DILEMMAS AND DIFFICULTIES
The Moral Basis of Politics. By Naonii Mitchison stable. 8s. 6d.)
THERE is one accidentally but immensely topical sentence in Mrs. Mitchison's The Moral Basis of Politics. " Who can doubt," she writes, " that, say, Anthony Eden has been exempt from painful dilemmas resulting from conflict of loyalties ? " After the recent political turmoil, whose waves are still washing the corners of the country and whose effects may reach further than man can fancy, it might be deemed an opportune moment for the publication of a book bearing such a title. Its topicality is further assisted by the latest outbreak of Soviet trials of distinguished Russians. Mrs. Mitchison could not have foreseen these incidents. But the earlier samples gave her deep and constant cause for anxiety. Should they or should they not be ignored by those who are serving " the good " ? " The good " is, we may explain, most nearly attained, in the opinion of the author, by the U.S.S.R. Mrs. Mitchison maintains that jealousies and personal anxieties have been largely eliminated there. And yet, by some fortunate omission, this book is not yet published by the Left Book Club.
It may be that the speculation I have set out above does rot accurately represent one of the dilemmas postulated. I am afraid that any inaccuracy of the sort may not be wholly the fault of the reviewer. It is an unbelievably difficult book to review. Its very style, while vastly characteristic, is deceptive. You are at once intrigued by an amusing succession of col- loquialisms. It is almost a matter for surprise that such highly conversational language should be permanently enshrined within the covers of a book. But suddenly the reader pauses and asks, " What exactly does that mean ? " Subtly a problem of first-rate magnitude is slipped before the reader's conscious- ness. In surprise and with perhaps a certain amount of intel- lectual alarm he will retrace his steps and go slowly over the ground he thought he had adequately traversed. Mrs. Mitchison is not an easy authoress to read.
Just because of its intrinsic difficulty, the chapter which deals with " Dilemmas and Choices " is of outstanding value. Some idea of its trend can be gathered from the remark on the first page, " I am not going to know beforehand where I shall end up." This embarrassing honesty is amplified in the footnote, which runs, " Of course, by the time the chapter is revised and ready for the Press, I do know. But honestly, I did not know where I should end when I was in course of writing the chapter, and, in fact; I was a good deal surprised and upset by the conclusions to which I found I had come." So the reader- has the privilege of watching what I venture to describe as an excellent mind at work. Only he must needs watch closely and abandon all hope of having an easy time. This is no bedside book. After reading it twice, I am still wondering if have grasped its message and assessed its balance. My mind is still spinning with the effort of sorting parentheses.
This is an exceedingly personal book, so, as is the way with many contemporary publications, it does not succeed in being so objective as one could wish. Mrs. Mitchison's political convictions, or at least her political tendencies, are evident at once. But her intellectual honesty, her knowledge and her integrity of purpose should reconcile anyone. She digs about in the consciousness of herself and other people. And she is tremendously worth watching as she transfers her thoughts to paper. Does she work immensely fast or immensely slowly ? This kind of enquiry ought not to intrude into the mind of any reader, however scatterbrained. Style should illuminate, assist and grip ; it should not worry or tease or tantalise.
Yet the effort to understand and to follow is well worth while. The Moral Basis of Politics might be described as a study in difficulties, both internal and external—difficulties of style, of argument, of expression and of decision. Here is a remarkable passage : " If this country were actually attacked, it would certainly defend itself (no doubt by the methods mentioned above—air bombing of enemy cities and destruction of civilians) Ind has really very little choice, as there is no general practice 4' activist Pacifism, so no Pp pacifist policy is possible, and it • eems highly doubtful whether the mild p pacifists would be Ible to do much." After the word " possible " is a dagger to indicate a footnote, which runs : " It must be fairly clear that o be effective non-violence must be- practically unanimous ; one person losing their temper spoils the whole thing." With
some little pride I believe I have actually found out not only what this passage means but also how it fits into the pattern of the book. One puts up with these problems of meaning, one almost enjoys them, because Mrs. Mitchison is a law to heiself. This latest book of hers must be regarded as but a single incident in an incomplete procession of publications, or as a mere corner of the total picture of her work.
It is impossible to withhold respect from Mrs. Mitchison. A masculine, almost a masterly, mind has produced a pleasantly feminine book. It would be equally impossible to specify the " provisional conclusions " with which the last chapter seems to be concerned. Here is one of the penultimate word problems. " Our short-term good must vanish and change, being essentially of a given situation and not in any way transcendent, and we are willing for it to do so (as the dynamic situation changes), provided that the long-term good survives— and I believe that completely thorough l'p pacifism goes with and implies more and deeper and more creative ideas than the mere right not to be killed or kill, although this is not always realised by those who call themselves pacifists.- I do not wish to deter a single reader, but he will have to take trouble. If he does, I can promise him abundant substance beneath the
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