Voices Across the Sea

New Zealand Listener, Volume 21, Issue 536, 30 September 1949, Page 11

Voices Across the Sea

STATION 4YA has evidently a planned programme. for keeping } Dunedin, at least, in touch with the other ) side of the globe. Letters from England | read from the studio last week reminded | us of how our students: overseas were | faring and on Tuesday evening 4YA was ‘back on the, job with a recording | from England made for the BBC by | Dr. D. D. Raphael, until recently Pro- | fessor of Philosophy at the University of Otago. Only it was all done a little less obtrusively this time. Dr. Raphael’s talk, the first of a series of four on the subject So This is Philosophy, merely formed one of the usual Winter Course series. A very acceptable talk it was, too. For clarity of exposition it left nothing to be desired. Philosophers trained in the misty German school used to be thought vague and difficult to understand, but thank heaven in our day they have chosen instead the monumental task of clearing up confusions and vagueness jn the meaning of words. Nowadays it is left to physicists to fashion out of airy nothing dreams beyond the comprehension of common man, while the philosophers grub about patiently and practically, driving paths through the jungle of words.... At any rate it was pleasant indeed to hear again a voice we had learnt to know and like, during Dr. Raphael’s all too short stay with us. What further surprises has 4YA in store, I wonder? Bringing back Dr. Raphael’s voice out of the immediate ‘past reminds us how long it is since we heard the voice of his predecessor, Dr. J. N, Findlay, who was also @ remarkable speaker and who is now in England. Could the BBC be persuaded to carry on with the good work? (In drawing attention to Dr, Raphael's talks "The Listener" credited the series to the BBC, The recordings were, in fact, made by the BBC, but to the order of the NZBS.).