| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Meno by Plato: is for one age to understand the writings of another; or how nice a
judgment is required of those who are seeking to express the philosophy of
one age in the terms of another. The 'eternal truths' of which
metaphysicians speak have hardly ever lasted more than a generation. In
our own day schools or systems of philosophy which have once been famous
have died before the founders of them. We are still, as in Plato's age,
groping about for a new method more comprehensive than any of those which
now prevail; and also more permanent. And we seem to see at a distance the
promise of such a method, which can hardly be any other than the method of
idealized experience, having roots which strike far down into the history
of philosophy. It is a method which does not divorce the present from the
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Octopus by Frank Norris: rather than compromise with honesty. At this eleventh hour,
involved and entrapped in the fine-spun web of a new order of
things, bewildered by Osterman's dexterity, by his volubility and
glibness, goaded and harassed beyond the point of reason by the
aggression of the Trust he fought, he had at last failed. He had
fallen he had given a bribe. He had thought that, after all,
this would make but little difference with him. The affair was
known only to Osterman, Broderson, and Annixter; they would not
judge him, being themselves involved. He could still preserve a
bold front; could still hold his head high. As time went on the
affair would lose its point.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum: berries ripe and sweet, so he began eating them. More
bushes were scattered over the fields, so the boy
wandered on, from bush to bush, without paying any heed
to where he was wandering. Then a butterfly fluttered by.
He gave chase to it and followed it a long way. When
finally he paused to look around him, Button-Bright could
see no sign of Pon's house, nor had he the slightest idea
in which direction it lay.
"Well, I'm lost again," he remarked to himself. "But
never mind; I've been lost lots of times. Someone is sure
to find me."
The Scarecrow of Oz |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Lysis by Plato: friends, are you not?
Certainly, they replied.
And friends have all things in common, so that one of you can be no richer
than the other, if you say truly that you are friends.
They assented. I was about to ask which was the juster of the two, and
which was the wiser of the two; but at this moment Menexenus was called
away by some one who came and said that the gymnastic-master wanted him. I
supposed that he had to offer sacrifice. So he went away, and I asked
Lysis some more questions. I dare say, Lysis, I said, that your father and
mother love you very much.
Certainly, he said.
Lysis |
