W.E.A.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1923, Page 4

W.E.A.

HOKITIKA ECONOMIC' CLASS. The ustiiil weekly meeting was held in the Education Board Boom on Tuesday evening at 8 p.m. The tutor. Mr 11. Bel.shaw, M.A.. delivered a lecture on “Our Social Heritage” after which a lengthy discussion took place. “Society at the present time.” said Mr Bcdsluuv, •‘.-hows a complexity withcut precedent in the history of the tree. It is a social heritage resulting from it social experience of individual-- acting on their nature. Activities sir. c.-ntrolled by the action of environment on the inherited disposition-. !.<•., ici.te ii.‘ic • in act in certain way-, ’lbis cm i.■mime,.i h the result of physical conditions, of thought forces and of inin’, ited hahit-, lans, and institution-, progress re-nits from the possibiliu oi adapting our environment to our noeils. The importance of social heritage, might lie stressed by considering: what would happen if all cur social haiiits acre suddenly to he lust. Only our instincts wouid In left a- a guide to conduct. !iy per cent. :u tne rm would soon die within a few weeks, and the rest would he reduced hr n stale little n moved from that of apes. It would take a period of hundreds of thousand* i f years to advance to a society of the same complexity as the present. "Lew people rialize the importance of inherited dispositions and hahits in daily life. The majority of the activities' of the average individual are either instinctive or the result of lial.il. Few of our daily activities are the result ot ion-cions deliberation, Bui h instincts a- love. hat", fear, the tendency to cooperate. the impulse to think and the simple habitual actions ol daily life, save a tremendous amount of time for the conscious deliberation on more complex problems, hut as tho value of conscious thought grow.-, the value o! other instincts diminishes. ’I lie progress of society d. pends on tile direction oi instiiii i and habit by intellig no. The dawn of civilisation prole: 11,- took place when insect borne disease- loreed the liiimaii race fiom "arm io colder climates and fores I the neev •its i'oi j urpo-ive aitivily. lu-lead ot being a vagile imp'll-.', llmughl became a coinrol force. The important e of habit results from the fact that an action dine once i- more ea-ily repeatmi. Ihe jiowcr to form hahils inrie v.iih fj t<!iv ll l ll ;ils and with race-. I lie t ■ reeks had lilth' power of haiiiuihitiou ; hut tiie Celts had. D i- therefore no accident that civilisation in later daydeveloped in Northern Euro ,e while tlie civilisation of Croce;- delated.” "Civilisation is impossible without 'mbits and tradition-; but too much habit is inimical to thought lor it ri- | suits in eoiiservntism mil old ‘lngot ism.' I Progress results from the breaking ol i iiabiis. just a- stability depnil- on i 'mbit. The problem of society is ti | maintain the proper relul ioiiship hej tv-en I‘ni.if ami change. A progress!", I .'-ociety is one which is ready in crilij i ize null overhaul it- -oiial I chits am i ha- elements which nr outworn am 1 obsolete—element- uliieli lire maintain .1 a, the re-ult of blind or stilish loy- ; city to an unsocial tradition. Ibe do j f reii*between a i on.-ervative and ; i radical is that the former -ires •- tin ! importance of order.- tho latter "I Ii | l.ertv. Tim danger of hecominug tin 1 lave of an ob-olii.i order i- a- grea I , the dang! r of anarchy ant i bans through an ill-considered revolu j The tinm-er involved in a revolu j lien i.. Iha i it'may suddenly hr. ak oh ■ i,;.h and insl itut ien-. At -ome p"i' ii, .1 io Ihe hi -torv of lin rat e. tin ! deem 'vo bad to be fm oil. with vat y i ig •m , ' .. in ordi r to break the pov. : • i ve-!. .1 in tv re t. We mv mo r. .me nf llio-.e period- in the lii.-tcl" |!e iae. w!ien sobriety i- waverne hetwe.ii old beliefs ami a n-sv tai’.h We are laced on the on- hand with lit | danger of 1.. coming the slaves ol on e„ii instil ill ions, on the other wi! !lb • j.0.-sibdi.y ol c 1:.,.-. into Iwrbar | ism. It i- the imuera! ive d'o.y of so ;.i. ty to aualy-e and i ritici • eur -o j i in! hahit-. irailitions. cn-ioms and in ; siit nt inn.- to retain 1 lie ;.emil. and i • abolish or change tie -v iI. W.* an . largely shirking tlee issues and leavuu. thi constructive thinking to the lew .' j "!!: ■ preltlem becomes involvi I ! ;be la: I that Ibe ml ion of individual ; •- mile: pr,doumily moilbii <1 whi n th‘ > enter ini re be physieala end i hough: | lontaet a- lie mbe: - ol a itnuil or mas : of Itiiman beime- under a ■ cm... ’ ,;..md Ol nu< Ik t t nal ocl.e \ . group v. Illi a - long eoinooe: in*, "'"I. j develops a -111 eial |.-ye|...!ogy. e.-pc - I ially if t lie ineiiil: ,‘i‘s of the group are Jin eh-' physic;,! i oil tact. ihe emoi ' ‘ "f ike il ! •“II- i i 11**1. and 1! ■ |,ro wi he- a nr,mg lendvia-y Io • mcc rvutive. Even (limi a lie; i- vi rely .-.h.ak- n. Ihein-i il ill me ; I >.vhii h il iia- given ri c. disappear, bin slowly. \i: y ini perlite hod> which !-: at nuked. 11■ •\el oj. ■ a st rong “crowd" Pu d,” A ecu-piriv y may m art In ov. a tMe-ni - hut what can it avail against o' lirnily est.-iblished b lie. v Bein'-,■ an i an I "• :me effeetive. il mu-i b, o ,0,5-1 if th • ..üb-ri u-ciou- i.-ileilfi ina! main -up of the |m"ple. This invi.lv. - a u ce.-- iiy. not only for construct ive I bough I. bill lil-'.I I': r the eliective pro ".ego i hei .:) i !•' id el until it I: come-,-.pu -I belief. Il i therein!- !"- tile'te expect to eff <1 any ival « hange jn ohsoite in-l ii tit ions by a-i "I Earlia-uule-s the t hange is accompanied J .iiciety com erned."