Grand Forks herald., 1916-11-25
EMERSON AND
BUNYAN THEME
DR.. G. R. Davies at Convo-
cation Exercises at
University.

At this mornings convocation at
the University Of North Dakota. an
address on "Bunyan and Emerson
was given by DR.. G. r. Davies. Of the
department of history and sociology
Dean Vernon p. Squires presided, in
the absence Of President F. L. McVey.
The Earth is the Lords" by Lynes
was a tenor solo. excellently interpret
ed by C. B. Larson.
and town people heard Mr.. Davies as
he presented his address on two OF
the outstanding figures in the litera-
ture of the meaning of life. He be-
gan by explaining why he had cou-
pied two apparently irreconcilable
names. He showed that though they
are separated by mroe than a cen
tury of time. and by the width of
philosophical thought, yet Bunyan
relatives. For Bunyan voices the
heart of Puritanism and its allied
sects in the days of its mortal strug-
gle. while Emerson is the finished
product OF the same social movement
after the heights of liberty have
been gained, and present and past lie
spread out in illimitable horizons. And
as such. both men are not merely
spokesmen for a sect or creed. Bun
SeSA AAA SOAiAA6 VI HIS JOuluSy " Tic
Mount Of Vision speaks a language
which Is universally understood by
the soul that has walked in suffering
the narrow pathway Of truth and
duty. Emerson, in describing how life
looks from the heights, is luminous
with meaning to the mind that is
reaching toward life's ultimate goal
of wisdom and freedom"
Then wittily Mr.. Davies told Of his
not &vSk~ ~,,sx I. I-r~s -
Progress" in his early reading and in
stereoptican pictures. He told how
Bunyan's story and all 1t implies be-
came puzzle and q bogy to his
childhood, driving him to. good deeds
from the basest motives. and tempt
Ing him to rash conduct from better
motives. There was no one to explain
its meaning to him. 1t was not until
he was in college that it was made
plain to him. when he came upon
Emerson's essay on Compensation.
Then followed a discussion Of the
view Emerson takes Of life, Emerson
saw life as it is given only to the
pure mind to see 1t, as an eternal ilar-
mony. as glory and dream, which
In the market-place of self-seeking
fades into the light Of common day.
His point of view is explained most
clearly In the essay entitled "The
Poet" He might we'll have preflxed
to the text: What shall 1t profit a
man if he gain the whole world and
lose his own SOUL" since the essay is
a sermon on the nature Of the soul as
poetic insight. which is taken to mean
the Interpretation oft he symbolism
Of nature and of life.
DR.. Davies then discussed the Oft
stated remark that Emerson's inter-
pretations of biology anticipated in
general terms the Darwinian theory,
adding that he has done more than
this in sketching the more pregnant
view of creative evolution which has
put life and divinity into the mechan-
ism Of the Darwinian hypothesis. The
parallelism between the creative evo-
luton in nature and in mind was il
lustrated.
"Emerson's philosophy of society
includes In, vast synthesis all that
man has ever done Of good and Ill.
Though accepting the highest stand
he accepts the law of gravitation,
Emerson plays the part Of the inter-
prefer and not the critic in his view
of the past, and on the foundation of
unity of life builds his social doc
trine.
"Emerson's philosophy of life has
rested in late years under the stigma
OF individualism, but careful study
will assure anyone that the imputed
blame Is undeserved, and that Emer-
son. far from having contributed to
that perversion Of selfishness which
we miscall individualism has instead
pointed out the true foundations of
democracy.
Emerson correctly diagnoses the
materialistic thinking and legislating
which places property above persons.
and which is the disease that breaks
out in class and world strife In antic-
ipating the age to come Emerson rec
ognizes moral and social truth as
power"
DR.. Davies then showed the relation
between Bunyan and Emerson, and
closed with the statement that "to the
intellect we must add the cultivation
OF the volitions and emotions in all
their varied ranges. including partic-
ularly the deepest and holiest. If we
would have an education that will
guide us through the pilgrimage of
truth to the celestial city of vision