Welsh Journals

Search over 450 titles and 1.2 million pages

experience gained by prolonged residence in Lon- don, help the excited Welshman to view in clearer perspective the needs of the old country. The Welsh community in London has played the part of a whetstone, has stimulated intellectual pro- gress, and, from this luminous centre, movements have radiated to the benefit of the Principality." With reference to the influx of Welsh girls to London I can state, on good authority, that they have lowered the prestige of our nation. It shows lack of understanding to state that these girls "cater for the useless lives of useless peo- ple." Many of us who have employed them have had bitter experiences, and have been sadly dis- illusioned. Fortunately there are some happy exceptions. Wales, that boasts of her educational facilities, has erred in seeking instruction rather than true education, which, as Ruskin tells us, "is not to THE QUEST FOR CERTAINTY: A Study of the Relation of Knowledge and Action By John 'Deviey Gifford Lectures, 1929 Geo. Allen & Unwin, P.p. 302. 10s. 6d. In the second volume of Contemporary American Philosophy, which has just appeared, Professor Dewey describes his own philosophic pilgrimage in a personal statement which is entitled "From Absolution to Experimentalism." His Gifford Lectures may be regarded as a very full statement of the goal which he has reached and their sub- title define the scope of his enquiry. His main concern is "with the separation that has been made between knowledge and action, between theory and practice" (p. 48). He never tires of reminding his readers that the age-long philo- sophical tradition of Western Europe glorified a hypothetical world of eternal changeless Being, which philosophy had to contemplate, at the ex- pense of ignoring the actual world of Becoming in which men live and act. Our bondage was not really ended when modern science appeared, because Newton unfortunately retained some of the dogmatic presupposit'ons of the old meta- physic (p. 200). But with the modern dethrone- ment of the Newtonian physics the way has been cleared for the final removal of the whole anti- thesis of theory and practice, and Professor Dewey in The Quest for Certainty proceeds to elaborate the purely instrumental view of know- ledge. This is done with conspicuous critical and constructive power. His own view can be gathered from two quotations "The old centre was mind know'ng by means of an equipment of powers complete within it- self and merely exercised upon an antecedent ex. learn something we do not already know, but to behave as we do not already behave." The behaviour of some of these girls in my own local- ity has been the subject of unpleasant comment in our local press. One regrets to add publicity to a painful subject, but one feels compelled to reply to statements so obviously contrary to facts. We, who so ardently desire to raise the pres- tige of the Welsh nation in London, and among the nations of the world believe that the best service that Wales can render is to impress upon her people the responsibility which is theirs in raising or lowering the status of their nation. Only by the united efforts of all within and out- side Wales can our nation be raised to take her legitimate place among the nations of the world. -Yours truly, (Mrs.) M. Williams Doo. REVIEWS ternal material equally complete in itself. The new centre is indefinite inter-actions taking place within a course of nature which is not fixed and complete, but which is capable of direction to new and different results through the mediation of intentional operations" (p. 276). "Knowledge is instrumental. But the purport of our whole discussion has been in praise of tools, instrumentalities, means, putting them on a level equal in value to ends and consequences, since without them the latter are merely accident- al, sporadic and unstable" (p. 284). This important addition to the series of Gifford Lectures deserves the serious attention of all who in Wales have been brought up, as the reviewer was, on some form or other of philosophical idealism and of all who want a text-like "experi- mental knowledge is a mode of doing" (p. 100) expounded by one of the acutest modern philos- ophers. G.A.E. STORIAU 0 HANES CYMRU. I. Qan ZMoelana Pp. 1-152. E.P.Co., Cardiff & Wrexham. 2s. This is a book for the teaching of Welsh history by means of the "heroes of a nation" method, and, granting the method, it should prove useful in schools. The sentences and vocabulary are well chosen, each lesson is provided with ques-- tions and the illustrations are good. The task of selection for such a book as this is not easy, for it is difficult to depose any hero from the canon. On the other hand, whoever undertakes the task must be prepared to accept any new valuation that research may put on those who have served a nation, O.P.