MORAL ASPECTS OP THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2328, 9 December 1914, Page 4

MORAL ASPECTS OP THE WAR

STRIKING 'ARTICLES BY BRITISH THINKERS. Artioles dealing with the war in its, moral, philosophical and religious, aspects ' are given a prominent place in the October number_ of the "Hibbert Journal." The first is. from the pen of the late Earl Roberts who writes on. "The Supreme Duty of the Citizen at the Present Crisis." After a' lupid sketch of the causes leading up to" the war Lord Roberts touches upon the material and spiritual aspects of. the struggle and states that every British citizen should devote all his' means, energy; and oven life; itself tp bring the war to £ successful conclusion, He gives very little encouragement to the ideathat- "the end of this great struggle is to be the end of war, and that it is bound to lead tp a great reduction .of armaments." :• He "there : ;is. 'nothing- in'the;history of the world to justify any such conclusion." Nor is it consonant with ordinary oprnmon sense. The'Bisnpp of Carlisle (Dr. Diggle) deals with the "Ethics of War," and the Editor (Dr. Jacks) contributes a, very striking article on, "Mechanism, Diabolism, and the War." He declares that_ in. the present confliot "the whole credit of European civilisation, .with its alleged basis in the Christian religion, is at stake. . . . The supreme taskjm which all exhortation needs to be, focused is that of convincing every able-bodied man that duty requires him to take his life in hand and offer it in the service of the common cause." Dr, Jacks belipves that as a result of the struggle we will develop a new seriousness and that our social life will emerge into a better climate. "Our intelligence will be broadened, and that to a degree which no /system of education' could ever compass; we shall have learnt, the things that matter. Our reljgion also will be less voluble and more sincere;.we shall have seen, something of the terrors of the Lord,'' '. The other war articles are by Sir Henry Jones' ("Why we are Fighting"), Professor Gilbert Murray ("Thoughts' on the War"), T. W, Rolleston ("Literature and Politics in Modern Germany"), Professor G. Dawes Hicks ("German Philosophy and the Present, Crisis"), and W. M. Salter ("The Philosopher of 'The Will to Power' "). The number also contains articles on other subjects,- in addition to sions and signed reviews. The October issue fully maintains the high,standard of excellence which the public has learnt to expect from the "Hibbert Journal."