Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-20
DURANT BELIEVES
PROGRESS IS REAL
Author Philosopher Says Man
Has Ability to Do Bet
q ter Things.

VIII Durant, author, philosopher and
FAneliorist," believes progress Is real.
The man who wrote 1.-THE Story Of
philosophy and Mansions of Philoso-
ply" calls himself an "ameliorist" be-
cause he thinks the world better than
ever before, but scorns the term "op-
tinist" because he believes the world
Ser from perfect
Addressing full auditorium for all
most two and a half hours last night
at the Jewish Community Center, he
stated the case against belief in prog
ress and then showed why his own re-
action to his subject as Progress Real?"
can be. only affirmative.
War Produces RidicuIe.
"Ridicuie is the keynote Of today he
declared. Belief in nothing Teigns.
Any one admitting belief in progress Is
considered sophomore. Spengler says
all signs point to decay Henry l..
Mencken shouts aloud to what state we
have fallen. Theodore Dresser terms
man only worm or bundle OF chem
dcals, with death and Illustration lifes
only certainties. Sinclair Lewis deVotes
all his books to proof that man mas
reached the bottom.
''War precipitated these beliefs And
today we find ourselves in depression,
not only that concerned with material
losses and economics, but one more as
astrous than the loss of millions-de-
preston of the soul Lost in this wave
Of gloom, we have begun to wonoer
life means anything"
Each age has claimed greater prog
ress than any previous one, largely be-
cause of its wealth, DR.. Durant pointed
out "But John Ruskin asked, is
wealth progress?'" With the radio, air
plane, automobile and wonderful equip
Ynent that man has today, the speaker
asked. "Are human beings physically,
mentally or morally better than their
grandparents? Can it be true that al
has progressed except man and woman!
Emotions Remain Same.
william Morris. the English author,
doubted progress as measured In wealth.:
He watched miners going to their toll
before dawn and remaining under
ground until after dark criminals who
had not committed crimes but who had
been sentenced never to see the sun.
Could progress consist OF substitution
Of power for beauty? OF factories Tor
cathederals? OF laborers for artisans?
Arthur Balfour, English statesman
and philosopher, pointed out progress
in intellect and ideas, but AMENDED that
progress by calling attention to the
same instincts, impulses, emotions and
customs that motivated man before
Sahara sands blotted out much OF the
material glory of Egypt and her pyra-
mids Greece and its Parthenon.
Contending that the passing OF an
Client and medieval states and govern
ments was no sign progress has disap-
peared, DR.. Durant maintained that
49, r0sNS1a t1oN -
disappeared politically, the real progress
of those ancient states lives today III
the works Of Socrates. Aristotle, Aristo-
ptanes, Plato. Euripides. Vergil, Horace,
Ovid and Juvenal Real progress OF
any state exists in the work of her
greatest men," DR.. Durant said.
Shadows Illuminate Light.
eve must distinguish between the
states which are tools and the progress
In civilization which they produce. De-
spite the ruin of material things so
much remains Of any one Of those an
Gent civilizations that no man in q
lifetime could absorb all that is worth
while of any of them. In Rembrandts
paintings shadows often illuminate the
light"
Dr. Durant summarized 10 specific
evidences of progress that have come
down to modern times through history,
pointing out that hundreds could be
itemized. They were: Speech, fire and
light. conquest of animals, passing
from hunting to agriculture as voca-
ton, transition brought about by
woman, coming of social organization,
by which the general standard of in
tellect has steadily increased, though
modern great minds are no greater
than those of ancient civilization;
coming Of morality, or consciousness Of
right and wrong, an industrial age
standard Of which is needed today;
invention, science, writing and, lastly,
without which all the others would be
lost. education, by which artistic hertz