germany hadsolved her housing problem by giving it top priority. But our localauthorities had similar priorities to the Government. Chelsea and Ken-sington, for instance, were building a 134 million town-hall, and WokinghamRural District Council, with more than 700 names on the housing list, hadallocated 1210.000 for a municipal golf-course!

Because buildings were allowed to remain empty while homelessnessincreased, social activists like Our speaker had started the new squattingmovement. After token occupations, they installed some families in Council-owned empty houses in Redbridge, Essex. The Council resorted to illegalviolence to get them out, but were finally forced to accept thc demandof the squatters that the houses be used.

In Lewisham, where the Council had agreed to co-operate fully withsquatters, rather than employ strong-arm tactics to evict them, severalfamilies were being housed every week, and a responsible organisationhad come into being. This was the logical practical development of squat-ting, and the best way to prove it made sense, to everyone.

16

Conway Discussions

Human Rights(Report of January meetings)•

Civil Liberties: Tony Smythe (General Secretary, N.C.C.L.)

Policemen are neither angels nor devils, but men who are doing anecessary job under very difficult circumstances. They have power, abd this

must be exercised properly; unfortunately, this is not always the case,and improper exercise of this authority tends to undermine the morale ofthe force and their relationship with the public: The present ObscenityLaws are absurd and in need of change. The powers to stop and search,to enter homes and search, on mere suspicion of the possession of drugs,are wide open to abuse and are creating unmistakable hostility towards thepolice. Drugs are essentially a medical problem and should be taken out ofthe hands of the police.

The Home Secretary has resisted all attempts to restrict freedom of

assembly; but we should not force his hand by resorting to violence, whichonly damages the cause it is supposed to serve.

The task for the 'seventies is to form local Civil Liberties groups.Many local problems remain because we do not have the resources totackle them; groups within each major town could help to solve .these

problems.

Policies for Racial Equality: Anthony Lester

In an address distinguished by eloquence, lucidity and a rigorous rationalapproaCh, Mr. Lester began by pinpointing three causes of racial conflictand inequality: prejudice and ideological belief in inequality: differing

cultural backgrounds and traditions; social conditions such as poverty.overcrowding and bad housing. He chose to concentrate on the first ofthese causes as evinced by the Race Relations Act.

In Britain, at least, the main dynamics of discrimination are fear, social

conformism, the desire for a quiet life. There is a vicious circle from badhousing to bad education to bad jobs: environmental degeneration leadsto social degeneration and strife. Whereas the roots of America's presentracial troubles go back 30 or 40 years, Britain's problems in this field areof much more recent date and are to be solved, if at all, within the next

five years or so. The rule of law provides a democratic and orderlyremedy. The Race Relations Act is, in many ways, inadequate though itsprovision for conciliation is to be welcomed.

A firm effective system of immigration control has become necessary:but whereas needs and skills would be rational criteria for entry, thefundamental objection to the present immigration policy is its discrimina-tion on grounds of colour. In Britain today, many people aged 50. andover are still conditioned by the imperialist past. The ideal of those whobelieve in racial equality and harmony is that postulated by Roy Jenkins:equal opportunity for cultural diversity in a tolerant society.

Privacy of the Individual: Joseph Jacobs (Barrister)

It surprises most people when they learn that the individual has noprescribed rights of privacy at law. The Englishman's home may be hiscastle, but various authorities have the right to enters its doors on every

conceivable occasion. Gas and electricity authorities can obtain the rightof entry. The police can enter and search on suspicion of the use of drugs;they can follow the motorist into his home to take a breathalyser testif he is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.

17

What is needed is a charter of human rights, before our privacy is finallyeroded.

Rights of Children: John Barter (Children's Officer)

Children have no rights before the law: they are deemed to be theproperty of the family or the State.

Education should aim to develop their personalities and potential, insteadof being a mass education for mass unemployment. Children are fourth-class citizens, and have always been so: under the Apprentices Act ofElizabeth I they were sold as chattels, and during the Industrial Revolutionthey were mere slaves in the mills and the mines. Today there are some148,000 children in the care of authorities, treated as sub-standard citizens.The strong resent the weak, for the weak are considered inferior, and someschool headmasters reflect this in their treatment of children, even today.

Children must have clearly defined rights: the right to a home, to privacy,to consort with whom they will, to a more individual educational system,to opt out of religious instruction. Until such rights are clearly definedand upheld, children will always be at the mercy of an iniquitous system.

To the EditorLife After Death?

Your March editorial on Bertrand Russell was a fine tribute to thisgreat man, who will always remain a wonderful inspiration and a shiningexample to mankind.

However, I disagree with you that belief in life after death is just "super-stitious nonsense". This may be true of the orthodox Christian's bizarreconception of heaven. But it is not true of the belief held by manyeminent psychical researchers whose rational conviction was founded uponpainstaking investigations into every aspect of psychic phenomena.

Unfortunately, Spiritualism attracts numerous foolishly gullible people,pseudo-mediums and deluded cranks. These naturally prejudice humanistsagainst the movement, which is therefore too hastily dismissed as so muchsuperstitious moonshine, unworthy of serious attention.

What I strongly maintain is that those who are prepared to delve beneaththe rubbish will find strong, cumulative evidence in support of the view thatconsciousness survives physical dissolution. Mind can no longer be regardedas a mere function of the brain. The evidence, afforded by genuinemediums, refutes materialism. Moreover, men of the calibre of Sir OliverLodge, Raynor Johnson, Dr. Robert Crookall and Arthur Findley havepresented a case deserving respect.

We do not, as yet, know whether man survives death or not. Evidenceexists both for and against. Surely, therefore, rationalists ought to maintaina more open-minded attitude on this matter, and not dismiss as absurd thesurvival hypothesis.

GRAHAM BUTLERBicester, Oxon.

Biased and Venomous?

Long live Russell, indeed, as your editorial proclaims, but let us notfall over ourselves in our praise. Great men are not invariably wise onevery subject, and I am sure that many will disagree with your view thatLord Russell's press statement on the M iddle East war issued two daysbefore his death was "clear-headed and incisive". "Muddled, woolly, grosslybiased and venomous" I think would be a better description of a diatribethat would have come better from President Nasser than from the greatest

18

intellect of our age. I do not recall any full-page advertisement in The

Times before the Six-Day War in 1967 giving Russell's views on Nasser's

daily thunderous abuse of Israel, promising complete and utter annihilation

of that State.May I quote from a letter by Raymond Fletcher, M.P., published in

The Guardian on this very subject:

... I cannot regard Bertrand Russell as having written on tablets of stonein his last statement on the Middle East. Great though he was, he couldslip into error just like any other propagandist. He once described Gaitskelland Macmillan as being more wicked than Hitler.

M AX SHELDON

London, N.W.3

[For the benefit of readers who may not have read the text of Russell's lastpress statement, it condemns Israeli expansion by force of arms and calls fora world campaign to help bring justice to the permanently homeless Palestinerefugees, whose numbers increase with every development of the undeclared war.But ever since the Nazi atrocities against Jews in Europe, nothing Jewish isallowed to be criticised at all. After a quarter of a century it is surely timethat Jews became subject to criticism, like every one else?.—Editor]

Food for Thought

In his review, "Food for Thought", of Magnus Pike's book Food and

Society (February Ethical Record), A. L. Lovecy writes "massive support

is provided for what may be called Albert's principle: to persuade people to

accept a given statement is generally easier than to investigate objectively the

evidence for its truth or falsity". By "massive support" are we to understand

the support given by the food-producing fraternity and the food "experts"

on their pay-rolls? For in his earlier book, Food, Science and Technology,

Magnus Pike writes, "Cyclamate is also widely accepted as an innocuous

sweetening agent" —without any further qualification or justification what-

soever. Indeed, it would appear that support is implied. There is no sugges-

tion that M r. Pike has "investigated objectively the evidence for the truth

or falsity" of such a statement.So, the question arises as to how far "experts" can evade their responsi-

bilities to their fellow men, and get away with "discursive- books? As

will be appreciated, this is no dilettante question, but a matter of life and

death, as it concerns people's health. Meantime, the incidence of the

diseases of civilisation is mounting at an accelerated pace. Who are the

people to turn to for genuine information?Another point is that I am not sure about the alleged "direct influence"

of religion on Western human ecology, as it rather appears to me that

in our society human ecology is under the control of whoever holds

economic power — with the result that not only our food but also our

water supplies and air are being poisoned at a terrific rate. Unless, perhaps,

the economics of private enterprise, exclusively concerned with PROFIT,

can be termed a religion?With regard to the doubled death-rate of powerless impoverished families,

it is true that there does not seem to us to be much logic in their behaviour

when supplied with extra money. However, how does this compare with

the irrationality of powerful national governments when so-called "over-

production" occurs? When there is over-production of wheat, coffee, or

milk, this is deplored as a national "crisis", and the "surplus" is either

thrown into the sea, burnt as fuel, or simply ploughed back. All very

much against Humanist Ethics.YOLANDE BEVAN

London, S.E.24

[If Mrs. Bevan will read the book concerned, she will see how great thedifficulties of objective assessment really are. Does her own letter perhapsindicate how much easier it is just to make assertions?--A. L. Lovecy]

19

Workers' Control Under SocialismMost people understand why the Russians marched into Czechoslovakia:

it was, of course, to put a stop to the dreadful notion that in a •socialistsociety the people should not only own the industries of the country, butactually run them themselves. The Czechs had, like other socialist countries,secured state-ownership, but that only meant that an elitist minority, theParty officials, appointed the managers and controlled centrally the wholeeconomy. It was not working. Democracy awoke, and began to overhaulindustry, politics, and the Party. The experiment, the attempt to reStorehumanism to socialism, was defeated.

Few people are aware that ever since 1948 another socialist countryhas been courageously trying to run its industries democratically, with aneffective form of workers' control. That country is Yugoslavia, which Ivisited last year as a delegate of the S.P.E.S. at the Humanist MarxistDialogue. We now have a full account of this remarkable experiment in aFabian pamphlet, Self-Management in Yugoslavia (5s.). Here we get morethan the simple idea. It gives facts and figures, a description of the boardsof management, and of the new administrative responsibilities of the tradeunions. If the workers are the management, who do you strike against?In Yugoslavia you don't strike—and not because strikes are forbidden.

We must not suppose that this is the end of the matter; that now weknow just what must be done. The Yugoslavian pattern is still an experi-ment, and it has its failures as well as its successes. Like all scientificprojects, it solves one problem only to raise others. But they don't want toturn back : they believe they are on the right road, and are determinedto stick to it and grapple with their problems one by one.

This is an experiment well worth watching. If it succeeds, it will havea profound influence on other socialist economies and on the policiesof socialist parties in capitalist countries.

JOHN LE MRSLondon, N.10

South Place NewsNew Members

We are pleased to welcome the following new members to the Society:R. Barrett (S.W.7), Mrs. A. Cleveley (N.I8), E. R. Crosher (N.2), Mrs.E. C. Moody (W.8), Miss E. Seener (E.5), Miss M. Shuterrnan (N.I6),G. E. P. Wood (Northwood).

New Hall Manager and Lettings SecretaryFollowing the retirement of Miss Edwina Palmer, the General Committee

has appointed Mr. Nigel Sinnott as our new Hall Manager and LettingsSecretary. Mr. Sinnott, a former botanist at Kew Gardens, was a foundermember, and later secretary and chairman, of the Richmond and Twicken-ham Humanists. He is currently chairman of the London Young Humanists.We welcome him as Lettings Secretary, and feel sure that his devotionto the cause of humanism and freethought will be of great value to theSociety.

Deaths

It is with deep regret that we have to report the deaths of Miss A. R.Meyer and Mr. William Burgess. Miss Meyer joined S.P.E.S. some threeyears ago. Mr. Burgess, who died on February 22, was a staunch free-thinker and rationalist and a long-standing member of S.P.E.S., theN.S.S. and the R.P.A. A secular cremation service was conducted byMr. Peter Cadogan on February 27.

20

Annual General Meeting

Our A.G.M. will be held in the library at Conway Hall on Wednesday,May 27, at 7 p.m. Any members wishing to have a motion on the agendashould submit the motion via the Secretary so as to reach him by April 1.

There are eight vacancies (seven for three years, one for one year) to befilled on the General Committee, and nominations for these should reachthe Secretary by Sunday, April 26, in accordance with the Rules of theSociety. Candidates, who must have been members of the Society for aminimum period of twelve months, must be nominated by two membersof the Society and must have agreed to serve on the Committee if elected.Nomination forms may be obtained from the Secretary at Conway Hall.The nominees are also requested to provide biographical notes of not morethan 50 words.

Free Advertisement

Bernard Levin devoted the whole of his Daily Mail column on February25 to Conway Hall and our Sunday Concerts —being slightly patronisingabout the Hall and S.P.ES., but most enthusiastic about the Concerts,which he first attended just after the war and has recently re-discovered.

Players Please

Amateur viola players are asked to' contact S.P.E.S. member Mr. OttoWolfgang (Secretary of the Cobbett Chamber Music Club), 344 WestbournePark Road, W.I I.

Theatre Parties

Following the highly successful theatre party visit to the Tower Theatreon March 7, a similar evening has been arranged for Saturday, May 16,when a party will visit the Hampstead Theatre Club, Avenue Road, N.W.3,to see a performance of the revived Broadway musical, Musical Fantasticks.Those wishing to join the party on May 16 should send 12s. 6d. to MissC. Davis, 19 Crossfield Road, N.W.3 (tel.: 722 6139), before the end ofApril. The performance begins at 4.30 p.m. Meal at 7.30 at the Swiss Grill,extra (optional).

South Place Spring Outing

Saturday, April 11—Meet between 2.15 and 2.30 p.m. at Main Gate,Kew Gardens, for visit to the Gardens, Kew Palace and the Queen'sCottage. Walk to river and return by towing path to Kew Bridge. Leader:Mrs. L. L. Booker (tel.: 743 3988).

Kindred Organisations

The N.S.S. Annual Dinner is being held at the Paviour's Arms, Page St.,S.W.1, on Saturday, April 4, 6 p.m. for 6.30. The Guest of Honour willbe J. S. L. Gilmour, the Chairman David Tribe, other speakers being FannyCockerell (of the P.L.), and our own Richard Clements and Nigel Sinnott.Evening dress optional; vegetarians catered for. Tickets 28s. 6d. in advancefrom the N.S.S., 103 Borough High Street, S.E.I.

The National Council for Civil Liberlies is holding its A.G.M. atMahatma Gandhi Hall, W.I, from April 25 to 26. -

Derek Wilkes (tenor) will give a song recital, with Bruno Raikin at thepiano, in aid of the Humanist Counselling Service on Thursday, May 7,at 7.30 p.m., in the library at Conway Hall. (Admission 5s.)

For Humanist Holidays information — including the summer holidayat Aberystwyth —contact Mrs. M. Mepham, 29 Fairview Road, Sutton,Surrey (tel.: 642 8796).

The Progressive League is holding its Summer Conference at Haldon

21

House, near Exeter, from August 29 to September 5. The basic charge —13 guineas for members — covers accommodation, breakfast. and eveningcooked meal for the week. A buffet lunch is optional at 5s. per person, ora packed lunch at 3s. 6d. Non-members pay a supplement of one guinea.Children under 12 free.

Coming at Conway HallSunday, April 5

I I a.m.—S.P.E.S. lecture* by Dr. John Lewis3 p.m.—S.P.E.S. Memorial Meeting for Bertrand Russell in the

library. Tributes by Richard Clements, H. J. Blackham, Dr.John Lewis, and Peter Cadogan. Chairman: Lord Sorensen

6 p.m.— Bridge Club6.30 p.m. — Concerl*

Tuesday, April 77 p.m.—Conway Discussion*

Wednesday, April 87.30 p.m.—Central London Fabian Society : Stephen Day (Sunday

Times Labour Corres.) v. Mark Young (E.T.U.) on "Measurefor Measure"

Saturday, April 117 to 11 p.m. — Holiday Fellowship Dance (Admission 6s.)

Sunday, April 1211 a.m.—S.P.E.S. lecture* by Martin Page, B.A.(0xon.)3 p.m.— Humanist Open Forum: "Inside Franco's Jails"'6 p.m.—Bridge Club

6.30 p.m.—Concert*Tuesday, April 14

7 p.m.—Conway Discussion*Thursday, April 16

7 pm.—S.P.E.S. Whist Drive in the library. Light refreshments will beserved. Members and friends welcome

Saurday, April 183 to 6 p.m.— Country Dancing •(S.P.E.S. and P.L.) for all over age 14,

in the library. Plimsolls or light pumps to be worn, please.Instructress: Eda Collins. (Admission: 2. members; 3s non-members)

Sunday, April 19I I a.m.—S.P.E.S. lecture* by Richard Clements, O.B.E.3 p.m.—S.P.E.S. Sunday Social: Tea will be served at 3.30, after

which Mr. F. G. Veryard will talk on "Safari in Kenya" withcolour-slides. All members and friends welcome— especiallymembers of Forest Group

6 p.m.—Bridge Club6.30 p.m.—Concert*

Tuesday, April 217 p.m.—Conway Discussion*

Wednesday, April 227.30 p.m.—I.M.G. Lenin Memorial Meeting. Speaker: Ernest Mandel

(Belgian economist and writer)Thursday, April 23

7 p.m.—S.P.E.S. Thursday Social in the library. Members' colour-slides of South Place Rambles. Members with appropriateslides should contact .Miss C. Davis (tel.: 722 6139) or Mrs.L. L. Booker (tel.: 743 3988) beforehand. All welcome.(Light refreshments will be served)

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Saturday, April 253 to 5 p.m.—Free Dance and Movement (S.P.E.S. and P.L.), including

relaxation exercises and group communication. Beginnerswelcome. Instructress: Eda Collins. (Admission: 3s. 6d.members; 4s. 6d. non-members. Tea obtainable)

6 to 10 p.m.—Gillian School of Dancing: Children's Dancing DisplaySunday, April 26

I I a.m.—S.P.E.S. lecture* by Peter Cadogan, BA.3 p.m.—Humanist Open Forum: "Peaeeniks or Freedom-Fighters?"6 p.m.—Bridge Club

6.30 p.m.—Concert*Tuesday, April 28

7 p.m.—Conway Discussion*

* See inside front cover for details

SOUTH PLACE SUNDAY CONCERTS, 79th Season, 1969/70, Concerts 6.30 p.m. Doors open 6 p.m. Admission 4s.

April 5—DUMKA PIANO TRIO: Beethoven C mi., Op. I, No. 3; Brahms B,Op. 8R; Chopin

April 12—ALBERNI STRING QUARTET: Beethoven G, Op. 18, No. 2; BrittenNo. I; Schumann Piano Quintet

April 19—MAR1A L1DKA and PETER WALLFISCH: Mozart F, K376; BartokNo. 2; Beethoven G, Op. 30, No. 3; Brahms G, Op. 78, Vn. Pf. Sonatas

April 26—MUSIC GROUP OF LONDON: Haydn G, No. 1 Piano Trio; Schubert"Trout" Quintet; Goetz Quintet

(This ends the season of Concerts, which will resume on October 4)

We know that five readers of this journal are notBHA members. This isn't so surprising since oneis a strict Roman Catholic, the second is a memberof the CPGB, and the third is still contemplatinghis navel. But the other two are a different story;we don't know what happened to them; but if theywould like to send for our free literature, we shouldbe very happy to hear from them, poor devils.

British Humanist AssociationDepartment XER/2, 13 Prince of Wales Terrace, W.8

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South Place Ethical SocietyFOUNDED in 1793, the Society is a progressive movement which today advocates anethical humanism, the study and dissemination of ethical principles based onhumanism, and the cultivation of a rational religious sentiment free from alltheological dogma.

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

At Conway Hall there are opportunities for participation in many kinds ofcultural activities, including discussions, lectures, concerts, dances, rambles andsocials. A comprehensive reference and lending library is available, and allMembers and Associates receive the Society's journal. The Ethical Record. free.The Sunday Evening Chamber Music Concerts founded in 1887 have achievedi n ternational renown.

Services available 10 members include the Naming Ceremony of Welcome toChildren. the Solemnisation of Marriage. and Memorial and Funeral Services.

The Story of South Place, by S. K. Ratcliffe. is a history of the Society and itsinteresting development within liberal thought.

Minimum subscriptions are: Members. 12s. 6d. ffa.; Life Members, 813 2s. 6d.(Life membership is available only to members of at least one year's standing).It is of help to the Society's officers if members pay their subscriptions byBankers' Order, and it is of further financial benefit to the Society if Deeds ofCovenant are entered into. Members are urged to pay more than the minimumsubscription whenever possible, as the present amount is not sufficient to coverthe cost of this journal.

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

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

To THE HON. REGISTRAR. SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY.CONWAY HALL HUMANIST CENTRE, RED LION SQUARE, LONDON, W.C. I

Being in sympathy with the aims of South Place Ethical Society. I desire tobecome a Member and I enclose as my annual subscription the sum of

(minimum I2s. 6c1.) entitling me (according to the Rules of theSociety) to membership for one year from the date of 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 12s. 6d. Matter for publication should reach the Editor. Miss Barbara Smoker.6 Stanstead Grove. S.E.6. by the 5th of the preceding month.

ce David Nell & Company Dorking Surrey