Free Thought 1912/3

[…]

The state form of the republic, which was inaugurated by the newspapers on the occasion of George Nagy's greatness, is undoubtedly a more developed, more perfect form of state than the monarchy. A democratic republic is also among our ideals. Yet, when we see the romantic, primitive agitation of the Hungarian Republican in a few threads, we must say that we do not consider their efforts expedient and timely. Hungary has much more burning, depressing, current problems than the form of the state. The rule of the great estate and the church in its service, which is the cause of genocide, emigration, child mortality, tuberculosis, the export of girls and many other things, is the main trouble for this sad country, for the abolition of this rule, for the democratization of the country, for the progressive for secularization and the first means of achieving all this, universal suffrage, the true and sensible friends of the country and progress must fight with all their might. It is obvious that this work alone also creates the preconditions for the republic. Anyone who, instead of fighting for these closest and most important goals, is just objecting to the form of state and is waging a windmill fight with little prospects for the time being, is diverting usable energies from those on the way forward. It is difficult to suppress our feeling that the Hungarian Republican movement is not much different from the old, perhaps not so very old, “cursed Austria-Vienna” slavish opposition struggles, without, of course, their destructive goals. But, gentlemen, think about what they would do with a republic with Albert Apponyi or Mihály Károlyi as its president and everything but the form of state remaining the same? (sz–úr.)

[…]

Movement

Secularization movement among the peasantry

The Hungarian Association of Free Thinking is today preoccupied with anti-clerical propaganda, one of the many branching tasks of the free thinking movement. Lectures, rallies, debates where their organizational conditions are in place on the always topical issues of the church and clericalism: the voluntary means of an association fighting the formidable power of clerical terror in a given context. However, if we consider that by acting in this direction we can only influence the mood of urban citizenship, ie by a small and very insignificant layer of the country's population due to political unconsciousness, it will be obvious that we cannot achieve great results. a radical improvement in its cultural situation can only be brought about by actions to be launched more widely. We can only expect a new turn if we can get the largest class of the country's population (not only in terms of number, but also in terms of self-awareness, in terms of weight) to move. Only the the organization of the peasantry and the setting of its aspirations in the path of development provide sufficient resources for the successful struggle of the anti-clerical struggle.

Citing the failed attempts of the past, many may still find it unattainable today to fortify the anti-clerical camp with the peasantry. They are also right that those goals and they are instruments that have been included so far are still really incapable of organizing the agricultural population today. But there is an issue that has merged with their most vital interests, the understanding of which cannot be, so to speak, an obstacle in Hungary, and that is: secularization. Should there be a more favorable password in front of the peasant masses writhing around the high priestly latifundiums, can there be a better means of organizing the hungry man than the possibility of suppressing his appetite? is there a need for a better weapon of agitation than the naked fact that on the one hand, nearly two million acres of land and a half billion worth of state property are trampled by a few thousand nonsensical people, hundreds of thousands of people are emigrating from the country and the blackest statistics speak of the misery of those left here!

Today, when the economic need for secularization manifests itself as a threatening compulsion, even in the skulls of parceling high priests, it is impossible not to acknowledge that if there is anything at all that can get a peasantry to start, it can only be a secularization propaganda.

But with all this in mind, I am not thinking of repeating the unsuccessful experiments that individuals and associations have begun, but of a huge action, planned and detailed, based on the use of all resources, all social and cultural interests. The following specific proposal would also be aimed at creating such a movement, which at the moment does not want to be included as any option and is flexible enough to bring about changes that are fit for purpose.

Advertise the “Free Thought” competition for a popular pamphlet written in the language of the peasantry that explains the needs of secularization: it would explain mainly to the hungry peasant. This aspect is so clear that it can be completely exhausted in a small half-arc booklet. The best written pamphlet should then be distributed to the public in millions of copies. All actions so far have stalled at this point:
its initiators, civil liberals, proved unsuitable for agitation in this direction, proving that only peasants could agitate successfully among peasants. However, this circumstance is no longer an obstacle today: there are old, intelligent earthlings of the movement who are not only fit for such a role, but also welcome it, especially if they receive financial support. I am convinced that following these lines, not a single reader of our paper will apply for agitation work. You have to walk all the places of the country towards the winter when work is suspended, there is no income and the fear of necessity makes the mood of the people receptive. You don't need eloquence for such agitation, the facts listed in the small booklet are more effective than any speech. We have many reasons to believe that if a man appears among the peasants of a village, for whom there is no reason to be distrustful, the readings received from his hand and the explanations heard from his mouth will be seriously received and will not leave a passing mark. village life.

However, this is only one way of propaganda. The other tools available must be used at the same time. Existing organizations, political and economic associations operating within the peasantry they are happy to take part in the work. The starvation doctrine of the country now sees what it can expect from the church, which lowers him to become a parish servant and begins to realize which camp has its place in the anti-clerical struggle. The self-conscious teacher, the sad intelligence of the much-mentioned “peripheries,” will be the main strength of the secularization movement. There is another group whose work can definitely be expected, and this free-thinking student body is now a respectable camp. The Galilee Circle issued the password years ago to "get out of the village!" For the time being, the aim was not to organize the peasantry, but only to get to know it: but now it is time for agitation. The part of the student body that has a home in the countryside: in a village, can be an excellent carrier of propaganda. So we must seize every means, every way, so that not even the most abandoned village in the country remains untouched. I am convinced that if the movement starts, in addition to the factors mentioned, some of them will also ask for it en masse. You only have to start it once, then avalanche spontaneously grows big in the movement. And implementation must not depend on financial means: if we launch a fundraiser on an agitation platform through the anti-clerical press, a fairly large number of proponents of progress will testify to their willingness to sacrifice.

Here is only a sketch of the most overwhelming factors on which secularization propaganda can be built; but even this gaping list clearly shows that it is not naively drawn, naive it is a plan, but an action based on the coercive force of favorable conditions. There is no doubt that such action promises at least as much success as any other action in the country. democratization efforts. There may be differing views on how to act, the ways to initiate and propaganda, the details, but at the same time it is impossible to disagree that it is inevitable to start a movement. My final conclusion, then, is that one way or another, but we must immediately begin the secularization propaganda among the peasantry. Loránd Jenő

[127]

[…]

Galilei Kör.
The Galileo Circle continued the debate that began after Oscar Faber’s presentation on monastic orders on February 3, with huge interest from an audience of about 2,000. On 11 February, at the invitation of the Galilee Circle, Robert Michels, a professor at the University of Turin, gave a lecture entitled Die Soziologie der Studentenschaft. On February 14, Béla Bosnyák dr. In his presentation entitled Student Misery, he reported on the results of a student statistics survey conducted in 1908. On February 18, Ernő Bettelheim dr. gave a lecture on Catholic autonomy.

The Galileo Circle held a successful seminar last month. The science seminar included four gatherings to discuss the history of the earth, major problems in biology, the fact and evidence of descent, and theories explaining descent. The Macheminar led by Jenő Lóránd held four hours. The thermodynamic seminar started last week, which deals mainly with the medical and biological aspects of thermodynamic items.

In the framework of the lecture series entitled Jurisprudence and Sociology organized by the Legal Department, Pál Szende dr. “Public law and sociology”, Zoltán Rónai dr. “Criminal law and sociology”, Péter Ágoston dr. “Property law and sociology”, Artúr Szirtes dr. “Contract law and sociology”, József Rédei dr. A presentation was given on ‘social policy and perpetual law reform’.

The lecture series of the medical student department on the social aspects of medicine was given by Gusztáv Dirner dr. began with a lecture on “Sterilization and Its Social Aspects”. In the following, the social aspects of tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, child mortality, morbidity and mortality statistics will be discussed in one lecture.

Last month, there were several member meetings, two of which were the subject of a debate on the future of the Galilee Circle.

On February 25, an extraordinary general meeting was held by the Galileo Circle to conduct internal affairs.

Issue Informations

Src: http://mtdaportal.extra.hu/szabadgondolat/1912/1912_03.pdf
Original Publication: Szabadgondolat, 2.3, March 1912
Other Languages:

Lge	Name
DE
FR	Libre Pensée 1912/3
ES	El Pensamiento Libre 1912/3