Spencer Heath Archive

Item 2418

Carbon of letter to Brand Blanshard, Department of Philosophy, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Penna.

September 17,1955

Dear Dr. Blanshard:

My conscience is suggesting to me that I possibly did not answer, or at least adequately answer, your very kind letter of August 22, 1942 — thirteen years ago.

The MS. to which you refer has undergone considerable improvement since that time and is now at the point of coming into print in hard covers within the next few months. In looking over the names of persons to whom I wish to send a complimentary copy, I found your very thoughtful and generous letter.

I would like very much to discuss the things which you bring up with you personally, because I have very happy recollections of the little contact that I did have with you. I note your suggestion that I should treat the land socialist position in a more controversial manner than I did in the MS., and I have done that in some later publications. For the present, however, I am sending you one or two little items that I think might interest you and stimulate your thought in the direction of contractual relationships with respect to land as contrasted with the probable evils of its political administration.

I feel that I am under a considerable debt of gratitude to you for the painstaking letter in which you so generously discussed my MS. so long ago. Hoping that this belated acknowledgment will be pleasing to you, I am,

Sincerely yours,

SH/m

ENC: “Trojan Horse’

“Shorter Criticism”

“Private Property in Land Explained”