The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-03-21
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineonsiderate

The age we live in is "ne of great exactitude
in some things and of greater confusion in other
things We are precise and definite in figures and
measurements but vague and wildly indefinite in
our thinking. We like to know that the parts of our
watches or motors fitted so accurately to
their places and functions that they admit varia
tion or play" of even one ten-thousandth of an
inch. But any random thought opinion. especially
if it be pessmistic destructive is likely to find
receptive, though its play" with reference
to actuaty is more than ten thousand miles
When we deal with a tradesman across counter
when we discuss specifications over desk we are
keen and alert and will accept yagueness
double talk. We will not allow grocer or
architect to have things two ways If 10 pounds IL
yards of commodity cost so much pound or yard,
check the accounting to the last fraction of cent
If we specify requirements to planner builder
we are crystal clear in all the details of our demand
and we expect fulfillment of agreements to the last
letter of the contract But the grocer the profes
sional may follow the sharp bit of business
dealing with the most vapid and vague comment
about the meaning of life the possibility of attain
ing truth and we are apt to accept his vaporings
the deeply reasoned conclusions of thoughtful
mind.
When public servant uses his office for private
gain, we feel, with justice that he is cheat and
when a public figure in any realm,-educational
literary sociological or other,-cheats our souls by
selling false doctrine and palms off upon shod
dy opinion and prdeful impertinence sound phil
osophy we very likely to accept his baseleSs
dcta the final pronouncements of Wisdom herself
and to hail him a great man and leader" Con
slider an illustration among countless possibilities
equally apt as examples-the case of Mr.. John
Dewey. s.s.}.t
Why are we so blind in things of the mind? Why
do we take charlatan's word at the value he him
self bestows upon it, without Investigation, and with
out finding difficulty in the fact that the word
often contradicts itself? Why do we buy gold
brick when the very salesman gives the thing away
and in his saesak proves that the brick is brick
and not gold? OF course the salesman himself is
fooled his patrons are, but that does not
detrac from the calamity of the total result II only
makes the result more weird. When the salesman's
statements show that the brick is not gold and
yet leave both salesman and customer in the
viction that ii is gold indeed we have state of
mental confusion not far removed from diocy. Still
that sort of confusion is peculiarly characteristic of
our owl great day
The critic of professional rank who appears
with appropriate disortions) the TV screen says
blandly that he cannot accept dogmatic authori-
tartan assertion. Was ever assertion more dog
matte or authoritarian than this assertion itself?
Sanity would demand that when anything is taught
with authoritarian air with dogmatic precision, that
we look into the character of the authority back
of the teaching to find if it be genuine and reliabe
that find whether proof is available for what
is dogmatically asserted And yet il will be found
that the TV critic, with nothing whatever but his
own personality to back his dogmatism and author-
tartan pose can turn many minds against ali clean
statement of important truth though there be
ample and compelling proof available to the honest
mind to show that it is truth, the of char
latan make minds otherwise prudent and sane
turn dejectedly away from that study and invest-
cation which would bring sure knowledge of
sential truths, The dogmatic charlatan condemns
dogmatic statement and is believed the authoritarian
faker rails at authoritaranism and is accepted as
teacher The gold brick passes hands, foong both
buyer and seller. And the human mind and soul
suffer ncaculable injury.
good deal of eoldbrcking is done by making a
general and sweeping assertion out of what, in
narrow and particular sense, is justified assertion
For instance, in a magazine that joys in the repu
taton of being sophisticated" we read: "The word
truth is like the word pedce-it is a favorite noun
of demagogueS and tyrants and since truth is
fluent elusive and incapable of being packaged, ii
is not the property of any any bureau and who
lays absolute claim TO il is either optimist
or a fraud" Is this statement true Does the writer
claim SO much? Is he then optimst Ia silly fat
head with unyarying Smile) fraud?
Notice the snide manner in which the wholly un-
warranted statement tunjustfiedly dogmatic and
authoritarian that truth is fluent elusive, incap-
able of being packaged" is slipped into the sent
though il were something everybody knows
and acknowledges without question. And yet sane
people know that truth is not fluent, but eternal
That two and two make four is not elusive, but is
fact safely grasped by anyone who pays rent or
taxes groeers bills
Such some of the eonfusions of our times
Accurate in hairsbreadhs. careless of infinity /"
Mechanically we paragons of accuracy; mentally
we are pitifully obfuscated. Political slavery we
partially know and deeply fear mental slavery we
fail to recognize and sometimes in the grip of our
chains we cry out that those who are truly free are
men in bonds. We decry truth; we say it must be
sought but cannot be found, we declare IL elusive
fluent impossible to package Yet 1t is the essential
thing You shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make vou freen