7157g =EOM

'MSCVol. 82, No. 7 JULY/AUGUST 1977

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL: APPROACHES TO VIOLENCE 3

THE USES OF DREAMS . 4by Robert Waller

SPORT, PROFESSIONALISM AND THEOLYMPICS .

by Harold Abrahams, CBE

FOR THE RECORD . 11by the General Secretary

DISCUSSIONS: THE INDIVIDUAL AND THENATURAL ENVIRONMENT . 14GAMBLING . 15

VIEWPOINT . 17

GENERAL SECRETARY'S REPORT TO THE1977 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 18

REVIEW: THE PAINTINGS OF ZED POLLEN 21

SOUTH PLACE NEW . 22

COMING AT CONWAY HALL 2

Published by

SOUTH PUCE ETHIC SOCKIETYALConway Hall Humanist Centre

Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL

SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY

OFFICERS:

Appointed Lecturers: H. J. Blackham, Richard Clements, OBE Lord Brockway, T. F. Evans, Peter Cronin

General Secretary: Peter Cadogan Lettings SecretarylHall Manager: Robyn Miles

Hon. Registrar: Rose Bush Hon Treasurer: C. E. Barralet

Editor, "The Ethical Record": Eric Willoughby Address: Conway Hall Humanist Centre

Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. (Tel: 01-242 8032)

Coming at Conway Hall

Sunday, July 311 00 am— Sunday Meeting: AUDREY WILLIAMSON on Thomas

Holcroft—Radical Freethinker, Playwright and Friend ofPaine

Sunday, July 1011.00 am— Sunday Meeting: GEOFF COGGAN on English Prisons and

the English Conscience

Sunday, July 1711.00 am— Sunday Meeting: PETER CADOGAN on Non-Violence—

Action and Idea

Thursday, July 216.30 pm—Bridge Drive in the Library. Bridge practice each Sunday

as above, 6 pm.

Other activities suspended till October. Annual Reunion, September 25

SPREAD THE WORD

If you or your friends wish to hold a Committee Meeting, Social or large Meeting, remember

CONWAY HALL

We have rooms at favourable terms to accommodate 17, 25, 35 and 100 people, and the Large Hall seats 500

There are added facilities of a kitchen, piano, epidiascope and public address system (Large Hall).

'Please get in touch — Tel: 01-242 8032.

2

THE ETHICAL RECORDVol. 82, No. 7 JULY/AUGUST 1977

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

EDITORIALApproaches to ViolenceIT is obvious to everyone living inBritain that violence is an increas-ing problem in all walks of life.Indeed it is not merely a Britishproblem; it is world wide.

From terrorism to football, thewhole gamut of violent action istaking a marked turn for theworse, and this gives the reaction-aries plenty of ammunition incampaigns to restore violentpenalties.

It is a pity in these days ofeducational advance and increas-ing social awareness that theattitude towards violence is notuniversally one of avoidance.Humanity seems concerned withitself as a whole, but not withpeople at individual level.

What, then, is society doing atpresent to avert worse problemsin the future? Certainly thecreation of vast housing estates isnot the answer. These can createhostile and competitive environ-ments for children, where envy andhatred can be spawned.

And those "new towns" all overthe world planned as breedingdormitories for the next generationare even worse, since they aremerely two-generation communi-ties and all too often the childrennever see old folks in day-to-dayliving.

So what seems to be lacking ispersonal sympathy. It takes amatter of some seriousness for

people to offer help in the street.In recent terrorism cases, preg-

nant and sick hostages have beenallowed to leave; their difficultiesare noticeable. Psychological prob-lems are not so easy to see.

Perhaps it is time for a moreopen attitude to crime. This isbeing tried now in some parts ofAmerica.

It works like this. A victim of atheft, for example, agrees toappear on TV or posters or innewspaper advertisements, allsponsored by police departments,stating exactly how the theft hasaffected the victim's life.

Some article of great sentimentalvalue might have been stolen, orthe only keys to a certain safe andso on. In the case of violence, verydetailed descriptions of the injuriesare given, and the effects whichthe attack has had are stated.

The aim is to awaken theconsciences of criminals, and toprick the minds of those who maybe thinking of a crime, perhapsfor the first time.

Whether it works, only futurestatistics will tell, but it is a newand unorthodox approach which isworth trying.

In Britain, with an undermannedpolice force, declining livingstandards and high unemploy-ment, we have a recipe for seriouscrime trouble—and that meansviolence—ready in the cookingpot. We must ensure it does notcome to the boil.

3

The Uses of DreamsBY

ROBERT WALLER

I DREAMED that when I was a child I could not tell the time. So I left mybed in the night and went downstairs to study the clock face. I put a chairagainst the mantelpiece, climbed up on it and took off the front of theclock. But when I looked into the face it dissolved into a beautiful valleythat seemed to extend for ever. I went back to bed knowing that there aretwo kinds of time intersecting each other: the time that the clock registeredand the time that I saw through the hole in the clock.

This dream haunted my memory on account of the sense of revelationthat accompanied it. I have been writing •own dreams since 1940 and Imust have by now over a thousand recorded. I began in order to reduce theboredom of army life. I was reading Jung's The Integration of thePersonality when I was called up and I thought this was a good opportunityto find out if I could make any sense of my dreams; Jung said that theypointed the way to wholeness. And I can now confirm that he is right.

I don't want to kid you that it is easy to interpret dreams. They are playscreated beneath the level of our cerebral consciousness in a prelogical,symbolic language which we have to learn. Each person must make his owndictionary of symbols, even though many symbols do have an immediatelyrecognisable basic meaning like a word, such as water, wine, fire, stone andso on, symbols which are to be found in the parables of the New Testamentand many of the Old Testament stories. But changes in civilisation add newsymbols; there is nothing static about dream symbolism. Take for examplethe series train, tram, motor car, horse, bicycle, walking. All these symbolsare Concerned with motion. In a train we are carried along; we control ahorse; We steer a motor car; but we have to propel a bicycle ourselves andwhen we walk we are entirely 'dependent upon our own body. In otherwords the series expresses a progress toward self-dependence. And this ishow any one of these symbols can be interpreted in a dream, on one levelat least. All symbols, however, acquire personal overtones. The dreamermust ultimately interpret his own dreams. It cannot be done for him; he canonly be helped.

A Dream Needed

I can't recall now the circumstances that inspired the dream about thehole in the clock. It hardly matters since it is one of those dreams thatreveals a lasting insight. Nevertheless when I had that dream I must havebeen in particular need of it. Dreams are practical; they invariably relate topresent situations in one's life. Durable insights arise from transitory events.

The purpose of the clock dream must have been to rescue me fromimprisonment in clock time, from being a slave of time, as Shakespeare putsit. It was also an answer to a question that had been buried deep down inme since childhood. When eight or nine years old I had been terrified bycontemplating eternity as sameness stretching out for ever in blank space.The dream assured me that the timeless could be serene and peaceful. Ihave several times had this confirmed by waking dreams or visions, wheneverything seems to stop and the universe exists in a timeless moment andis filled with a warm affection like spring sunshine on a windless day.Although this experience will last for, perhaps, only a minute or so, it hasthe effect of slowing me up, relaxing me, giving me that sense of non-attachment so valued by Buddhism. As the effect wears off, I am gripped

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once more by urgent time, planning everything furiously, filing everything,forcing the utmost into my waking hours determined to succeed. Insidemyself a managerial personality with a driving ambition and a reformingzeal is in conflict with a dreamer, a transcendentalist if you like. Themanager forgets that the unconscious is as creative as top soil provided itis richly fed by life and will do most of your work for you if you leave italone.

The problem of integrating these two personalities within oneself, oneover self-conscious and the other beneath the threshold of consciousness, isthe creative problem of daily life. I know that it is wrong to sacrifice one tothe other; they must be joined as partners. A major function of dreamingis to reveal to us when we are taking a one sided attitude. This can beshown by the image of someone walking with one heel worn down muchlower than the other. The left and the right side symbolise different sides ofthe personality.

Time and Time

You will have observed that in the clock dream two kinds of time arecontrasted by two images—the clock itself, mechanical time, and the land-scape. The landscape signifies biological time. A landscape grows; it is notcreated in an instant; it requires its own time. This time cannot be forced.When we consider the interlocking cycles of nature which are ever self-renewing, we have an additional feeling of mystery and beauty and order.This could be considered a third kind of time, transcendental time whichwas conveyed to me when I looked through the hole in the clock.

To make these distinctions we must use our minds, the famous cerebralcortex whose size distinguishes man from the rest of animal creation. Butthe cerebral cortex must have experiences to work on; it is perched up atthe top of our heads, in our brows, and has to receive information frombelow. This was symbolised in one of my dreams by a huge trumpet, suchas was found on old fashioned gramophones, sticking up through the floorof a room. The ideas formulated by the cerebral cortex will depend uponthe experiences with which it is fed. I offer the theory that the purpose ofdreams is to keep the mind soaked in the experiences of the rest of theorganism. Dreams work with the structure of the total organism and try tohold it together.

Despite my appreciation of the triple nature of time, my character is suchthat egotism, ambition, intellectual passions of one sort or another seal offmy mind from the inner depths of my being—depicted in my dreams by theflowering earth being covered over with concrete by workmen. I call thesecementation dreams. Against this weakness my dreams constantly warn me.I often recall to mind one such dream which also beautifully displays theway that the structure of a dream mirrors the structure of our being.

I was in a room in an ancient crumbling castle. Above me, sitting at adesk like St Jerome translating the bible, was a kindly looking old man witha white beard. Behind him was a gleaming blue sea lapping at the walls ofthe castle. Sunlight streamed into the room and there did not seem to beany roof. The other side of me, in the floor, was a trap door. Somebodywas knocking violently on it demanding to be let out. I drew my sword inself-defence. The old man said calmly, "Let him out. Don't be afraid." So Ilifted the trap door and a wild looking Irishman leapt out and attacked me.We fought a duel until we were both exhausted and then shook hands. As Iturned to speak to the old man I saw a young boy run happily along thetop of a narrow wall stretching out into the sea, balancing himself withinstinctive fearless skill.

What does this little story mean? Well, part of myself is Irish, literallyIrish I mean. I keep this Irishman under the trap door because he is a

5

nuisance; he involves me in scrapes, spontaneous ironies and jokes that giveoffence to the touchy—in a word this Irishman threatens the bourgeoisstability of my life. He is the outsider, the poet, the intuitive, the man whocan't tell the time. In a Puritan society dedicated to industry this part of thepersonality is only allowed out when we are drunk or drugged. The dreamtold me that if I were ever to become the wise old man and reach maturityby integrating myself, I must embrace my Irishman and come to terms withhim, not when I was drunk or drugged but consciously by discovering, oftenthrough our duels, his proper place in my life. Only then would I achievethe skilled spontaneity in action that the young boy showed when he ranalong the wall without falling off into the sea and drowning.

Depths of Dreams

The structure of the dream is built upon several levels. Below is theIrishman, in the middle myself, that is, conscious awareness; above me thewise old man; below and behind him the sea. The little drama takes place ina crumbling castle because a building is usually an image of oneself. Theego is always a fortification as it is on the defensive. In this dream the egohas already taken a considerable bashing and is crumbling and letting inlight. In the words of a fine poem by my ancestor Edmund Waller:

The soul's dark cottage battered and decayedLets in new light through chinks that time hath made.

The dreamer is expected to act on his dreams. In that sense they are likeparables. If we do not act on our dreams, then the same dreams keeprecurring until they become nightmares. The dreamer is trapped in situationsfrom which he cannot free himself. He is pursued by his own suppressedpowers and cannot escape. We can all think of innumerable dreams thatexpress that cornered situation. For instance, if we dam up our life forces,suppress our feelings and emotions, we are likely to dream that we areconfronting a tidal wave with a bucket and our house is in danger of beingswept away.

As I have already said, despite the insights given to me by my dreams, Ifailed to act on them as radically as I should have done. So in the end Idreamed that I saw a large cartoon on the front page of The Daily Mail; acrude looking man was lying flat on the ground; one half of him was black—the lower half—and the other half was white. Underneath was written inlarge print: HE DIED FROM SPLITTING IN HALF. Obviously I was indanger of becoming schizophrenic.

The black half represented the suppressed life forces, in my case theemotional intuitive side of life; this part is black because it is blacked out.The suppressed sides of our life are always represented as foreign, dark,underground. Black is also a symbol of unruly emotions, unruly becausethey are not admitted into consciousness and refined. The white half is theintellectual, conscious side. When the two sides are so wholly separate, asin this dream, the consciousness has become a kingdom of its own, on thedefensive and has not accepted unity with the rest of the being. It is thedefensive castle.

This dream frightened me. I must add that dreams, to make their point,do exaggerate. I was not so divided in myself as this dream suggested; butI was in danger of becoming schizophrenic. The dreams which had precededthis one gave me the clue to which sides of myself I had been locking upunder the floor. I often dreamed that I had locked my secretary out of myoffice. She would bang on the door like my wild Irishman and I wouldpretend not to hear. As I was attracted to the beautiful secretary that I hadat the time', I imagined that the dream referred to her; but what it reallyreferred to was the "goddess within", the feminine side of myself. This

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goddess now has an honoured and expected role in my dreams. No doubt Ibehaved with a cold aloofness to my real secretary in those days, as she didrepresent the goddess simply by having feminine grace and charm, qualitiesof which I was afraid lest they should lead me astray from the stern tasksof life. So I couldn't handle this relationship; I suspect many boss-secretaryrelationships become a nightmare for this reason.

In the language of my present dreams I would say that I was a recruit inthe military academy. Only last year I dreamed that my guardians wantedme to train at the military academy, as a consolation I should be allowed tomeet my sister, but only on holiday. My sister is the feminine side of myself,one guise of the goddess. I am allowed to see her only when I am free, thatis when I am on holiday and can behave spontaneously and be my real self.For the rest of the time I am under orders, dressed in uniform. In manydreams I am wearing various articles of uniform, usually military uniform.But why, today, so long since I was in the services, should I still be underorders? Whose orders? They originate, I fear, in my own pride, the desireto have my work crowned with success; the fear of being a failure in theworld's eyes. They derived from a willed attitude to life rather than acreative one. It is the conflict of my Minister of Education with his clocktime with his son who had glimpsed through the hole in the clock. If onejoins the military academy this is the fate one must expect: the fate Isuspect of most cabinet ministers and top civil servants and the reason whythey are trapped in the system and can't create a new social philosophy.

Dream of Remorse

My dream was a sad one; at the end of it I was walking throughmelancholy autumn woods full of mist. Why, I said to myself, am I such afool as to enlist in the military academy and let myself be separated frommy sister? Why do I not live as if on perpetual holiday? Why must I pleasemy guardians? Have I no moral courage? It seems that I have not; yet Iknow perfectly well in the depths of myself that I am free to choose. I amafraid of the consequences of living according to the wishes of the goddessrather than the rules of the military academy.

However I also had at this time one of those encouraging death dreams.Every time we draw nearer to the true life of the Self an old self must die.So when I saw myself in a dream marching into a churchyard with a partyof soldiers and knew I was taking part in digging my own grave I was notunduly disturbed. It was a beautiful day; the daffodils were in bloom in thechurchyard; there was lovely country all around. The officer in charge wasa true representative of the military academy. "Who was this PrivateWaller?" he asked, "who is going to be buried here?" Who indeed? Tooprivate I fear; too concerned with himself and his private life. Farewell tohim. I saw on his death certificate that he died of a weak heart.

My dreams, although personal, reflect the typical internal dreams of thepersonality today: the conflict between head and heart, feeling and think-ing. This is more intense today than perhaps in any other period in historyas a result of the over development of the cerebral cortex, man's presump-tuous mind. This development has enabled us to create an industrial scien-tific civilisation but it has also resulted in the loss of qualities of life equallyif not more important. We must now strike the balance. I find the conflictparticularly acute as the works of the intellect appeal to me. But I recognisenow that the mind alone cannot solve problems: we must solve them withour whole being.

Dreaming is an integral part of our life and we can consult it as helperand friend to point out to us where we are going wrong, provided weco-operate.

(Summary of a lecture held on April 3)

7

Sport, Professionalism and the OlympicsBY

HAROLD ABRAHAMS, CBE

FIRST, let me give a very brief history of the Modern Olympic Games.Their institution, which some might call the revival of the Ancient Games,were entirely due to the enthusiasm of a French nobleman, Baron Pierre deCoubertin. He was born on January 1, 1863, in Paris. As a young man hewas intensely interested in literature, education and sociology, and muchimpressed with the position of sport in English Public Schools. Familytradition pointed to the army or politics as his career. But when he was 24,he decided that his future lay in education. In 1890 he first conceived theidea of reviving the Olympic Games, and in 1892 he publicly proclaimed hisfaith:

"Let us export our oarsmen, our runners, our fencers, into other lands.That is the true Free Trade of the future; and the day it is introducedinto Europe the cause of peace will have received a new and strongally. It inspires me to touch upon another step I propose, and in it Ishall ask that the help you have given you will extend again, so thattogether we may attempt to realise, upon a basis suitable to the condi-tions of our modern life, the magnificent task of reviving the OlympicGames."

This speech met with little response; but de Coubertin was not discouraged,and in June 1894 at an International Congress to study amateurism headded an additional item to the agenda—"On the possibility of restoring theOlympic Games? Under what conditions could they be restored?" Some 40organisations from nine different countries sent representatives to thecongress, and he secured a unanimous vote in favour of reviving the Games.But, as de Coubertin himself has written, there was no real enthusiasm forthe project—the favourable vote was to please him.

Nevertheless the International Olympic Committee, consisting of 14members, each invited by de Coubertin, was set up, and in less than twoyears the first Modern Olympic Games were held in Athens. They were avery simple affair indeed, consisting of some 43 events in nine differentsports. There were twelve events in athletics (including the famous Marathonrace), eight in gymnastics, six in cycling, five in shooting, four in swimming,three in fencing, two in lawn tennis and in weight lifting and one inwrestling. Thirteen countries sent a total of 311 competitors, of which noless than 230 were Greeks. And of the total number of competitors (311)119 took part in shooting (1 1 1 Greeks).

I may fairly describe these Games as "Garden Party" Games—T was toldby someone who was in Athens in April 1896 that competitors entered thetennis competition as the most reliable way of securing the use of a tenniscourt. Contrast them with the 1972 Munich Games. The figures forMontreal last year are smaller than those for Munich, partly because of thewithdrawal of 20 odd countries at the last moment, and partly because thecelebration of the Games in Europe always produce more competitors. InMunich there were 21 sports with just short of 200 events. Athletes from120 countries numbered over 7,000, of which more than 1,000 were women.Officials, press and radio numbered almost as many. I have often wonderedwhether Baron Coubertin would have ever started the Modern Olympics, ifhe could have seen exactly how they would develop!

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During the past 56 years, I have been to twelve Olympics, in everyContinent except Africa, where they have not yet been held. I have watchedwith increasing sadness and concern the effect of Nationalism, profes-sionalism, political interference and commercialism. In considering thef uture we must examine all these influences, and ask ourselves whether it isnow possible to control any or all of them, as they take us farther andfarther away from the idealism which the founder felt and much of which Ibelieve should still exist today. There are still some basic principles—one isthat the fundamental purpose of non-professional competition is the enjoy-ment of the competitors—and this must be defended.

The entertainment-of-the-public aspect, which has inevitably crept intoamateur athletics (and in the almost complete absence of professionalathletics), has increased enormously since World War IT and has led to anescalating demand for top-class performances, for example look at the fussabout the first 4 minute mile-1,760 yards in 240 seconds. In the Olympics,I feel, as was said over 60 years ago, that the important thing is not so muchto win as to take part. This is the ideal behind the Olympics, and is stillcommon sense. With some 7,000 competitors in the Olympics, even if weextend the word "win" to include all medallists, that is 1st, 2nd and 3rd,over 90 per cent cannot win a medal. More and more attention is beingconcentrated on the 10 per cent, who influence far too much the attitude ofthe public towards the Games. Is it possible to direct public opinion tothinking more about the 90 per cent. I think I must consider for a fewmoments what is called "amateurism". In fact, the word amateur is a veryemotional word, and if 1 use it (when "non-professional" would be a betterphrase) forgive me, the habit of about 60 years dies hard.

What is an Amateur?

The definition of an amateur is just over 100 years old. It owes its originto a combination of rowing and athletics. The definition was not designed tolay down some important principle, it was devised by the upper classes toexclude undesirables from taking part in the competitions they organised.The rules were of course discriminatory. And note that so far as sport wasconcerned the use of the word amateur was always preceded by the word"gentlemen". Here is the earliest definition of an amateur by an oarsman:

"An amateur oarsman or sculler must be an officer of Her Majesty's,Army, Navy or Civil Service, a member of the Liberal Professions or of theUniversities or Public Schools, or of any established boat or rowing club,not containing professionals or mechanics; and must not have competed inany competition for either a stake, money or entrance fee, or with oragainst a professional for any prize; nor has ever taught, pursued orassisted in the pursuit of athletic exercises of any kind as a means of liveli-hood; nor have ever been employed in or about boats in manual labour;nor be a mechanic, labourer or artisan." Over the last 100 years or so,there have been many definitions of "amateur" from the various governingbodies of various sports, and in all cases the element of class distinction hasat last disappeared; but what does remain and continues to influence think-ing on this matter for too great an extent is the retention of the word"amateur", with the implication that the amateur is morally superior to theprofessional.

Olympic Rules have been drastically altered particularly in the last fiveyears since the late Avery Brundage ceased to be President of the Inter-national Olympic Committee (a post he had filled for 20 years). Thismillionaire had always shown, what many regarded as a fanatically impossibleattitude to the problem. He once said in my presence that the laws ofamateurism were immutable. Other statements by this genuine idealistwere: "Amateurism is not easy to define—it is a thing of the spirit and

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difficult to define—a quality like charity, friendship and love. It is tangibleand difficult to define." But you cannot draft rules for competition on thebasis of vague philosophical ideas. In 1972 Brundage was succeeded by LordKillanin, a much more down to earth President. In the event, the matterof eligibility has been left largely to the various International Bodies (wherein my opinion it should completely reside); but the International OlympicCommittee still retain the rule "To be eligible to compete in the OlympicGames, a competitor must not have received any financial rewards ormaterial benefit in connection with his or her sports participation, except aspermitted by the bye laws to this rule".

The bye laws allow any International Federation to pay to athletes "incase of necessity" (a phrase fraught with problems) payments to coverfinancial loss resulting f rom his or her absence from work or basic occupationfor preparation or participation in the Olympic Games and InternationalCompetitions. In no circumstances shall payment under this provisionexceed the sum which the competitor would have earned in the same period.The International Federation concerned must limit this period, but there isno definition of what the limitation must be, so presumably this can beconstrued as permitting payment for 364 days in any year, or 365 in a leapyear.

Another byelaw of the MC bars anyone who has been or is a professionalin any sport, e.g. a professional billiard player cannot compete in athletics—a hang-over from the original amateur rules.

Athletic Amateurism

So far as my own sport, athletics, is concerned, we feel that we want topreserve non-professional competition. Any rules of eligibility apply notonly to the mere handful of elite performers, far less than 1 per cent of allcompetitors. We believe we must strive to maintain a proper balance infavour of the principle that the primary purpose of sport is the enjoymentof participation, and that if competitors are paid to compete there is a veryreal danger—I think a certainty—that the main motive will be to see whatcan be gained financially not to enjoy participation. We accept that Athletesmust be helped financially to enable them to take part in athletics, and lastyear in Montreal on the initiative of the British representatives at theCongress of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, we secured theacceptance of the following rule:

Subvention to Assist Athletics: Where a national governing body, afterfull investigation, considers it appropriate, it may provide or arrangefor the provision of a subvention to assist him in the expense in train-ing for or participation in any international competition. The athletemust obtain the prior permission in writing from his governing bodybefore accepting any such subvention."

We hope this rule will help to secure athletes who will not make too muchof a business of competition.

I should make it clear that I am not opposed to professional sport—notin the least. Professional sport is like any other form of entertainment. Thesuccess of the professional footballer or tennis player depends on his earn-ing power to attract customers (that is spectators who will pay to see himor her perform). I-le wants to succeed, in order to improve his income.There is nothing in any way to be condemned in this thoroughly understand-able attitude. Now it is all too apparent that the top-class non-professionaldoes obtain many collateral advantages from his success—securing a job,writing, broadcasting, etc., etc. But the number of non-professionalperformers in any sport who are sufficiently skilled to benefit in any substan-tial degree from such notoriety as their skill secures, could in this countryin any year be counted certainly on the fingers of two hands. To abandon

10

all eligibility rules and make athletics an "open" sport, would have aneffect on thousands of participants. Also there are literally thousands ofmen and women who voluntarily, and in many cases at some personalfinancial cost, help organise sport. Would they continue as they mainly dofor the love of the game to officiate as judges, timekeepers, secretaries ofclubs, etc., to organise sport when all the competitors were paid?

Achievement and Acclaim

The public accord to top-class performers is now out of all proportion totheir real value to the community. The importance that the media accordto the so-called "Gold Medallists"—the sum which professional golfers andlawn tennis professionals earn is really fantastic. And this undoubtedly isone of the problems of the Olympics. it is laid down as a basic principlethat the Olympics are competitions between individuals and not countries,yet the media persists in publishing meaningless tables of the number ofmedals won by countries presumably to demonstrate which is the "TopNation". From the point of view of individual participants, if there are1,000 competitors, 9,967 of these competitors can't win a gold medal.

One of the things which I believe is destroying the Games is the super-nationalism—the singing of National Anthems and flag-waving have becomeridiculous. I myself think the atmosphere would be much healthier if therewere no national anthems at the so-called victory ceremonies and no flag-flying of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd medallists. I would accord recognition to theeight finalists. It is surely a fine achievement to be among the first eight inthe world.

Another major problem is the size of the Games. I would myself want toexclude all team contests, for how can you proclaim that the Games arenot contests between countries and have any team event? This would reducethe number of events from 198 to 147.

The Coming of Politics

Lord Killanin, President of the IOC, has said: "I am disappointed by theinfluence that politics have been allowed to play in sport. I dislike thepractice among athletes or teams who withdraw at the last minute fromcompetitions because countries whose political or national philosophies theydo not like are taking part. This is just bad manners.. . . There should beno government interference in any individual sport when it comes to say-ing who will be an official or a competitor or which countries they can orcannot play against."

I still believe that it is possible, if we have the will, the patience and theunderstanding to think deeply about what our objects are in what we doand allow in sport. The important thing we should strive to secure is thatin non-professional sport, taking part should be the most important factor.

(Summary of a talk given an March 27)

For the Recorday,

THE GENERAL SECRETARY

OVER 60 members attended the AGM on 25 May and Mrs Louise Bookertook the Chair. My report is published elsewhere in this issue. It wasfollowed by a discussion from which a series of points were noted forfurther consideration by the new General Committee.

11

The following members were elected to the General Committee: MrsLouise Booker, Mr Victor Rose, Miss Barbara Smoker, Mr Denis Camp-bell, Dr Albert Lovecy, Mrs Joan Sainsbury, Mr G. G. Thanki and MrLeslie Sewell (for one year). The Scrutineers who did the count were MrsRay Lovecy, Mr John Brown, Mr David Reidy and Mrs Marthe Sinha.

We went through the Annual Report and Accounts page by page andmembers raised points as we went along. The Hon Treasurer Mr ColinBarralet analysed the accounts to show that the deficit for the businessaccount was £4,018. There was a credit in the Members account of £120and in the Ethical Record account of £727 leading to a net increase inthe deficit of £3,232. For next year there were some significant improve-ments already in hand. The premises in Lamb's Conduit Passage had justbeen let, increases in rents were coming in, the hiring of rooms recordhad shown a marked improvement and the 10 per cent increase in hiringcharges was just about to take effect. Concern at the deficit was general,as was the intention to do something about it.

The resolution: "That members of our Society be encouraged to attendmeetings of the General Committee, without, however, taking part inthe proceedings" was carried by 19 votes to 16. This becomes effectiveimmediately. The meetings take place on the first Wednesday of everymonth, in the Library, at 6.30 pm. The second resolution: "That thisAGM recommends a change in the Rules, so that voting at meetings of .the General Committee shall be confined to those members directlyelected in accordance with Rule 10" was lost by 12 votes to 19. Thismeans that our present practice remains i.e. that the ex-officio officers ofthe Society retain their vote—the Hon Treasurer, the Hon Editor, theHon Registrar and the two Secretaries, General and Lettings. (I pointedout that I only vote when some essential principle is at stake. NeitherRobyn Miles nor myself have voted this year so far and I sincerely hopeI never have occasion to vote again.) It is good to be able to report thata high proportion of our votes in the General Committee are nern con

anyway.The existing panel of appointed Lecturers was re-elected en bloc and

we were glad to add the name of Mr W. H. Liddell.The meeting went on until 10.30 pm which really is rather too long.

Some members simply have to go before the end and things get a littlebit ragged. It was a good meeting nevertheless, quite the best I haveattended since becoming General Secretary in 1970, and that spirit carriedover into the first meeting of the new General Committee when Mrs RayLovecy was elected the Chairman for the year. We have made a good start.

July DaysAudrey Williamson, an avid digger in radical history from Thomas

Paine onwards will talk about Thomas Holcroft on 3 July—Ho!croft wasa radical freethinker, novelist, playwright and a friend of Paine's. A shorttime ago Victor Rose attended part of the enquiry held in the Hall (byPROP) into the prison troubles of last year. He heard Geoff Cogganspeak. Mr Coggan is the London and Southern England Secretary of PROP.As a consequence of this contact he has been asked to speak to us aboutEnglish prisons and the English conscience on 17 July.

In 1962 I wrote my first paper on non-violence and I have been work-ing at its theory and practice ever since. Non-violence is not pacificism (thepersonal renunciation of war). It is partly a new idea and partly as oldas the hills. The Peace People of Northern Ireland have made it newsagain. I think it is a vital clue to our future. Conway spent the last tenyears of his life looking for the clue and it eluded him. We have had two

12

world wars since then and the best of grounds for searching again. It willbe my subject at the last meeting of the season on 17 July.

AROUND THE SOCIETY

El Concerning the interminable delay in our legal case . . . The TreasurySolicitor wrote on 27 May: "In the course of last week, the AttorneyGeneral nominated new Counsel in charity matters, Mr John Munneryof 5 New Square. This change was occasioned by Mr Morritt having takensilk. The papers in this matter were immediately placed before Mr Mun-nery and I will ask him to deal with the matter as soon as possible. Youwill, of course, appreciate that he has to take over a very large numberof charity cases all at once". Our solicitor, Mr Glasson, also tells us thatMr Browne-Wilkinson (whose original Opinion had so much to do withthe beginning of our troubles) was appointed a High Court Judge a fewweeks ago.

O Henryck Skolimowski's lecture on Tuesday 24 May tripled our usualTuesday attendance. He had clearly put a great deal of work into it. Ithought it was brilliant but there were others that took a quite differentview. I taped it. It is too long for one issue of the Record and it so happensthat it divides naturally into two parts. In the General Committee it wassuggested that we publish it in two parts and I hope we shall do that. Thave already transcribed a first half. I think we have a text for restartingthe argument at the deepest level, as I hope our correspondence columnswill be our witness. Letters are invited.

ID The Annual Conference of the BHA will take place at the FroebelEducation Institute. SW15, on 29/31 July. On the Friday evening ProfessorAntony Flew will give the Voltaire Lecture and Saturday will open witha Commentary by Dr James Hemming the new President of the BHA.More details are available from 13 Prince of Wales Terrace, W8. (01-9372341).

O Some interesting news from Japan. Tomoko Sato writes: "We had ahumanist funeral for our old professor on 4 June. Some of us, mainly con-nected with the University where I teach and where he was once a teacher,wracked our brains to plan a funeral on humanist lines—no priest, nochanting, no incense burning. A huge photograph of the old professorwas placed high in the centre of white chrysanthemums and it was alsodecorated with the same flowers along the edges of the frame. Two ofhis poems (also framed) were placed in front of the photograph and anotherby one of his admirers. People gathered and sat in rows in front of them.Some read messages of condolence followed by a show of transparenciesmade from photographs of the professor. While they were being showna young actress read about a dozen of his poems beautifully and drama-tically. Then others told what they remembered of the professor and Iread extracts from telegrams of condolence. Finally everybody, one afteranother, came forward in two files to dedicate a chrysanthemum to himwhile Beethoven's music—Leonora and Fidelio—which the professor loved,was played. Over 600 people came. I had to work hard for it for a fort-night". I know about funerals and this is new!

o Have just been talking to Marion Boyers. She rang to book the Large Hall for the evening on Monday 12 September for a meeting with Ivan

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Pilch and others to launch their book The Disabling Professions. Thebest professionals make the future and the worst are their worst enemies.It is a new conflict and we need to get to the bottom of it. I expect to beat the meeting and I told Marion I would let you know. All welcome.

El Annual Reunion on Sunday 25 September at 3.0 pm—more detailsin the next Record. And in the meantime may the sun shine and allenjoy the break!

0 Sad news, Margaret Fowler died on 18 June.PETER CADOGAN

DISCUSSIONS

The Individual and the Natural Environment

JOHN WILLMIN began by quoting the wit who had observed that "God gaveus two feet, one for the accelerator and one for the clutch".

Most of us have looked at natural living and read some of Robinson Crusoe,Swiss Family Robinson, Coral Island, Walden, the Admirable Crichton andTolstoy, all putting the case for living simply and freely. In the last tenyears or sd there has been a vast increase of interest in natural food, flowerpower, communes and in alternative living generally. Books about animalsare best sellers. The problem about the dream of being "born free" is howto enjoy the advantages of civilized life without being denatured by it. Therecent crises over surpluses or shortages of potatoes, sugar, butter and coffeehas made us think again about the possibility of self-sufficiency.

Then again at the very top of the pyramid of science and technology weface the problem of nuclear waste to which as yet we have no answer. Weare looking again at the quality of life and industry and the chronicproblems of change that result from a profound dislike of the dictatorialpower of the conveyor belt.

But what is natural life? We can hardly revert to the conditions of theBushmen, continually roaming in search of food and water. Flow far backdo we need to go to discover the nature of naturalness? Do we stop withthe origin of homo sapiens or do we learn as well from the way of life ofearlier animals? Recent experiments with chimpanzees that have learnt tocommunicate by signs suggest that the line between ourselves and thehigher primates is much less well defined than we used to think.

Natural living is based on what a species has got to do. Does this meanfor us that jet planes and computers are the natural elements of the 1970s?Is there an optimum in science and technology which, if passed, willendanger our survival? What do we understand of the optimum quality oflife?

We often assume that animals living in the wild are healthy. But closerinspection reveals tape worms, scabs, foot-rot and ticks. Likewise, humantribes living in the wild are commonly beset with malaria, smallpox, leprosy,sleeping sickness and bilharzia. Fossil evidence suggests serious sicknesses

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among the dinosaurs. Plants, likewise, can be very unhealthy in the wildsta te.

There is no special virtue in doing things the hard way. Mr Willminhimself is interested in wood carving, but he uses machine tools to do therough outlines. Why should women be slaves to the sink when washingmachines are at hand?

We have to be aware, however, that life is not simply a question ofpleasure and pain. It has recently been discovered that two-thirds of thecortex are concerned with pleasure and pain and that this can be artificiallystimulated by electrodes implanted in the head, but this hardly makes a casefor our living as automata, responding to electrical stimuli!

Primitive man may have had finer senses than we have, but by virtue ofscience and technology we can do much more for ourselves than he could.We exploit the division of labour and consequently specialise to our generaladvantage. In the process we tend to lose our power as polymaths. Theprimitive not only seeks his own food but builds his own houses and makeshis own clothing, so he has a kind of all-round self-sufficiency that we havelost.

The problem for us is where do we draw the line? Do we advocategenetic engineering, brain washing, social engineering, hallucinatory andfertility drugs? Will we accept cloning, i.e. the sub-division of the humanegg to produce identical people? The medical profession in America isconsidering the possibility of neo-morts which are dead people whose heartsare kept beating artificially in order to provide organs for transplantation.In our hospitals we keep the senile alive for ten to 20 years extra for nogood or rational purpose.

Amongst animals we have produced a cow with such large low slungudders that the calves cannot suck them and turkeys that can only breedthrough artificial insemination because their very size prevents them mating.Pigs are produced so large they can hardly walk and poultry that never gobroody.

We have raised such a vast series of new questions in connection with ournatural environment and ourselves so that we have to go back to square oneto answer them.

Our whole future is at issue but we are at last discovering the problemsand that, at least, is a beginning.

P.C.(Summary of a Tuesday Discussion held on January 18)

GamblingBARBARA SMOKER opened with a definition of her subject: a gamble is asituation in which either side must be able to win or lose. There has to bean artificial hazard discovered or invented for the purpose. Insurance is theopposite of a gamble because it is a hedged condition in which the principalmotive is prudence.

Playing cards for small stakes is not gambling because the money involvedserves only to make people take the game seriously. When the stakes arehigh, however, gambling takes over.

As to motives. . . . The interesting thing is that making money is only aminor factor. Getting the same money for nothing would not tempt thecompulsive gambler; nor is gambling an antidote to boredom as is apparentfrom gamblers who live the most interesting lives. Again, there is noquestion of gamblers lacking in education or intelligence. A good gambler is

15

generously endowed with literacy and nurneracy. Dostojevsky was a compul-sive gambler.

Barbara quoted from Anatole France: "Gamblers play like lovers makelove and drunkards drink, blindly and of necessity under domination of anirresistible force. The fascination of danger is at the bottom of all greatpassions. There is no fulness of pleasure unless the precipice is near. It isthe mingling of terror with delight that intoxicates." The Order ofEpicurus.

Basis of Betting

Gambling seems to have the deepest connotations. It appears that there isan hereditary element, a sex element and a connection with religion. Religionand gambling go together and one can be a substitute for the other.Compulsive male gamblers are known to be highly sexed yet it appears thatwomen gamblers—much fewer than men—are not very interested in sex.The Irish and Welsh, both highly religious peoples, are great gamblers, butperhaps of all people the Chinese are the most passionate devotees.

If you investigate a betting shop in South East London you will find thatof any 25 customers 12/14 customers would be West Indians, 5/6 Irish and3 English and 3 women (two of them Irish). There are many gambling densbehind many Chinese restaurants.

Miss Smoker drew a parallel between gambling and climbing the Matter-horn, triumphing against risk was the point. There might be a masochisticelement present, but it was not primary.

There are many different kinds of gamblers. There are those who arefascinated by the big prizes of the football pools; those who like the elementof chance as in bingo; those to whom the skill and knowledge necessary inhorse racing and dogs is most important. In this last category gamblingsometimes breeds a kind of genius. But in any event, money becomes like"Monopoly" money—a kind of token exchange quite separate from itsnormal use.

Before 1960 betting was by 'phone on account. Street betting was illegal,but widely practised; countless court cases arose from it. Under the 1960Act the betting shops opened at 8 a.m. and had no seats or comforts. Later,the time was changed to 10 a.m. and during racing hours and seats and othercomforts were provided.

The question is: where does all the money go? Few bookmakers make afortune and many go bankrupt, so much so that there are few small menleft. In difficulties after a run of losses, small bookies are driven into thehands of the big battalions with the result that the present position isvirtually monopolistic. Although the big concerns make money, the majorbeneficiary is the Inland Revenue. The government has a vested interest ingambling through the 21 per cent tax on turnover which was raised to 74per cent in 1972; so that today the government gets 74 per cent of everypound sterling that goes over the counter. Before the tax it cost nothing tomake a bet, now the punter puts hundreds of millions in the coffers of theChancellor.

A recent organisation, called Gamblers Anonymous, only affects a smallminority and its efficacy is inhibited by its religious flavour. What is to bedone? Barbara Smoker suggests that we approach gambling as we approachsmoking—with a long, slow campaign of a similar order. The success of thetobacco campaign is leading the tobacco companies to diversify to produceother products. The 1968 Act is a problem.

The Church Council on Gambling suggested two kinds of betting shops:one for normal punters and the other for compulsive gamblers—about 25per cent of gamblers come within the compulsive bracket. There is no

16

doubt that a lot of crime and misery are due to gambling and that it islinked to alcoholism, chain-smoking, broken homes and homelessness.

Radio, TV and the press portray racing and support gambling and bydoing so increase the enticement. It should be possible to cease featuringdogs and horses in the way that gives them the present priority.

Barbara Smoker concluded with a quotation from Esquire's Book ofGambling: "Psychologists say that the universal factor in gambling is acraving to regain the sense of omnipotence that we all had in childhood,before the hostile world of reality crushed the door down upon us tosmother our dreams. As small children we live in a world where fancy canroam and we see ourselves as fine warriors, mighty rulers and enchantingprincesses."

P.C.(Summary of a Tuesday Discussion held on March 22)

Viewpoin tSunday discussion

I would like to bring to your attention the Sunday afternoon meetings,regularly held, on the first floor of 13 Prince of Wales Terrace, at whichexactly what you suggested (Editorial, June)—a meeting between friends,to discuss any subject over a cup of tea—has taken place over the past fiveyears, and is still going strong.

The usual number is about half a dozen "regulars" not counting thebaby, who is very good and never interrupts.

The idea was begun by Margaret Rogers and John Clarke, to attractpeople living alone. It still serves that purpose.

BILL BYNNERLondon SW19

Race relationsThe Ethical Record reported a most timely discussion on the growing

menace of racism.As someone who has some racists in the family, one believed to actually

belong the National Front, I am acutely aware just how poisonous racistideas can be.

However, there is one uncomfortable aspect in the race and immigrationquestion that cannot be shirked, and may appear to the sensitive immigrantand extreme liberal to be racist.

The problems in the UK at present cannot be at all directly laid at thedoor of immigrants. However, we cannot shrink from the facts that anyimmigrants still allowed to come to the UK tend to choose living in thepoorer areas of London, the North and Midlands, mostly because theirfriends and relatives have established themselves there, and such areas have,at least until the recent recession, provided the jobs that immigrants tend totake on.

Recent articles in other editions of the Record have quite rightly pointedout that nobody notices how many white Commonwealth citizens comehere, nor continentals for that matter. Also there was a rather refreshingno-nonsense viewpoint from a Mauritian correspondent which suggested wehave a more courageous approach to immigrants in our midst by notpretending they are all lovely, and letting them quietly flounder.

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I think it is time that the Government made a statement that it:does not condone racism of any kind, including the "reverse" racism of

Black Power militants.acknowledges that the UK, in its state of debt to the IMF, local govern-

ment cuts, housing and unemployment problems, and duty to maintain thegeneral quality of life, where it does exist, must take the painful steps ofsaying "X number of persons from all areas of the Commonwealth onlyallowed in the UK for settlement each year".

I would guess that the figure should now be only about 25 to 30,000, andmostly include children of those already here, aged twelve and under. Suchyoung persons would then not be instant candidates for the dole queues, andconsequent targets for friction. The "patrial" clause should be repealed, sothat there is genuine social justice.

if the Home Office' is really condoning "bedroom raids" by the police toascertain that persons claiming to marry in order to come here are co-habiting, this is a disgraceful practice. It would be kinder, in the long run,to suspend the right to let in wives or fiances for one year, and investigateany rackets going on in countries of origin. Countries like Pakistan said notto provide very clear documentation of births and marriage, should berequested to co-operate with the UK and other countries of re-settlementin this respect.

programmes to help young black people with literacy and job problemsare to be welcomed. It would also help if there was a more mutually positiveattitude to life, work and relationships. It is easy for people to relate if theyhave an educated (dare I say?) middle class background, but it is muchharder with inarticulate and barely literate people, both white and black.These barely literate people are the favourite targets of right and left wingextremists, who will egg them on to violence and then, I suspect, leave themto face the unpleasant consequences!

I have read that some black or Asian people who take homes outsideghetto areas find themselves snubbed by their new white neighbours. Onepossible reason is the panic by these whites that one black family representsa possible future takeover by immigrants and a new ghetto being created.Perhaps that idea of "no discrimination" has backfired in this respect.Perhaps that idea the Dutch are said to have had of percentage allocationto minorities in various neighbourhoods should be tried here. I have heardWest Indians on "phone in" programmes express enthusiasm for this idea.

I am afraid that whatever the Government does to alleviate the shamefulmuddle over immigration (and pretended caring about the happiness ofthose sad young blacks born here and alienated), it may already be too late.But some sensible precautionary steps could prevent the very worst fate ofthe National Front and their other Nazi friends running the country!

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Report of the General Secretary to the 1917 AGM

AFFER the last AGM we spent a long time in Committee considering allthe suggestions made. We took up the idea of regular attenders pickingup their Ethical Records to save postage. This is now being done.• We had an emergency meeting of our Finance Committee and therewere certain improvemerits, but our losses are still .serious. The good

18

news, however, is that we have let our premises in Lamb's ConduitPassage which have been empty for nine months and this will make fora four-figure improvement.

We have a continual analysis of lettings and our General and FinanceCommittees have just decided to make a 10 per cent increase in hiringcharges.

Volunteers Wanted

After much discussion we decided to keep to our policy of keeping thebasic subscription low and asking for voluntary increases and this policyis attended by a certain success.

The alternating of reading and music on Sundays is working well,but we still need to make some progress with voluntary music in the Society.

We decided to keep the Ethical Record as a monthly and we will onlychange this under the most serious financial pressure. We held a specialSunday Forum on the "Future of South Place".

Our Society is holding its own. Our meetings, concerts and socialevents are well attended by members and friends. Our numbers are likelyto decline slightly with the termination of our licence for the solemnisa-tion of marriage, but the important thing is not the absolute number onour books but the size of our active membership. A powerful differencewould result from only a couple of dozen new active members includingsome young people. It is the young who attract the young and here wehave yet to make an effective new beginning. South Place has always beena family society and it is that tradition also that is now in need of rein-forcement.

However, the deepest question and thus the most important one, arisesout of the nature of our identity. We call ourselves ethical humanists orreligious humanists and the past few years have seen South Place in sus-tained debate as to what exactly that means. May I presume to indicatesomething of the guidelines that have emerged from our work on thelegal case?

Dawn of Enlightenment

The scientific revolution arising out of the Renaissance challengedclerical dogmas and authority. A new world of breathless wonder droveback the frontiers of medieval scholasticism and thc Church. On suchfoundations arose the rationalism of the eighteenth century Enlighten-ment, but it was aristocratic, intellectual and helpless in face of the teststo which it was subject at the hands of the American, French and In-dustrial Revolutions and the ensuing struggle for democracy. In the nine-teenth century a new and second kind of humanism arose out of the greatdiscovery of evolution and much of modern humanism has been builtthereon. Unhappily however, the idea of the survival of the fittest accommo-dated itself to the ethics of envy that were the product of laissez Mireand so failed to tap the deeper aspirations of human nature. Yet, PeterKropotkin, who lectured to this Society 80 years ago, took up an aspectof Darwin's theory that others had overlooked. In lus Descent of ManDarwin had argued that horno sapiens had two basic instincts, the instinct ofself-preservation and the social instinct, and of the two the social instinctwas more important, and to this he looked for the foundations of ethics.

However, the use of language and ritual over a period of some millionsof years has meant the growth of cultural realities that subsume instinctsas such. We find ourselves motivated primarily by custom, myth andritual and secondly by reason, but we are able to make value judgmentsand choose one course rather than another and this leads us into the very

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heart of what we are about. The argument is an ancient one. Back inAncient Greece, Protagoras said "man is the measure of all things" andthis Socrates and Plato denied. They argued that the basic yardstickswere good and evil, that these were enduring values and that there wereexperiences of a higher order than anything that could be deduced fromthe limited measurements of contemporary man. It is this belief in thelasting and transcendental value of qualities that is the foundation of arational religious sentiment. It requires no mandate from a supernaturaldeity, revelation and sacred texts. What is sacred instead comcs from thevery depths of human experience. Winchester, who founded our Societyin 1793, believed in the Truth and the search for the Truth and was pre-pared to go to wherever it led; and the Society has remained faithful tothat precept from that day to this. The other foundation lay in the beliefin compassion and in the congregational principle itself. Living throughthe explosive years of the nineteenth century we reached the point of theformal abandonment of prayer in 1869 and then described ourselves as afree religious society. Conway said "The majority of people say there canbe no religion without definite belief in a personal God. The majority, asusual, is wrong. The Confucian religion has no God; Buddhism, thegreatest religion in the world, has no God . . . Religion cannot he de-tached from moral perfection and therefore it must be detached from theidea of an omnipotent Personality. Nature does not declare a morallyperfect Creator. The very object of religion is to subdue and redress theevils of Nature which it cannot do while praising the creator of thoseevils. The believer in a God of revelation does not improve the case butmakes it worse".

The Search for Truth

The Society, inspired by Conway, then went on its solitary march insearch of what Conway called a universal or general religion. "England",he said, "as a geologist might figure, is a vast formation of fossil sectsand superstitions; but their successors survive. Amid the cemetery oftheir dead ancestral sects move this day nearly 150 different denomina-tions, but we have proved that the religious life and growth and truthare not dependent on any creed or theology. We have proved that a re-ligious society, an influential church, can co-operate and flourish in abso-lute freedom without insisting on doctrines deemed fundamental evenby many liberals, and without the prestige of the Christian name. That isour success and it is essentially a religious success. We have kept togetherand grown in harmony and strength by the development of the religiouslife; by which I mean the cultivation of a love and reverence for whatis morally good, for rectitude and justice, for the high ideal of life andcharacter, unselfishness, for the service of mankind. These things aresimple. They require neither genius or learning for their discovery".

Conway said those things in 1884, after 21 years at South Place. How-ever, it was not to be as simple as that. I have just been reading the corres-pondence between Conway and Herbert Spencer in the 'nineties. Bothsaw the war coming. Spencer, reduced to cynicism, believed that civilisa-tion would have to smash itself to pieces before the truth could emerge;and events proved him right. Conway refused to give up and his proposalsfor peace were widely discussed but they stood no chance. The nationstates of Europe, glutted with the loot and prospects of Empire, no longercared.

In my submission, Conway's last and gallant failure remains our out-standing challenge. The world of compassion and freedom and justice forwhich he and so many other South Place members worked so hard, isdestined always to be defeated unless and until we understand the violent

20

foundations of civilised society and reverse them in a new perception andpractice of non-violence. I see this as the great unsolved problem which is asunsolved today as it was in 1897 when Conway departed. England needs anew ethic with a gut-reaction to match it and, as 1 see it, it is our func-tion to make such contribution as we might to that end. We are still ina "we" and "they" situation. We are not going to defeat the big bat-talions, but they are made of hollow men and one day will defeat them-selves. In the meantime, we can help to build the elements of a parallelhumane society in England.

The organised humanist movement is still very much in disarray. Itsnegative achievements are substantial but it cannot live on its past. SouthPlace is capable of setting a new pace. There is no certainty of successbut there is the certainty of failure for those who rest on their laurels.

For my own part, I am disappointed with our rate of progress, but weare up against vast forces of apathy and disenchantment. What we cando is to hold fast to what is right, experiment ceaselessly and probe thefrontiers of the future, At some point, if we are true to ourselves andour tradition we shall be vindicated. It will not be easy, but nothing ismore worth while. We already meet many of the preconditions of success.We have a magnificent tradition, we have the greatest of assets in ConwayHall, we have a fine standing and many friends and a programme thatfeatures the very frontiers of thought and experience. We are a com-munity and a congregation and our substance is underwritten in our per-sonal relationships. It is example that counts now and our task is to seethat that example is set.

PETER CA000AN

ReviewThe Paintings of Zed Pollen

In the absence of an Ethical Record review of the Conway Hall show-ing of Zed Pollen's paintings, the following review is reprinted fromPLAN, the journal of the Progressive League. Anna Wolfe is a memberof the South Place General Committee.

A Thought Provoking ArtistIn viewing Zed Pollen's exhibition of paintings at Conway Hall, Red

Lion Square, the words of Benvenuto Cellini, the famous Italian gold-smith came to mind, "Nothing is accomplished without enthusiasm". Thework Zed is showing is so obviously motivated by an over-riding enthu-siasm for his art, whether it be in oils, acrylic, pastel, dye or water colour,and from a lifetime's accomplishment he has gathered for our delight acolourful, interesting and exciting collection.

As one enters the small hall one finds it dominated by his figure com-positions, "The Gang" and "The Potter", lighting up the further walland drawing our attention immediately. Well composed and thought pro-voking, the intense attitude of the figures and the rich colour combina-tions carry over to the viewer the feeling that these figures' engrossmentin their activity sparked off the painter's desire to convey this quality ofabsorbed interest. His paintings all show this expression of himself, takinga subject which interests him, and translating it by his own feeling andartistic ability into an harmonious composition, often luminous in quality.

The majority of the paintings hung on the corridor and staircase arestrong in colour and show his gift of translating from the particular to

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the abstract, and to change the subject into his own idiom of rhythm and

inter-related entwining shapes. His few pure abstracts are less interesting

than those based on natural forms, often it is the texture, graining, and

shape of timber, which he interprets in this way. Although some paintings

startle, as does the glowing eye of the "Night Bird" and the "Onlookers",

I find in retrospect, that I was left with a sense of harmony and rhythm

and pattern as the overall impression. There are in the small hall, two ex-

cellent studies of. leaves which are painted in very beautiful harmonious

tones, naturalistic in form yet transformed by the change of colour into

subtle shades and rhythmic design which make a lasting impact.Zed Pollen is versatile in choice of subject and media, but throughout,

the qualities of sincerity and enthusiasm shine through. Some water colours

are delightful, notably "The Sussex Woodland" and "The Downs" and

generally most of the woodland scenes, but he is not quite so happy in

town and village subjects which lack the fluid technique of water colour

and tend to become too detailed. These were painted on the spot, and I

feel his metier is more that of the studio artist who makes sketches and

notes, but works on the actual picture in the studio, composing it anew,

and putting it through the fire of his own experience and technical ability

as a draughtsman, to produce something of his own in a different way

from that of a "plain air" painter.The evocative effect of plants, trees and leaves he finds exciting, a

new technique such as those pictures experimenting with dyes moves him,

subject matter dictates the medium and method, some representational,

some abstract, some a combination of both, but always leading to a basic

rhythmic colourful painting.This is a wide ranging selection of Zed Pollen's work chosen with dis-

crimination, showing he has a vast reservoir of inspiration within himself,

waiting to be triggered by some 'scene which catches his imagination and

attention. His urgent need to express his own particular view-point has

led to this varied and colourful exhibition which no-one should miss.ANNA WOLFE

South Place News

New MembersWe are pleased to welcome the following Mr G. Karunawardena, Lon-

don W2 and Mrs J. Caere, London NW11

RamblesSunday, July 10—All-day ramble on North Chilterns Ridge. Meet Peter

Booker at Euston Main Line Station for 10.35 am train which arrives

Berkhamsted 11.18. Book cheap day return (£1.57). We will walk to

Aldbury village for a packed lunch, then on and up to the northern ridge

of the Chiltern Hills to tea at Aldbury Tower. This tower is a monument

to the Earl of Bridgewater who developed canals in Britain and can be

climbed to get an even better view over the Vale of Aylesbury, it is

accessible by road off the B4506 for drivers who would like to join the

party for tea. Walk approximately ten miles.Sunday, August 7—Annual Joint Ramble with Forest Group. Visit to

Forty Hall, Forty Hill, Enfield, Middlesex. Forty Hall is a fine example of

Jacobean architecture dating from the seventeenth century; now an art

gallery and museum.Bring packed lunch and meet at Enfield Town Railway Station at 12

22

noon or 1.30 pm, by the cedar trees in front of Forty Hall, which can bereached by Underground to Turnpike Lane, thence by bus 231 to FortyHill: alternatively, train from Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, thenceby bus 231 or 135 to Forty Hill.

After touring the mansion, Mr Will Nimmo will lead a short walk inthe extensive grounds. Tea at 36 Birchenhall Road, Enfield by invitationof Edwina Palmer, followed by a Talk on a topical theme and Discussionintroduced by a member of the Forest Group.

SeptemberThe possibility is being considered of hiring a coach for the September

ramble in the Brighton area on the 10th. This would give participants achoice of distance walked. The less active could stay with the coach allday. The cost would be about £2 a head, depending on number. JohnBrown would appreciate comments: tel: (01) 485 4811.

Theatre VisitSaturday, July 16—Meet Booking-Office. Holland Park "Court Theatre"

open air at 2.15 pm for 2.30 pm matinee. Performance of HMS Pinaforeby Gilbert and Sullivan. Admission 75p, children 25p, pensioners free.Leader Connie Davis: tel 328 5038.

Kindred OrganisationsThe annual conference of the British Humanist Association is to be

held from July 29 to 31 at the Froebel Education Institute, Grove House,Roehampton Lane, London SW15.

The theme will be "Framework for the Future", and will incorporatethe Voltaire Lecture by Professor Antony Flew.

Humanist Antique Fairs are to be held in Conway Hall on July 10,August 14 and September 18, between 11.00 am and 4.00 pm in eachcase. These events are being organised hy Julia Pelling (tel: Hornchurch41959.)

The first European Conference of Humanistic Psychologists is beingheld at University College, London, from July 26 to July 30. The themeis "Self Renewal".

The events will include lecture demonstrations by leading American,European and British Humanistic Psychologists.

Fees for attendance range from £25 (non residential) to £50 (residential).Full details from Association for Humanistic Psychology, 62 SouthwarkBridge Road, London SE1

CURRENT SPES PUBLICATIONS

THE ALTERNATIVE SOCIETY James Hemming 10pTHE BREAKDOWN OF GREAT BRITAIN

Leopold Kohr 10pMAN AND THE SHADOW Laurens van der Post 10pWHAT ARE EUROPEANS?

G. K. Young, CB, CMG, MBE 10pTHE ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY FROMPAGAN AND JEWISH BACKGROUNDS G. A. Wells 20pHUMANITY AND ANIMALITY Edmund Leach 10pTHE USES OF PAIN Jonathan Miller 10p

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

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

At Conway Hall there are opportunities for participation in many kinds ofcultural activities, including discussions, lectures, concerts, dances, ramblesand socials. A comprehensive reference and lending library is available, andall Members and Associates receive the Society's journal, The Ethical Record,free. The Sunday Evening Chamber Music Concerts founded in 1887 haveachieved international renown.

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

The Story of South Place, by S. K. Ratcliffe, is a history of the Societyand its interesting development within liberal thought.

Membership is by El enrolment fee and an annual Subscription.Minimum subscriptions are: Members, £1 ma.; Life Members, £21 (Life

membership is available only to members of at least one year's standing). Itis of help to the Society's officers if members pay their subscriptions byBankers' Order, and it is of further financial benefit to the Society if Deedsof Covenant are entered into. Members are urged to pay more than the

minimum subscription whenever possible, as the present amount Is notsufficient to cover the cost of this journal.

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

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

TO THE HON. REGISTRAR, SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETYCONWAY HALL HUMANIST CENTRERED LION SQUARE, LONDON WC1R 4RL

Being in sympathy with the aims of South Place Ethical Society, I desire tobecome a Member and I enclose £1 enrolment fee and, as my annual

subscription, the sum of (minimum El) entitling me (accord-ing to the Rules of the Society) to membership for one year from thedate of enrolment.

NAME (BLOCK LEITERS 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 subscribers is £1. Matter for publication should reach the Editor, Eric Willoughby, 46 Springfield Road, London E17 80D, by the 5th of the preceding month.

David Nellh Company Dorking 5inrcy