Spencer Heath Archive

Item 3203

Pencil class notes in a 3-ring-binder notebook from auditing university.

March 1934

Originals -> 1001

 

 

 

The only benefit of public works will be for land speculators. The taxes that pay for public works so far as levied on industries destroy land values.

Moving populations into new territory reduces land values everywhere else.

 

Economics of the American Pie Industry. Statistics of consumption of different kinds of pie. 1 Apple, 2 Lemon Meringue, 3 Pumpkin, 4 Cherry. Example of the descriptive method of economic science.

 

Dr. Gamb’s class Feb 13, 8 A.M

    The City States of 15^th century included extensive  territory surrounding them.

    Europe – 1500 to 1934 Changed from four nations England, France, Spain, Portugal to more than 20. . Russia, Germany, Italy.

    Antiquity knew City States  and World Empires but nothing in between. No idea of Nationalism until about 500 years ago. “Song of Roland” in France in 12^th century first expresses the National idea. The hero wanted to be buried facing his “sweet France.”

     The incentive to Nationalism was the desire to draw wealth and treasure from newly discovered lands and develop foreign trade for the benefit of dominant nationalist interests. S.H.

     No nationalism ever in India or China except as being created by England and Japan.

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Dr. Paul Limbert – Philosophy Feb 13, ‘34

Liberal Education as per Aristotle. Education for leisure. For small class only for enjoyment alone—to enjoy leisure time.

     The Good Man of Aristotle: He who both claims much for himself and deserves much. Ashamed to receive benefits. Proud to give.

Epicureanism and Stoicism. 300 B.C. (after Plato). Conquests of Alexander right after Plato and Aristotle – Macedonia, Persia, Rome. Philosophy became individual in this confusion and breaking up instead of national or patriotic.

     Epicurus 300 B.C. – Zeno 300 B.C.  Epicureans hedonistic. Pleasure from right choices. He adopted the atomism of Democritus – a mechanistic materialistic outlook. All events explained on materialistic basis. No use for religion. No ultimate meanings and purposes – no future life. No transcendent values. No heroism. Detached, cynical almost.

Lucretius – The Nature of Things – atomism. See Santayana “Three Philosophic Poems.”

Stoics  Universal law. Immanent Reason in all life. Organic concept of the universe. Man’s reason identical with the universal reason. Must accept the universe. Life of Reason supreme. The soul rises above all passion and emotion. Called the “first product of the pagan world.” All things connected to the order of events. “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

     How did the Christian philosophy differ from the Greek?

     How did Christianity appeal to the ancient world?

     See Rogers 157-159, 170-173

     Dewey and Tufts Ethics 91-92, 105-114

     Hyde

     Matthews – Growth of Idea of God

     Berry – Christianity and the New World.

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Dr. Limbert  Philosophy  Feb 23, 1934

 

Social, ethical, and economic aspects of early Christian teaching:  Kautsky – Foundations of Christianity.  Klausner, Jesus of Nazareth.  Troeltsch, Social teaching of C.  Morrison, Social Gospel of C.  Case, Social Triumph of Ancient Church.

     Jesus and the Greeks, Fairweather

 

/Chronologic timeline diagram not copied here/

     See City of God St Augustine – Read introduction – political aspects of City of God. Book 15 p 123

 

Jesus and Paul  –  Jesus’ central idea was Kingdom of God. Spiritual and inward, not merely an external condition but still to have an outward effect to transform society. Its basis was an inward transformation. (Individualism) – Emphasis was on experience, not explanations or philosophizing. That was Paul’s forte.

     They thought his kingdom was a new deal politically, freedom from Rome. When he went in for personal perfectionism they fell away. He ran counter to all prejudice and passion of the day. This led to the early death. He lived as he taught. No credal element, but that came soon afterwards. No waiting till after death for the Kingdom. So he boldly went into Jerusalem on the ass Palm Sunday.

 

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Feb 27, 1934  Dr. Limbert

 

Krautsky deals with Jesus as a Marxian revolutionist. Klausner is a Jewish rabbi. He shows that Jesus took all the ethical elements of Jewish teachings discarding all else—too broad and idealistic, hence rejected by Jews.

Troeltsch – the classical authority 2 vols. on economic and ethical aspects of Jesus’ teachings. Not primarily a reform movement – was a religious outlook. Definite supernatural element.

 

Dr. Limbert says the New Testament contains a thoroughly revolutionary world viewpoint.

Perfectionist ethics. No measured ________ like Aristotle.

     There was a fellowship – pure love – sharing of possessions. Common love to God a common bond of love between the members. But there was no social program to overthrow Rome or the like. The revelation was individual—on the plane of individual character.

     No aim to break down existing institutions and evils. Rather to transcend them by a new dispensation among the brothers in Christ. Improvement to come only from the Christian spiritualized nucleus. A positive approach—creative, not combative or reformatory of the world.

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March 2,  1934   Dr. Limbert’s class

 

Augustine – City of God

See Troeltsch pp 201-205

Randall on Middle Ages   42-49

 

Augustine – Sin and Grace  (Bishop of North Africa)

Relationship between world and church

     Absolute ethic of the Gospels.

     How to live in the world but not of the world.

Kingdom of God in this world.

 

The absolute worth of the individual (by kinship of God)

Not a program of social reform

Yet a kingdom to come through personal transformation

     and the relationship of love among the brethren

Ethic was not ascetic but heroic

Stoics also held the value of the individual and minimized

     differences of race etc. but looked for no renewal of

     the world. Self-sufficiency of an enlightened ruling class

Christianity was of the lower and middle class. Not aristocrats

     or philosophers

Stoics looked to gradual reform of the world order.

Will of God without any allowance for expediency.