New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-14
SUMMER PHILOSOPHY.
.o>-,opn SCHOOL IN SESSION.

ALGOlA 49,
DRESSES ox,vx-r or THE rp,rrxrl
FaoA ~ vass Julv 12--The School OF Pnilos-
S,s'A Mr. Bronson Alcott dreamed OF years
op"' Gov which. so long since as 1912, James
eS,sot Grsayes of England ian ardent admirer Oh
a. American school-teacher, bequeathed 10 nun
''e library became reality last sum
,.sr and so successful a one that 1t il cont'nueu
.h;s wear under favoring auspices. Inc SESSIONS
,,sread of being held they were last summer Ia
.ha ,oom, of Mr.. AlcOtt's former residence. which
.ho outhor Of Little Women" used 10 call Apple
S,,mn and the philosopher himself more euphoni-
ously terms Orchard House. are now to take place
g. little chapel-ke building of Imprinted boar ds'
-rtb shinge roof picturesquely placed on the
Il of the low hill behind the aforesaid Apple
SIump or Orchard House, and the hrst OF tue
Aaotincs was held this morning outside, the
,,Id;pg has a more ecclesiastical aspect than the
,,,o,,d at large would look for. with Its Gotbic
oh,as surmOunted by finals suggesting the cross.
I,de II is as bare and secular as possible. Beams
.;b,s and cross pieces are all exposed to view
there IS 10 plastering; and rough chimney pro-
80 ipto the room at end Some attempts,
kowaver. have been made at decoration. In the
cbaucel or recess, Whichever 1t NAV be, where The
rSonItv sit hangs an engraving of RaphaepS School
90 Athens trimmed with ground-pine there are
sster bnsts of Pestalozzi and Plato on either side
bas-relief portrait of 1horeau In velvet frame
and powerful mask of Anaxagoras opposite. The
room has a seating capacity OF l4o, and opposite
che Foeultvs platform stands black clock also
draped with evergreen that the two philosophy
cal conditions OF space and time are fulfilled. ms
Hillside Chapel, as Mr.. Alcott has named 1t, was
bailt from part Of fund of $1,000. presented to
the school by Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, of New
York.
~ ~, of fha
iudged from the fact that 1t was opened with prayer
The assembly numbering between thirty and forty,
was composed chiefly of women, only seven or
eight men being present besides the lecturers three
of whom were press representatives y general IN
terest was manifested, and Mr. Alcott and the Rev.
W ii. Claiming, OF London, found comfort IN the
fact that 80 many of the attendants were ladies'
MIR Alcott addressed them with some salutatory re-
marks and then Mr. ;. IL. Emery, jr., director OF
the school introduced DR.. II X. Jones. somewhat
noted Piatonist from Jacksonville, Ill. who will
give ten lectures during the term-1ye on Piatonc
philosophy. and FIVE on its relation to modern civil
ization He is a tall gentleman with white beard
and wears 10 necktie. Dr. Jones made the mex
n .cfed announcement that be should not be bound
nv the programme laid down for him, and
discoursed a little upon the value OF PM
los 1phy, mentioning the young MAN OF
whom Socrates SAID that he m,cht be more
eminent than all because he had insouied and m
born the love of truth" This il was WINCH he hoped,
would animate the meetings Of the school, and II
vonId make The pOssessOr Of it more eminent than
wealth o. fame could. He alluded TO the Pentecost
and the fact thar the Apostles inspired by the truth
in them, spoke in language that all could under
stand. Thus with those tie nlGaor planes OF
thought there is but one tongue Among them
there viii not be controversy. but only discussion.
Dr. Jones also mOdestiy hnted that he expected to
learn more from the questions and rmarks OF those
present than he should teach them himself.
Mr.. VIM. T. Harris, recently superintendent Of The
S. IOuls Pubic Schools and the founuer and editor
Of Tae Ameficaa journal Of SDecRdt'r5 PHILOSOPHY
followed with so ne direct aud Iorclble remarks.
just as two points are required IN order TO give
direction, he said, so each one of Us occupying but
n single point needed 20 come into relation with
another mind before progress was possible. Ph!losO
phv supplies this relation. 1t also looks for
the great trend Of events III nature and in hnman
history. We look for First Principle, without
winch 10 is impossible to understand the variations
the differences, around Concord" SAID Mr.
Harris doesn't carry around in its pocket the So
luton of everything To those VINO say have
hafminute Of time TO spare please explain the
universe 1t has nothing TO SAY. Only the sophlsis
had those little recipes We cannot have complete
wisdom but we have the love of wisdom, in bret.
nal but we can attain TO a view OF the first prn-
chile Tins comes to us at first in q somewhat blind
absrracr FORM We cannot history and nature
clearly wgen dazzed with this higher light; and
they become clear but slowly. After We have de-
tecte6 the principle application infinite task
The true philosopher therefore is the last person TO
think That be can dish out wisdom at pleasure"
Mr Harris also spoke of the different kinds OF
plety that OF the heart OF the will, Of the intellect
Most persons have but one, and the philosopher Is
apt to have only piety of the intellect but 1t IS the
three together which make up true petty; and the
intImation was that this what the students
should seek.
The object of these prelimin airy dscOurses was
10 make tie purpose of the sessi Ons clearer. and
nut the students en- rapport with each other ami the
Faculty. Mr.. Claiming, who spoke next, Went
into "reminiscences of Concord" that blessed
Name" as he called it, He looked out this morn
ing on a sunrise that shed its light over the plain
and the low hills, and it recalled TO him that
characteristic Of Concord scenery which Haw-
thorne first pointed out to hIm-namely. the length
of the shadows on the fertile lowlands, aud the
completeness with which the dissipates them.
HIS earliest associations with Concord were OF
course those of the historic blow struck here for
liberty and it seemed to him that in tine intellec-
tual history of the place there a corresponding
striving after complete liberty. Taking this to
gether with the significance of the name Concord,
you have a union of boundless freedom with perfect
harmony. In this Union you seem to touch
heaven at the centre. "Tbe boundless freedom Of
truth IL take IT, that Is what we are here for to-
day." Looking back to his first knowledge of Con-
cord. when he was q student ia college, Mr.. Chan
ming said il was then like Egypt 10 him. He did
not dream that he should ever call Ralph Waldo
Emerson mis- friend, but when he came TO know hlm
Emerson Impressed hun exactly rs his poem OF " The
SPHINX had done. 1t seemed TO him taat Emerson
was the Sphinx and he awaited his utterance. Mr..
Charming did lot make 1t clear whether the Sphinx
had fully answered his questions whether he had
guessed the Sphnx's riddle but went on 20 say that
Emerson was also the Spirit of the Oricut and the
bright Apollo. Speaking Of the conversations