The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 186

i ttit Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday, March. 5, 1183 The Electricity Commission of New South Wales i'j-Vj V-i A ft: i --v Vv '-'1 Rediscover (Goethe while he 'finds himself in Italy -J 3, if vi 1 i MUM W9) jUUv5 a Mi Lr MS mm 4 86 IF, like me, you have spent your life avoiding Goethe, either because your German is not good enough to read him': in the original or because-' English translations make him sound pompous and boring, here is a chance to start again. It is a very lively translation of his Italian Journey by the poet W. Auden and Elizabeth Mayer together with a short and spirited introduction which tells you everything you need to know. In 1786 when Goethe fled from Weimar to Italy on a sudden impulse, he was 37 and already famous throughout Europe as the author of Werther, But in spite of his fame, hit modest wealth and secure position at the court of Weimar, he had reached a.

crisis his life. He felt trapped by the 'romantic movement to which he had contributed so much and by the narrow circle of his friends in Germany. He went to Italy not just -for a holiday but to. "find himself1' by travelling alone arid incognito in a strange country, and by contemplating the great works of art of classical Greece: and Rome which he had adored from a distance. He wrote these journals to inform his friends in Weimar what he was doing.

In some-ways Goethe was the perfect tourist. A man of prodigious energy and intellectual power, he was interested in everything. He visited every gallery; "climbed every tower; insisted on inspecting both the ruins of Pompeii and the crater of Vesuvius which was in eruption when he got to Naples. Though he never ceased to work at his own poems, even when seasick on the voyage to Sicily (surely a unique he laboured equally at drawing and sculpture in an attempt to improve his powers of observation and his under- standing of art. He was just as interested in anatomy, 1 geology "and botany, in all of which he made important discoveries.

Being Goethe, be of course spoke fluent Italian though he had never visited Italy before. If these superhuman gifts are rather depressing for ordinary mortals, they are by other more attractive qualities. He was extraordinarily open-minded; He never complained at discomforts or sneered at Italian shortcomings. On the contrary he admired the Italians because he recognised that, they had as they stil) have a gift for living which he did not possess himself. He was even able to find good points in the Roman Catholic religion so alien to his rational and Protestant mind.

He was by no means unsusceptible to the charm of Italian 4 Afor ITALIAN JOURNEY: 1786-1788 By J.W.Goethe Translated by W. H. Auden and Elizabeth Mayer North Point Prat, 507pp. S21 ISBN 016547 076 6 years Reviewed by JOHN DOUGLAS PRINGLE fnr women and had quite, a serious flirtation with a pretty; Milanese girl in Rome which he'jdeseribes Goethe is in many wys so modem that, it, is sometimes dif- ficujt to remember that his Italian journey place two! years before the First fleet lanjfed at uyy.y.i years r()4 with gentle self-mockery. Auden and Elizabeth Mayer believe that he also enjoyed, more satisfying Botany Bay.

It is a shockj to be affairs while in Rome' which he reminded, for instance, that he did not reveal to his friends in fdr was writing long before Darwin discovery of the Origin of Species and at a time when no onef knew for 10 years that it was' not the "misma" v2)7 years LJ ll J1 1 arising from the Pontine Mfcrshes which made them so dangenus to travellers but the malarial mos quito. Fill in this form today 1 A finished this delightful book with a distinct liking for djoethe and a wish to read more fcf his Weimar. He met the beautiful Emma. Hart, later famous as Lady Hamilton' -and Nelson's mistress, but found her "a dull creature without He wrote rather too much about painting and sculpture -about which, as Auden and Mayer point out, he.did not know -a great deal, but his descriptions of ordinary Italian life and street scenes morevthan make up for these boring passages. He is a marvellous descriptive writer -precise, vivid, objective and any journalist might take his account of the Carnival in Rome as a model for this kind of writing.

The reader is always aware that he is travelling with a highly intelligent companion. works. I also ended it vith determination to revisit iSly at the earliest possible momint The Electricity Commission of New South Wales Loan 1360 No the most beautiful countryln the world except, of course for Surname bcotlandl Given names (please print) Mr. Mrs. John Dougtes Prinfle, auikr mi critic, is a former: editor Suck ctnnot be inscribed In Me ntfne et one person "at trustee tor" enother.

Sydney Morning Herald. BROKER'S STAMP Investment accepted in multiples of $100 Interest payable half-yearly 10 deposit now and the balance by 10th June 1983 FOR INFORMATION TELEPHONE Telephone 'Strito out words hereby apply for The Electricity Commissionof New South Wales lnscrlbedStockOebenturM nottppiicabie bearing interest as follows: An interesting tiy it an unanswerable question It is requested thai application oe madator Inscribed Stock unless Debentures are required tor a specific purpose. Currency Wgff I Maturity Dale I AmounMppW For II gfe 2 years 13.7 1st March 1985 4 years 14,0 1stMarch1987 TTf Mil 7 years 14.2 latMarch 1990 I I I I I I I lOyears IstMarch 1993 I I I I I I 'ii? i i i i a CAN WE TEACH CHILDREN TO BE GOOD? By Roger Straughan. "i Alien Paper tt.15 ISBN 0 04 370120 S. Paper 0 Of 370121 Reviewed by BETTY ARCHDALiE In accordance with the terras of the Prospectus of the above Loan dated 21st February, 1983 and undertake to pay in full for the amount of Stock.

or Debentures hereby applied for and to accept the same or any less amount 'that may be allotted to meus and to pay for the same in conformity with the terms of the said Prospectus. -The Suniof is tendered herewith, ck of and ''therefore show a Being payment ih iiiH prob- certainty. There is also thl SEE FOOTNOTE bf hot less than 10 of amount applied for (balance to be paid by 10th June. 1983) ALSO APPLY AT: Any Commonwealth Trading Bank of Australia Branch. The Head Office or any branch in NSW or ACT 'of-ANZ Banking Group, National Australia Bank, State Bank of N.S.W, Westpac Banking Corporation Efct, lem vraiseds by T.

S. Murder in the Cathedral, interest instructions: Please pay interest on inscribed StocK or first interest on Debentures Inaccordance withresent Instruction (existing stockholders only) posted by cheque to above address to the credit of the following bank account The last temptation is thecfeatest treason; To do the right tfinf for subsequent interest on Debentures is payable at any Commonwealth Trading Bank the wrong reason. i r. fyame. pf Ban Branch tacoudl.Ao.

Registry use only BanklStetel Branch No. I I I I i I I I II I I I I I I ill I llil II I I TTT More confusion for cpldren. Another problem is the qtestJon of genes. Can a child hell being naughty? How much is afyone's behaviour due to faulty minus or faulty genes? IWe desire these Debentures to be held for safe custody by the Bank at its Branch on myour account. To be Lastly there is the quesqbn, do children want to be moral or-do they prefer to be naughty the completed by Oebenture Please make the following denominations available for delivery to meus at the applicants Bank at jts Branch only State here denominations at $100 of debentures required at $1,000 Total whole, the consciously moral UNDERWRITTEN BY: BT Australia Limited (Merchant Bankers) Company (Members of the Sydney Stock Exchange Limited) Westpac Banking Corporation Nippon Kangyo Kakumaru (Europe) Limited THE obvious answer to the question asked by this book is -it depends you mean by Philosophers are like mists: there are as many theories -of philosophy as there are philosophers.

Nevertheless the young teacher wondering what she was doing would find this book stimulating, even if slightly confusing. Its strength lies in its lack of dogmatism.The confusion-is due -to the fact that the problem of is confusing. There is nothing black and' white about it, -merely sea of Roger Straiighari brings out well the virtual impossibility of defining. moral goodness. Part of the problem is that men are a mixture of good and evil.

We may know what is right and yet so often do what is wrong. I hope, but doubt, that most teachers would agree with what' Roger Straughan writes: "But teaching children to be good is not the same as teaching them to do as they are told; obedience to authority is strictly irrelevant to the business of making moral decisions." That ought to be up in all staff rooms. The book covers many different ideas on morality by many different philosophers. Just how helpful these ideas would be to a teacher in a classroom situation I have some doubts. Should "moral teaching" be presented in a classroom situation at all? Or should it be part of ordinary daily living shown by example and explanation? I have doubts about separating off moral education from the rest of education.

It is basic to the whole lot, and on the whole moral behaviour in 2000 B.C. was much the same as it will be in 2000 A.D. I have a feeling that more nioral-'" ity is absorbed through a knowledge of history and literature than by straight "moral" teaching. children tend to be horriB little self-satisfied prigs intent oCpleas ing teacher to satisfy their own ego. The naughty ones oftii have Should thU application be made under Power of Attorney, the grantee of such Power declares that no norloa of revocation thereol, by death or otherwise, has Peen received and that the Power has beervwill be forwarded to the Commission's Registry for nolig.

a better sense of morality. Like so many arguments it is largely a question of What do the words "moral" and "teaching" a young. teacher would argue that if no two. philosophers can agree, then why should I worry. I'll go my own way.

The book does show a variety of helpful paths, but in view of the many diverse views on how to teach good behaviour to children one can sympathise with the mothers who just leave it as "Because Mummy says so." Mr Straughan seems to feel that punishment is necessary to activate children. I have doubts about this. Most children enjoy being naughty. My own experience at boarding school was that punishment never altered my behaviour one jot. Between 7 and 1 1 years old, I was' at a school where, if you received more than 10 bad marks during the week, for talking, for untidy and for late, you missed out on your sausage for Sunday breakfast (This was in World War I when sausages meant something.) In five years I can't remember ever thinking I won't do that again so that I can have a sausage.

I was just naturally late, untidy' and talkative. Later, at Abbotsleigh I always had doubts about punishment. We kept girls in (detention) or got them to clean up to the grounds (fatigue). I can't say I ever saw any resulting change of behaviour. "The Tact that man has, thank heavens, an inquiring mind, has meant that moral standards have, always been subject to challenge' Roger Straughan comefS down Signature's) of Applicants Spfcmw eonmvMti en Mo nxtJiee In BT MM firmly on the side thatKmoral Date Cheques or drafts should be crossed "Not Negotiable" and be made payable to the eank rtcerving the application, or la the Electricity Commission ot New South Wales, according to where the application Is lodged.

For bank use only Teller's Date Stamp Savings Bank Wnhdrawtl Ale No. Details ol Cheques lodged Bank Place Amount principles can be taught tAchild-ren. In the final chapftr on teaching that, teaching hcjrf and teaching to, valuable adnce is given. If this book helps tpebers to get children to understand the remark by an old Jew of Salida (quoted by Milosz in The Oaptive Mind), "Whoever says hs 100 per cent right is a fanatic, thug, and the worst kind of rafcal," it will have done a great job The question asked by the title is unanswerable, but the book is an interesting try. and not only teachers would benefit by reading it Speciman Signaturels) ot Applicant's) BROKER TO THE ISSUE: Bain Company (Member of the Sydney Stock Exchange Limited) For your convenience complete the attached application form in this advertisement and send it to THE REGISTRY, BOX 4122, G.P.O., SYDNEY 2001, or apply at any of the stated banks, your stockbroker, or call at The Commission, TAG Tower, Cnr.

Park and Elizabeth Sts, SYDNEY. FOOTNOTE: If any balance remains unpaid after the due date the Commission may at its option, canosl the amount allotted, and forfeit moneys already paid. SEND THIS APPLICATION TO: THE REGISTRY, BOX4122Q.P.O. SYDNEY 2001. UCOtioca.

I Betty Antidote was headmistress of Abbotsleigh. 1958-70. i.