The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-01
Frederic Haskin's Letter
The Couen,an.

patron Of lecturers and 4 hu,.. !.
books, these distinguished ~.
have become discreet and even ~.
plimentary. They do not HIM.
their disparaging ideas ~, sa
America in the crude wav ny
Dickens did, for example W.
may try to improve us, but the, 8
SO very gently, SO gently that =
en- we do not realize what ~
are driving at.
Thus, Mr.. Chesterton lecturs. .
the ignorance Of the educs,ss
Whether he considers that ~
is a special message for Americ, !
that lecture we do not know -.
certainly this is country in xhiss
the educated display their i'm,
ance profusely.
Mr.. ChestertOn's Messase
Mr.. Chesterton speaks in = ,,,.
Of gentle irony, and makes N.
points in a somewhat roundshoa
fashion, SO that most OF his he's,
ers, while mildly enjoying his n.
ty illustrations, never catch "A.
main idea at all. The main IA.
seems to be that most of MS. a.
consider ourselves educated. raj
ly know nothing at all. Ii vosp
add greatly to our dignity "a 4.
certify if we could grasp the N.
simple fact that in spite Of all on,
education we are abysmally igpo,
ant.
You have gone to school, VIM
have gone to college, you are cali.
ed an educated man. Thereiors
you consider yourself competent /,
pass upon almost any subject that
comes up. You express final ami
definite views on literature and Ar,
and bolsheviki and New Thoussl
and the League of Nations. Ocra.
sionally you will admit q sort .,
ignorance.
II don't know anything about MI.
SIC" you will say, but know
what l like" But you say il in
way that implies that what 70,
like must be the last word in tasi.
and Judgment.
Now Mr.. Chesterton challenss
you to pause and consider how
much you really know about sny.
thing. You have definite opinion,
about fiction. Have you ever stud.
led it? Do you really read lny.
thing but the magazines and III
best sellers? Is there actually any
reason to believe that your opin.
ion of a book is worth q whoop 10
anyone?
And so of politics. art, music ami
science. What are these glib opir.
ions of yours actually based upon
What books have you read On
these subjects? If called upon to
write down all that you know
about one of them, how much could
you write, and what would The
sereed be worth?
Mr.. Chesterton expresses The
opinion that the ignorant peasant
who sometimes cannot even read
or write, is very important to CIV
ilization, perhaps the best part o.
| it. Why? Because the peasant at
! least knows what he knows an1
also what he does not know. HI
knows some things about birds am
beasts and stars and trees and ht
can tell you about these in an In
teresting way. 1t would never os
cur to him to express his opinion
on things he really knew nothing
i about. He therefore remains, II
a world of cheap words and cas-!
pretense, a valuable stronghold o.
{ simplicity, faith and intellectua
honesty-things of which most Of
us have long since lost.
! MIR. Chesterton speaks politely
ironically, somewhat obscurely. Bl'
if his lecture was boiled down 70
a few direct and applicable words
we think it would be about THIS
my dear friends: You think you
are knowing but you are not MOS
of the things you discuss you know
nothing about. And more than bal
of the things you know aren't 50
Your wisdom is merely a COLLECTOR
of empty phrases and few OF thos
are your own. The first thing 10
YOU to learn is that YOU don't know
anything. When you have lui
grasped that fact, you may besl
to get the rudiments of a real ecu
cation
We went home from Mr. CneS
terton's lecture feeling humble al
chastened.