Panel Agrees Man Has Changed Little
"The Flague and Men" was the forum subject which provided the basis for a discussion moderated by Peter Caws, head of the philosophy department. Participants were Valclav Mudroch, assistant professor of history: Franklin Nelick, associate professor of English; and Reinhard Kuhn, associate professor of Romance languages.
The view that 20th century man reacts to critical dangers in much the same manner that medieval man reacted to the plague was offered last night at the Humanities Forum.
John Meixner, assistant professor of English, was selected last night as president of next year's Humanities Forum.
Prof. Caws drew a parallel between 20th Century man's reaction to the threat of atomic war and the medieval man's reaction to the threat of the plague.
PROF CAWS GAVE an account that those fleeing the plague sough refuge in caves and took "guns and cudgels" for "protection" from others also seeking safety. The similarity to the attitudes of United States citizens regarding closing the fallout shelter door to neighbors is obvious, he said.
The four participants passed the speaking privilege back and forth as easily as the single, speaker's-table ash tray changed hands during the informal hour and a half discussion.
The social effect of plagues was one of the central threads tieing the four speakers together. Prof. Mudroch pointed out one small social phenomena that was triggered by the disaster of plague during medieval times—the widows of plague victims remarried.
Prof. Mudroch offered the theory that plagues served to focus social problems and create situations favorable to social change.
"THE IDEA ROSE THAT if there was equality in death, why not
equality in life? The periods following the plagues of 1348 and 1349 were marked by the rise of peasants, Prof. Mudroch said.
Prof. Kuhn said novelists and writers throughout time have used plagues, or the "plagues" of their time, as backrops for their works. He discussed the way Albert Camus used the Oran, Algeria, plague as a literary device in his novel, "The Plague." The plague-stricken city offered a closed arena where the characters were forced to face crisis.
"There is evidence that crude forms of communism were prevalent in England at times of social unrest following natural disasters." Prof. Mudroch cited the tenets of John Ball, saying the man favored communal control of all world property.
"When it strikes (the plague), the people are forced to take stands," Prof. Kuhn said.
PROF. NELICK POINTED OUT that during the plague in England, popular scholarly thought did not regard the plague as the act of an angry god, as was a popular belief elsewhere during the 14th century.
"Sam Pepys (the diarist) viewed the plague with the Newtonian observation that there must be a way out. Pepys was a man of surface inspection who wanted to live life now." Prof. Nelick said.
Prof. Kuhn also pointed out during the discussion that in the 20th century the individual life has become more important. Prof. Mudroch agreed. Prof. Kuhn presented the general theme centered on the doubt of life-after-death has acted to increase the importance of man's happiness during life.
It was mentioned that disasters such as plagues served to trigger social movements and that modern science's mastery of such disasters has removed a force for social change.
"We have managed to surround ourselves with a buffer zone that serves as protection against natural social forces such as plagues," Prof. Caws said.
Plummer Presents Recital Tonight
Wednesday, May 16, 1962 University Daily Kansan
Rosemary Plummer, Atchison seni on, will present her senior recital in piano at 8 tonight in Swarthout Recital Hall.
Miss Plummer is currently a pupil of Richard Angeletti, instructor of piano. She has previously studied with Jan Chiapusso, professor emeritus of piano. She graduated in 1958 from Mount St. Scholastica College where she studied with Sister Chrysostom Koppes. She appeared twice as piano soloist with the orchestra there.
France Makes Key Decisions
PARIS — (UPI) — President Charles de Gaulle's government today relieved two generals of their commands in its struggle against the terrorist Secret Army Organization (OAS), and five cabinet ministers resigned in a policy dispute over European political unity.
At the same time, the government authorized Defense Minister Pierre Messmer to draft all youths in Algeria from the ages of 19 to 21 into the Army to remove them from OAS influence.
Information Minister Alain Peyretite announced that the two generals who were relieved were Gen. Henri Sauvagnac, commander of the second military region at Lille, and Gen. Pierre Moneglia, who holds a command in the French army in Germany.
The five cabinet ministers, all members of the Catholic popular Republican Party (MRP), resigned because De Gaulle said yesterday he opposes the political integration of Western Europe—a key point of MRP policy.
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