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Knocknagree Congress . . .

Truth and the Scholar

Knocknagree is a pleasant place for a congress—a camp set in several acres of cultivated bush, about half an hour from Auckland. "Camp" in not really the right word, though, for there is nothing impromptu about the arrangements at Knocknagree. It comprises three permanent buildings—the chapel, the dining room and kitchens, and the main building, a hall and verandahs with what are euphuistically referred to as sleeping quarters.

The theme of the congress was "Truth, the Duty of the Scholar", and the facts tackled by the various speakers were: "Truth, the Challenge and Response," Father J. Mackey, M.A.; "Truth—Does It Matter?" Father C. Bowler, S.M.; "Science in the Service of Truth," Miss Mabel Rice, M.Sc.: "Law and Its Responsibilities to Truth," Daniel O'Connell, B.A., Ll.M., Ph.D(Camb.); "Tolerance the Climate for Truth," Dr. F. H. Walsh, B.A.(Oxon.); and a panel of speakers discussed "Art and Its 'Reasonable Service."

Among the point made, and debated, at the congress were these:—

Man naturally desires the truth, and our mode of living depends on finding some aspect of it. But our comprehension of non-material truth is limited by our capacity to recognise casual relationships, and it is never easy to attain or retain. Descartes described the truth as a matter of intuition, and it was then that faith came in conflict with knowledge. St. Paul had said that through discursive knowledge we arrive at the knowledge of God; and the scholastics established an order of truth contingent as regards its existence, i.e., Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am", and the scholastics said, "Our knowledge of God comes through our knowledge of creatures; therefore it is necessary we should have a correct knowledge of creatures."—Father Mackey.

Father Bowler followed this up with a beautiful series of quotations, obviously gathered with loving care over the years, from a number of modem scholars who retain Deacarte's distrust of the mind and metaphysics. My favourite was Bertrand Russell'a, "Matter is a wave of probability emanating in nothingness." Father Bowler was occupied chiefly, however, in describing the appreciation of the intelligence which proceeds the action of the will. He discussed the hierarchy of the sciences and the bad mental habit which exclusive study of a science must engender.

Miss Rice, from the view of a professional scientist, quoted Maritain's principle. "In the modem world science has been the last refuge of knowledge and truth and spirituality". She enlarged on the fact that the relationship between God and nature la direct, for the latter has no freedom of choice. The testing-ground of the validity of scientific knowledge la therefore nature itself, for nature cannot betray God. The main equipment of the scientist: integrity and honesty.

That a bad legal system must be consonant with the demands of the natural law was Dr. O'Connell's thesis, which he illustrated by an examination of the law when geared to an unnatural philosophy such as Fascism or Communism. He defined the natural law as the direction of man's life in accordance with his nature. English law is based on this assumption, that there is such a thing as a reasonable man, and law is recognised by people because it is in harmony with their conscience. He described several examples of the courageous stands which English courts have made against undue Government restrictions with an appeal to the natural law, and said that in Europe especially there has been in the last 25 years a revival of natural law as the Anal court of appeal in the formation of a nation's law. The compartment between ethics and law is being broken down: the younger German Jurists say they want the law of the State to be founded on the natural law, for it projects morality, the "ought", into law, the "la".

Even in cases where repression could be justified it is the Catholic policy to incline towards toleration. Dr. Walsh said, and quoted the present Pope: "Tolerance alone provides the climate for truth in the modem world." Tolerance isn't a simple topic, and there are all sorts of distinctions involved—e.g., between the obligations of individuals and of societies, and between sacral and pluralistic societies.

The forum on Art could best be described in a long galloping ballad, Sufflce it to say that John Reid was chairman, arbitrating between one representative of the right wing. Brother Stephen from Sacred Heart College, and three left-wingers. These latter. Father E. Forsman. S.Th.L., B.A., Pat Downey, an A.U.C. lawyer, and John Cody from Victoria, disagreed entertainingly among themselves and with the audience, who would insist on contributing its two cent's worth.

Among the guests at the congress were Archbishop Liston, who opened it officially and met the participants, and Rosemary Goldie, for some years a member of the General Secretariate, in Switzerland, of Pax Romana. Her opinions were valuable, for she is travelling round the countries of Asia and the Pacific, and meeting students everywhere.

Incidental information: There was a barbecue one evening (sausages roasted whole); a formal dinner another evening, and while they allowed impromptu speeches, and a mock trial on another occasion, at which, Heaven help, us, there were more impromptu speeches. There is a navigable stream at Knocknagree which very appropriately, means Hill of the Brave (It's an Irish name). And there were also the [unclear: sis] Victoria boys who went to Auckland in a car: on the way up the engine fell out at Cambridge (today small boys sell the fragments to tourists) and on the way home the engine fell out at Taupo: but they were home in time for the beginning of term.

The congress was held from February 5 to 8.