1929-07-06 — Page 11

SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1929.

OUR WEEKLY SERMON

Is A Philosophy Of History Possible ?

MODERN CHURCHMAN'S VIEWS

of the

I shall begin by stating what I consider to be the nature philosophy of history, and we shall then proceed to some historical verification.

THE CHINA MAIL,

4TH OF JULY ·

ITS CELEBRATION IN THE SHAMEEN

A JOLLY DAY

ROUND THE CINEMAS

"THE NIGHT BIRD" SHOWING

TUESDAY...

DENNY COMEDY

geen

The reception held by Mr. and Mrs. Many of the most entertaining fea- Douglas Jenkins, in the U.S. Conauinte-tures in a motion picture are to [By Professor A. S. Pringle-Pattison, LL.D., D.CL, F.B.A.]

General, was attended by a large num-in the new Reginald Denny film, ber of Chinese officials, including Mr.The Night Bird" which comes to the weird exactitude of repetition is Chan Ming-hsu, Mr. Chu Chao-hsia, Queen's Theatre on Tuesday.

the and Admiral Chan Chak, besides most not definitely

This comedy has everything that insisted in, essential sameness of the successive of the foreign and American residents makes for. Iaughter and all the in- the entertainment ple. of Shameen, Pak Hok Tung and Tung- gredients of ages still remains. Aristotle shan.

The photoplay is a comedy-drama or a thinks, for example, that all arts, Mr. Jenkins made a very pleasant romantic-comedy or a thrill-comedy and sciences and institutions have been speech of welcome and proposed the it is all rolled into one riotous pic- discovered in the past, and lost health the President of the United ture... again, an infinite number of times. States, which was heartily crunk. A more profoundly discouraging

At The Club

The essential feature of the philosophy of history seems to me to be the attempt to envisage the history of mankind as a single

mation.

The Human Record

Mr. J. Parsons, manager of the Bri- of despondency. 'The rational tish-American Tobacco Co., as one of soul," he says, 'wanders round the the senior Americans present, again whole world and through the en-welcomed the foreign and Chinese compassing void, and gazes into in-friends of the American community, finite time, and considers the after which there was dancing for an periodic destructions and rebirths hour.

of the universe, and reflects that our

Children's Sports

whole, and to exhibit, so far as dis-idea can hardly be conceived. Prof. the Canton Club where the American At 12.30, most of the guests went to cernible, some plán or purpose, Bury points out how often Marcus Community were "At Home." to their some 'end' of intrinsic value, seen Aurelius dwells'

the eternal friends. on to be increasingly realised when sameness of things with an accent the sequence of events is contem- plated as a whole. Or, to be more vorrect, since in a time sequence there is no absolute whole, and we ourselves stand in the midst of things a philosophy of history might be defined as the attempt to discern such a purpose and consum-posterity will see nothing new, and o'clock, there was a swimming gala for In the afternoon. commencing at a that cur ancestors Saw nothing the children in the Canton Swimming greater than we have seen. A man Bath and then ten and sports on the A philosophy of history in this of forty years, of the most moderate Teanis Courts--also, primarily for the sense would appear to form an in- intelligence, may be said to have children, although one noticed a great tegral part of any constructive or

scen all that is past and all that is any rown-ups enjoying themselves. systematic theory of the world.

to come; so uniform is the world' The grounds had been gaily decorated An idealistic philosophy, at any

Wolcott and Mrs. Batchelor) who with bunting and balloons (the, work of rate-any philosophy, that is to say,

to he congratulated on their artis- which seeks, and professes to find,

Upwards of 300 children, for- the ultimate explaining prinziple of

and Japanese, participated. the universe in reason, mind, spirit,

Baseball Match. or God-seems almost fatally de-

And it is In the afternoon there was a base- fective if it cannot trace the pre-perhaps worth nothing in this con-ball match between Shameen, whose sence of that informing wisdom innection that Nietzsche, who team was composed mainly cf Ameri- the human record. 'Can we supstrangely fascinated by the 'doctrine cans, though two Britons, Messrs.

It is not only that the cyclical Mrs. idea. is profoundly depressing. One are may go further and say that there try. is for the human mind something eh essentially irrational in the idea of such endless repetition.

was

Duncan and Baker-Carr, also played,

NEW ADVERTISEMENTS.

KOWLOON JUNIOR BRITISH

SCHOOL.

THERE will DC an. "OPEN DAY at the above School on WEDNESDAY, July 10th, (10) am-12 ; 2 p.m.- p.m.) when parents and friends are in- vited to see the various classes at work.

Hong Kong, 5th July, 1929.

There through the story-a theme of trans- for "The Night Bird" is aimed cendent beauty all the more unusual, for laughs and not only brings them down

is n love theme running SHADOWS BEFORE.

ut touches the heart strings as well. The prize fighting in the picture is the best ever seen on the screen.

Denny's acting ability is responsible for the great majority of the laughs. His expressions in times of stress are ludicrous; he does one of these excru- ciating dances aided by Corliss Palmer; and the prize. fight .secnes where he

to save his fiancee from the cruel vil. must end the fight quickly to get away lain present a new idea in motion pic ture comedy.

Iy

PLEASE DON'T WASTE WATER

SHENSI FAMINE

BENEFIT CONCERT IN THEATRE ROYAL

CHINESE ENTERTAINMENT

COMING EVENTS ANNOUNCED. IN THE "MAIL”.

Columbia

News RECORDS

The Best of The New Records

9712 The New Moon 9596-Virginia 9595-Lucky Girl 9576-Funny Face 9526-The Windmill Man

9482—Good News

9418-Lady Mary, 9389-The Gipsy Baron

9297 Tom Jones 9284-Hit The Deck 9270-Oh Kay

Selection

ENTERTAINMENTS

To-day Quesa's "Eternal Love."

Vocal Gems

Theatre;

Theatre;

Theatre;

Theatre;

9267-The Girl Friend

9212-The Desert Song 9188-Queen High 9090-The Student Prince

To-day World. "The Way of All Flesh." To-day Star "Ramona:"

To-day Majestic "Sorrell, and Son."

Home Mail To-day-Outward for Shanghai, JJapan and Europe via Siberia ("Hakozaki Maru") 5 p.m.

Lammerts' Auction

Dud-

July 10-At Sales Room, dell-st a valuable collection of curios, 2.30 p.m.

Land Sales

July 8-At P.W.D. Offices, two lots of Crown land at Shamshuipo. and Mong Kok Tsui, 3 pin.

Miscellaneous

July 7 Rizal Day Concert, Fili pino Club, 9. p.m.

IN OTHER PLACES.

CHRONICLES FROM JAPAN TO JAVA

pose, says Augustine, that the of eternal recurrer.ce, found its at and the American Gunhoat "Guam."

purposiveness

which traction precisely in the fact that The result was a wis for Shameen by

it 'redeems men from their enslave-4 runs, a very commendable feat, as the A concert in aid of the Shensi ment to ends, and demonstrates that "Goam" are a strong team. This re- Famine Relief and Chinese Hospital, there is no eternal Will that wills, result was mainly due to the splendid was given in the Theatre Royal last that one thing at least is im-pitching of Mr. H. L. Ruffin, of the Na- night by a party of Chinese under the possible, rationality. A

tional City Bank, who was the "star" leadership of Mr. Ng. Tai-ping, Pre- time- world does seern to become

pitcher of the Americans in Hong Kong sident of the Modern Literary Asso Miss Louise Seale, a graduate of last year. offence to reason

ciation. unless there is

California University who is on a Successful Day

The large audience was greatly pleas-world tour, has joined the Suydaru | something of value realised in the process, something gained, some-celebrations, for

And so ended a very successful day's ed with a lengthy programme which Girls' School, Singapore, for some

the hospitality and inetuded such varied items as Chinese thing which otherwise would not be. generosity of which the American Com- music on native instruments; a con-

Teleological Unity

munity thoroughly deserve thanks. juring act and feats of strength by T'hilosophically considered, the

native of Shantung, who also did some

order and men have so long admired in nature, is not to be found in history also, if we will look for it? God who in the physical world does every thing according to number, measure and meanest animal, the feather of a bird, the little flower of a plant or the leaf of a tree, without its harmony and, as it were, a mutual peace among

al its parts cannot have left the course of human affairs, the growth and decay of na- tions, their victories and defeats, unregulated by the laws of His providenec. God in History is in point of fact the title of a repre- sertative nineteenth century work devoted to this topic.

In Classical Times We do not find much resembling such a philosophy in classical times. Philosophy of history will hardly come into being without a belief that the process of events is work- ing out some important and desir- able result. But classical antiquity is in this respect, prevailingly

an

idea of a time-world would "WHILE YOU WAIT

3ac- WHAT THE "PHOTOMATON"

scem to be essentially that of uinque or single cession of events conceived such a teleological unity. Time.

a3

CAN DO

we may perhaps say, is only intel- RUSSIAN'S LUCKY INVENTION ligible under the categories of pro- gress and purpose. The con- ception of a

The invention of a Russian, who succession of non-about three years ago was a refugee communicating eycles contradicts ir. Shanghai and subsequently the very notion of time as a con- made million dollars by selling his tinuous series, just as the qualita- patent rights in America, Photo- tive identity of the endlessly re-maton, the new perfect portraiture, peated cycles negates the idea of the is being introduced to Hong Kong purposive unity implied in progress by the Far Eastern Photomaton From Hesiod dowThe prevalence of such a conception Corporation, Ltd., the local manag ot the successive Ages of the World must necessarily, therefore make a ing agents of which are Messrs. represent the process as one of ever-philosophy of history, as we under-E. D. Sasscon & Co., Ltd.

pesszimistic.

wards, Greek and Roman theories

increasing degeneration. The Hebrews looked forward to a Golden

Age in the future as a consumma- tion of their national history; for the Greeks it lay in the past. In the Golden Age, the fabled reign of Kronos, before Zeus thrust him from his seat, the earth brought forth her fruits spontaneously and the seasons were benign. War стая unknown, and an innocent race lived of nature's abundance without the But to the Golden necessity of toil.

we

Age succeeds the Silver, and to that. the Age of Brass or Bronze,

clever balancing tricks, etc.

A very interesting item was present ed by a member of the M.L.A. who gave some excellent imitations of the cries of birds, at the same time copy- ing the habits of the birds he was imitating, thus causing much laughter, The programme will be repeated this evening, starting at 9 o'clock.

"MÜL TSAI"

THE

STATEMENT AT ANNUAL LONDON MEETING

A REQUEST

stand the term, impossible. We The studio in Queen's-road Cen-

London, Yesterday. have no difficulty in accepting the tral, opposite the Queen's Theatre,

At the annual meeting of the idea of endless repetition in the was opened to the public this morn- Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Pro- case of the ceaseless transforma ing for the first time, and with an tection Society, in London, Mr. orchestraphone playing Charles. Roberts, presiding, said it tions of the physical universe-electric worlds on worlds are rolling ever jazzy tunes with piano, xylophone was most disappointing to find that from creation to decaya ceaseless and drum effects, attracted much Mut Taal, or child slaves,"

attention.

process of building up and pulling down. But that is just because the

redistribution of matter and motion |

(in Spencer's phrase) is in itself strictly indifferent to reason.

in

Hong Kong had actually increased in numbera since 1923, when Mr. Churchill had announced that the system would be abolished.

Pleased With Result Many visitors invested 50 cents. try the new invention and, in every case, they were pleased with One the results a strip of six photos configuration is in itself as good on which the sitter appears in six abolition of the system, which was as another. Why, then, should we different

with a disgrace to a British Colony.

natural ровез

The Society would request Lord Passfield to, secure the effectual

date thees kaleidoscopic changes, or nothing of the mechanical stiffness Reater. by what system of reference should of self-conscious posing about it. we do so? Time is in a manner

ourselves live in the Iron Age, and, bad as things are, they still go irrelevant in dealing with this sub-of the Photomaton, which was given A full report of a demonstration from bad to worse. In Horace's

ject-matter; and this is just what to Press reepresentatives yester well-known lines:

Aetas parentum, pejor avis, constitutes the distinction between day afternoon, will appear in to-

tulit

Nps nequiores, mox daturos Progeniem vitiosiorem,

"the natural and the historical morrow's "Sunday Herald."

sciences. The historical sciences introduce the idea of time as a unique series of events in which an advance or progress is observable; and the philosophy of history pre- supposes the same conception.

The Jewish Philosophy The Jewish philosophy of history which Christianity inherited takes

AFTER 18 YEARS

WITH T

TROUBLE COMES WITH THE CONCUBINE

MAINTENANCE ORDER

FIRST CASE UNDER THE LOCAL ORDINANCE

TWO WOMEN FINED

months.

Mr. F. Critchley, manager of Brinkmann and Co., left for Europe on furlough by the Blue Funnel "Anchises." Mr. S. L. Oggier is in] charge during his absence,

at the Nanking Hotel, Penang, when A pleasant function took place!

Mr. J. D. Kemp was entertained by the staff of the Borneo Company, Ltd., on the eve of his departure for Home on furlough.

Mr. Jabin Hou represented the Government at the inauguration. of the Re-organization Com- mission for the Chinese Chambers of Commerce at Shanghai held at the former General Chamber of Conimerce, North Honan Road, Shanghai recently,

Mr. H. L. H. Kauffmann, the Danish Minister to Siam and Mme. Kaufmann left Bangkok for Sing- gora, whence they proceed by motor car to Penang, On the way down the coast the steamer was to call at flua Hin in order to give the Minister an opportunity to pay a visit there to bid good-bye to the Court,

The management of the Wua Chi Silk Filature in Tien Tung Road; Chapel, tired of spasmodic stoppage of work on the part of its 800 employees, has declared a fock-ont and closed the premises, This resulted in heated protesta from the workers, some of whom circulated posters and handbills directed against the management.

Mr. E. W. Hamilton: yester- day afternoon gave his decision in the mui tsai. case brought under Ordinance No. 1 of 1923, in which two Chinese Preparations under the super- women were the defendants.

of

vision of Admiral Chen Shao-kuan, The first was charged with taking administrative Vice-Minister the mu tai 'into her custody in February, 1928, after the date of the Navy, are being hastened for the passing of the Ordinance; and with early inauguration of the new The case in which expert evidence, on treating the mdi tai by a method Naval Ministry Admiral - Yang

The sum of $58 was obtained by an armed gang in Shanghal re cently which entered a general goods store, intimidated eight assistants and escaped before the arrival of the police. The Police subsequently effected the arrest of one armed robber and three persons suspected of complicity in a recent highway robbery,

Protest Against Legend The Epicureans alone entered a systematic protest against the ac cepted legend with its profoundly unhistorical picture of human origins, and in Lucretius one may read a very modern account of man's

time in this sense. That philosophy Chinese matrimonial customs, gradual emergence from the beast was a product of the intense racial given by a Chinese village elder at the dealing with her own daughter. Second who is still in Shanghai recuperat- was which she would not have employed in Shu-chwang, Minister of Navy, liness of primeval savagery. Yet be too tells us that the world is self-consciousness of the Jewish previous hearing, was concluded at the defendant admitted a charge of adulting from his recent illness, is ex-

people in conjunction with the owloon Magistracy yesterday, when in the mui tsai. past its prime: the age is en-

pected at Nanking after the state feebled and the earth exhausted by the Prophetic religion. Without bay $3 per week in future.

strenuous ethical monotheism of the husband (charged with neglecting. Addressing the first accused, his burial cerebfoniga.

to maintain his wife) was ordered to Worship said she has been found guilty bearing all things are gradually the idea of a single supreme Willi

on the first charge. He was inclined to The wife said that she had been mar-deal with her leniently owing to this wasting away and passing to the is difficult to see how the conception ried for 18 years and her husband had being the first case under the Ordin grave, quite forspent by age and of a single purpose realising itself always treated her nicely until the arance. On the other hand he could not length of days.'

in the course of world-history could rival of a concubine. He then Ill-overlook the offence, and was deter Apart from this traditional

suggest itself, or could be reason- treated her and she had endured many mined to stop this sort of thing, notion of deterioration, the favourably defended. On the other hardships. VAN The Magistrate enquired of Mr ite Greek conception of the course hand, the nature of that purpose, Mr. JM. Hall for the defence alleg. Butters whether he had any informa of things was the theory of cycles, the path along which it is supposed ed that she had run away for a long tion as to the accused's means

on the old doctrine of Baby to work, is manifestly conditioned hold where she was going, which (ac she had been working as an aman at time without telling any of the house Mr. Bitters replied that he only knew ionlan astronomy, the great world by the tribalism in which Jewish crding to the Chinese) constituted de, the Hong Kong Hotel. year, at the close of which the religion had its roots. Although sertion and deprived her of the right His Worship then told the woman heavenly bodies return to the rela the favour of Jahveh is made more to be taken back or maintained by her that he was taking this into considern- tive positions from which they and more clearly to depend on husband

tion, and also the fact that the charge started and the whole process be ethical considerations, his purpose

of ill-treatment had not been proved. gins anew. The cyclical theory is still supposed to he primarily

She would be fined $25; or one month's appears already in Heraclitus. It concerned with the destiny of his such version of the facts as imprisonment, is found in Plato's myths and is im- own folk. Hence even the most strangely out of focus. Never had admitted striking the girl with a Addreasing the second accused, who plied in some of Aristotle's state-large-hearted of the Prophets con- teless just because of their piece of firewood, his Worship said that ments: When the astronomical ceive the fate of Israel 23 the deter- geographical situation on the con- considered more force than was pro- aspect is in the foreground, it is mining factor in world-history. Anes of three continents, with an per had been used against the girl frequently insisted that the second Strangely Out of Focusoient civilizations on either dank and There was no evidence of gross cruelty, cycle will repeat in the minutest Seen from Palestine as a centre, themselves necessarily involved in otherwise be would view the offence In particulars every incident of the the fate of the great Keighbouring the struggles of their

neigh a serious Ught. She would be fined empires is conceived as mainly, if bours, for

firat, and so on ad infinitum,

Welrd. Exactitude

the $100 or two months' imprisooment.

not entirely, dependent on the at- Jews, it may at least be admitted extitude assumed by them to the tiny were in a speci

According to the stock ample there will be

an

other Socrates, son of Sophronia

Cus

who will marry at

Jewish stafe. The

spective in Egypt

may wel

deale per tion for real

wellence of diff suppose, must have been histor

other Xantippe be impeached by wzdely different and the modern ception

the same accusers and drink again histork

The

fatal: hemlock When this civilizations must

story

bend-

UNION CHURCH

ST. ANDREW'S COMMITTEE

TO BE PRESENT-

THANKSGIVING SERVICE

The Thanksgiving service to be held at Union Church to morrow morning, will be conducted by the Ray FC Young and attended by the Committee of the St. Andrew's Nociet

In accordance with wishes ex- preased by the King, the service

nducted with jall

An armed gypsy who called at will the Mitcham (Surrey) home of plicity and the offertory devotér Alderman Alfred Mizen & member to Hospitals.

of Croydon County Bench, said he The Sacrament of the Lord's would have killed Mr. Mizen had Supper will be observed after ther

SoErvice

he come to the coor

Anderson

Music &

DON'T ARGUE

HIM!

WITH

He is just in one of his irritable moods, and the best thing you can do is to bring him h bottle of

ALLSOPP'S

British Pilsener Beer

Watch how he cheers up!

11

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