Fame in a Name; #3 And #4

Fame in a name each week at this time place college faculty members present fame in the main word portraits of men and women past and present whose lives and careers have added to the wisdom comfort or beauty of the world with you today. Is Dr. Jon Sale a professor of English at Pace College in New York. He discusses the fame in the name of Dunn today part one. Here now is Dr. safely perhaps the easiest way for a modern reader to make himself familiar with Dantes Divine Comedy is to look at it as an exploration of the way of self discovery that Donta wrote about the human self in a comedy and in a poem can be legitimately interpreted as an exploration of the inner world of the self was indicated by the poet himself in a letter to his friend and patron can ground a ruler of their own are done to explain that his poem. Just like the Bible

had three additional meanings beyond the plain literal sense. It is true Dunta says that the literal story is about the state of souls after death for the whole progress of the work hinges on it and about it. But the literal story is merely a cloak a Bellarmine Zalia a beautiful life which hides the truth. It is the outward garment of the allegorical. The model and the anti-God tical meanings which together constitute the truth of the poor. Dante presents a way to a unified view of both the world and the self. The two can indeed hardly be separated for the divided self cannot experience the unity of the world but the unity of Dante's vision can only be had at a price. This is the price of self-recognition. This is a price that few people are willing to pay. Because they do not know that after facing that inner inferno they would come to the paradise within.

The three allegorical meanings revealed to us first the state of human society and the way to the realisation of the kingdom of God. Second the progress of the individual soul in this life from sin to purification and to the life of grace. And finally a series of interstates through which men pass from confusion and complete isolation to utter absorption in the vision of God. These three meanings Dunta cause into an allegory proper which means the social political significance model allegory and am I going. Take for example the three animals which confront Dante at the beginning of the poem as he is trying to leave the obscure forest where he had gone astray. A beautiful hillside lies before him invitingly in the morning light. However a leopard first and then a lion and the wolf. Drive him back to where the sun is silent now in the literal story these animals are simply what they seem to

be. Wild beasts preventing Dunta from leaving the world where he finds himself lost halfway through his mortal life. But in the social political allegory these are emblems of the Florentine city state the kingdom of France and the worldly power of the papacy. All these prevent the unification of Italy and the establishment of a just social political order in the model allegory they represent the habit your vices of loss anger and greed which stand in the way of the individual Christians moral improvement. Finally in the end I got your interpretation. We may see in them spiritual states like egotism destructiveness and fortification which whatever prevent people from growth and self-development. 43 allegorical meanings the last the end I got to call life quite close to the concept of growth oriented modern psychiatry. Some psychologists speak of mans growth toward self actualisation all immature

behavior in their view is only a series of steps toward a fuller realization of all the inherent capacities and potentialities of the human being. It is interesting to note that one of these psychologists speaks of psychology. If psychotherapy makes sick people not sick and remove symptoms then psychology takes up where therapy leaves off and tries to make not sick people healthy. The similarity between the words and I go edgy and psychology is not quite accidental. Both used to be our guide to lead and I go gee in the sense of leading upwards to the vision of God and psychology in the sense of leading to full psychological health to self actualisation in which all the creative powers of man psyche are unfolded. Both lead through a series of inner states which can be quite similar if not identical. The person striving for self actualization must first of all understand himself as he is at

present. He must see all the distortions misconceptions neurotic patterns in his psyche which prevent him from growing toward psychological health. He must achieve the state of self-knowledge in the sense of knowing his own sickness. Next he must learn to use his self-knowledge to gradually correct these neurotic distorted patterns which is in our confusions and misquote misconceptions give rise to. He must in brief accept the consequences of his self-knowledge. In actual behavior this state you might call coming up to one's own standards of psychological health. Finally once a person has straightened out through self understanding and actual living the distorted concepts in his psyche as well as his neurotic patterns of behavior he becomes free to enter the last stage which is the state of or stage of self actualisation self unfoldment. The first two stages might be accomplished in psychotherapy. The final stage is where

psychology takes over. Dante's journey through the three kingdoms of the Spirit parallels the threefold division of. The Inferno which Donta explores under the guidance of Virgil the representative of human reason is like a museum where all the distorted illusion borne patterns of human behavior which inductors day were called passions and vices are exhibited in the inferno. Man travels the bitter descent of self-recognition so necessary to review psychological health without becoming aware of the actual or latent evil and error and nothingness within himself. Man builds on a foundation of sand. Only when done to has traversed all the nine circles of the inferno and seen all all. Can he emerge to the light of the stars which symbolize eternal truth. The poor got Oreo is the realm where a man learns to divest himself. Of bonds. That are imposed on him by sinful

habit. Here again under the guidance of reason done to see how by practicing self abnegation and keeping the right examples always before them the souls slowly straighten out all the distortions with which sin has crippled them until at the top of the mountain they stand free and erect ready to enter the earthly paradise. In this place of perfect innocence. Man becomes his original uncorrupted self. It is in the garden of the earthly paradise on the top of Mount Purgatory. The Dante's heavenward journey begins. He meets his new guide Beatrice the woman who taught him the meaning of love but who also stands for divine revelation the wisdom of having ordinary human reason cannot take man any further. Here the wisdom of love takes over. The parody so can indeed be regarded a supreme self actualisation. Here all the latent powers of the soul are unfolded as data rises through the planetary and the stellar

heavens he reaches new and new heights of human perfection represented by the placid spirits he meets there at last. Absorbed in the Beatific Vision man is fully actualized he becomes what he was protect what he has potentially always been his true self. We can see the doctor's way to unity is not after all so far from modern man's attempts to reach the same goal. The state of self-knowledge the knowledge of the soul's sickness is common to both. So is the state of freeing oneself from the distortions in thought and in action until one is free to realize one's or original aspirations of a good life finally growing. Going beyond these aspirations Dunta definitely points to the attainment of perfect selfhood here. Modern psychology is much less sure but it does extend a direction or a signal or toward a goal. Vaguely called greater creativity self actualisation becoming a real person.

The deduction However in both instances in Dunta and in modern psychology is upward toward a greater image of man from the point of view than of human development we can establish a common ground between what Dante is unfolding in the comedy and the aspirations of modern man done within his contemporary religious and philosophical framework. Presents us with a detailed map of the way which leads to the integration of the human personality. We have the same desire but our road is not as detailed and clear. Setting out down on Dundas journey we find parallels with states of mind quite well known to us right from the beginning before Dunta makes the decision to explore the inferno under the guidance of Virgil. He finds himself lost in a dark wood when and how he got into it. He does not remember. I cannot tell

exactly how I entered it. I was so full of sleep at that point where I abandoned the true way he says. He was full of sleep when he abandoned the true way. Then suddenly about midway through life the sleep is broken and the traveller comes to himself in the trackless forest. We are perhaps more than people of Dante's day haunted by this feeling of loss to us. We try to prolong our sleep by a diet of distractions. Newspapers involvement in illusionary ambitions superficial social contacts. But somewhere midway through life's journey the inexhaustible necessity of self-knowledge begins to take hold of us. Then our pleasant vices begin to show their show their true colors. They bear their fangs at us and pushes back into the forest of confusion out of the joyful clear sunlight. Then in our frantic groping we too like Dante come

upon someone as Shadow who is as doctor says horse from long silence. And as he begins to begins to speak we recognize what we had silenced for so long within us the voice of reason not the reason of our little calculations and speculations of how to get the better of the next fellow. How to increase our little comforts. How to plan our investments. This reason is the collective wisdom of the greatest human minds poets philosophers who tell us that our last must comes from our ignorance of ourselves and of our true destiny. This is exactly what Virgil tells Dante. The traveler must first come to understand what is it within himself. That keeps him from ascending the mountain of joy his own illusions his own errors and his confused wishes. Only then can he begin his upward climb. So they go descend into the inferno right

inside the gate of hell Dunton Virgil come upon us large crowd strange tongs horrible out cries of words of pain tones of anger voices deepen hoarse and the sound of battering hands break the silence behind a continually whirling banner. Come song a train of people that Dante cannot believe the death had undone so many. These are as Virgil explains the few tile who could never make up who could never make up their minds whether they wanted heaven or hell who passed their lives in a constant state of indecision following unreal aims symbolized by the restless banner. Now both heaven and hell reject them. You have just heard Dr. John say Lee professor of English at Pace College in New York discussed the fame in the name of Dante part one free transcript of today's talk as well as a list of other lectures given in this series. Maybe obtained by writing to Feynman in the

name paste College New York New York one hundred thirty eight. We also welcome your comments and suggestions. The address again is fame in the name Hayes College New York New York one hundred thirty eight. This program was distributed by the national educational radio network. They named him a name each week at this time pace college faculty

members present fame in the name weird point roots of men and women past and present whose lives and careers have added to the wisdom comfort or beauty of the world. With you today is Dr. John safely professor of English at Pace College in New York. He discusses the fame in the name of Dante. Part two. Here now is Dr. safely. Right inside the gate of hell Dunton Virgil come upon a large crowd. Strange tongs horrible outcries words of pain tones of anger voices deepen hoarse and the sound of battering hands break the silence. Behind a continually whirling banner. Come so long a train of people the Dante cannot believe the death had undone so many. These are as Virgil explains the few tiles who could never make up who could never make up their minds whether they wanted heaven or hell. Who passed their lives in a constant state

of indecision following unreal aims symbolized by the restless banner. Now both heaven and hell reject them. These unfortunate who were never alive were naked and solely goaded by wasps and hornets. The stings made their faces stream with blood which flew down to their feet mixed with tears and was licked up there below somewhere. It is not difficult to see in them the victims of a wholly alienated way of life. People who have never been themselves who never made a decision as to what was what was really their own good or bad who are always looking to the opinions of others and were thus plagued by the stings of anxiety humiliation fear over their lives. Prove they are the same people about whom TS Eliot has said in our own days. Need a planet you know a vacancy only a flicker over the strained face is distracted from distraction by distraction filled with

fancies and empty of meaning to meet apathy with no concentration. Men and bits of paper world by the cold wind Virgil's and reasons comment upon them is brief and contemptuous. Let us not speak of them but look at class. The place of those who lost the good of the intellect is the hell the Dante and Virgil now traversed circle by circle to the final icebound lake of cockatrice where the souls of creators stand or lie frozen in the ice of absolute and final isolation. This state is the extreme logical outcome of all error and delusion which begins by distorting reality ever so slightly to suit some unreal desire and ends up in the utter aloneness of an insane dream. Every human distortion finds a need in the inferno. All the indulgences hopes wishes which have the secret purpose of making the self into the center of an ice bound universe are

exhibited here and there in the middle of the lake of ice towers up the monstrous the grotesque figure of Satan with his six bat wings fanning the icy as the three blood slavering mouth in history had chewing the three arch traitors. Brutus cashless and Judas the three had an obscene parody of The Holy Trinity. The six black wings are utterly transformed remains of his six luminous cherubs wings. He is the infernal image of the self as the holy trinity is the divine image. Deep at the heart of all destructive ness all pride all in can incontinence and fraud and malice Dunta says. There is the same parody of what God intended man to be an unholy trinity of hate and impotence and ignorance. Satan is the image of the self that refuses to grow that wants to be the center of the universe and exercised absolute dominion over others. But instead

of achieving its aim he finds himself frozen and alone with all the weight of a hostile world having upon him because he is in the center. As Dante puts it constrained by all the weight of the universe he is distressed prettily fanning the air with his once beautiful wings and is unable to rise. The glimpse of this horrible figure at the lowest point of the journey is the end of the descent into the dark dark places of oneself. Once we have looked at the true image of pride which makes us put ourselves into the center of the world and have seen this image in its true shape without illusions of glory or strength or beauty. We can repudiate all actions are natural words which spring from such a concept of the self. When Dante and Virgil climb out of hell and look back from the first ledge of the rock chimney leading up to the southern hemisphere they see the hairy legs of

Satan sticking up below them. They have passed the center Satan is just up on his head. They have overcome the perverse self-will of man and the satanic figure of the fallen self no longer looks terrifying. It now looks absurd and ridiculous. The emergence from the close and stifling atmosphere of Hell to the open spaces and the dawn sky of Mount Purgatory is another of the recognisable places of the spiritual journey of human development. Only now are those done to feel the full fatigue of the terrible voyage. Only an hour does he realize how heavily the cross circles of misery and hopelessness had weighed upon him. His face is all big ride through the fog and smoke of the inferno. But as he looks up to the eastern sky now the sweet color of Orient sapphire. He cannot take his eyes off the beauty of the news the beautiful planet that strengthens us to love.

The light is restored to his eyes. His senses raise reviving the soft coolness of the early morning. The world is open before him. The sky pure even to the first circle. And along the gently sloping shore where the morning mists flee before the dawn he suddenly recognizes the trembling of the infinite sea. We feel here with Dante that we had been mortally sick without knowing it and only realized the dangers that we passed when wrecked. Recovery has already begun but these glimpses of joy these delights of the recovering soul are not fulfillment yet they are invitations to ascend the mountain of purgatory. The mountain of purification upon whose terrace is the inveterate habits of pride and the anger sloth avarice gluttony and lost are corrected. Modern modern psychology is beginning to recognise. In the same habits of

compulsive behavior geared to the satisfaction of pseudo needs born of certain misconceptions such needs can never be fully satisfied because they are immature substitutes that cover up the real need for love for deep experience for life and for the resulting self actualisation In other words. The habits classified as those of the seven deadly sins are not purgatory. Our habits which today we would call neurotic patterns that prevent man from growth and self-development. As we follow Virgil and Dante up the mountain we experience the ascending stages of a life lived in the light of self-knowledge the habits of sin and error are still within us. But they are now experienced as a burden and an obstacle instead of illusionary satisfactions.

We are still proud as we climbed the mountain. But we bear our pride as a crushing weight and no longer strut in it as in a gilded armor. Dante's penitence are carrying huge stones on their backs and they are almost bent double until after they have done their penance. The stones fall off and they are ready to ascend to the next terrace. Day after day while the light of reason falls on us by the sunlight last we climb losing one cramping habit after another. A little straighter at each turning of the staff. Dante and Virgil are not allowed to climb when the sun is absent during the night. They have to stop this represents a spiritual law of the mountain. While there is no help from God no help of grace progress

cannot continue it has to wait until the sun rise. At night Downton Virgil stop and talk and dream and see visions. And on the way he and us come to understand many things as if scales were falling off our eyes with each compulsive habit left behind. We come to see in the verges grey discourse during the second night of the mountain that the basic energy behind each and every human action and thought is love. All human vice and destructiveness is the mystery action of love and that once love runs in the proper channels toward God fellow man and fellow creature man will recover his lost original nature and with it his last origin or happiness. When Dante awakes from his last dream just below the top of Mount Purgatory with him we understand to the full meaning of liberation.

The mountain is essentially the way to inward liberation from all distortion and compulsion from illusion and error not in chain the stupendous creative and enjoying powers of the human soul. This is why Dante makes Carteaux the champion of Roman liberty the guardian of Mount Purgatory. So when Dante leaving the last places of purgation behind him sees an allegorical dream about the active and calm contemplative life that now open before him. He experiences a new awakening. And now the brightness of dawn came which rises more welcome to the pilgrims as they on their return. Large less far from home and the shades of night were fleeing on every side. And my dream with them. First Dante awoke to reason in the dark wood of the air. Now he awakes to freedom on the top of the mountain. He's closer to home to his home.

Virgil the voice of reason says to him now take your pleasure for your guide. You are out of the steep and narrow way down to and man becomes free at this point. He has recovered the or original innocence that Adam had lost. It is his pleasure to do the right thing. No wonder therefore that the garden on the top of the top of Mount Purgatory is the earthly paradise miraculously transplanted there by God after the fall of man speaking the language of the anti-guard the spiritual meaning the garden here is a state of freedom and innocence which corresponds to man's origin all on corrupted self. The journey to the mountaintop was the peeling away of the dark crust which had covered up this core of an origin all divinely created innocent self in man. It is quite natural that it is here in this garden of the uncorrupted

self done to meet his new guide Beatrice the girl who in his adolescence gave him the experience of overwhelming self transcending love Vergil who gave voice to the wisdom of human reason vanishes. Dante looks for him in vain and is terrified before Beatrice who reproaches him for having strayed from the straight road that she had pointed out to him. She is not human reason but the wisdom of love or divine revelation. Four down to two are identical in confronting Beatrice. Done to relive the original shattering experience and my spirit is as felt the mighty power of ancient love. And it is here that his name is mentioned for the first and only time in the comedy. When Beatrice addresses him as Dante. The name signifies the recovery of full individuality at this point of the journey done to becomes truly Dante that is himself. He has now become the person who first awakened

in him when at the age of nine he was overwhelmed at the sight of a little girl of eight dressed in modest crimson. And so too in our journey of self-discovery we come to a point where we seem to recover but with a greater certainty. All that we had glimpsed in the highest moments of our youth and adolescence first love first visions first aspirations then we become really ourselves and we see a continuity in our lives which points to growth and fulfillment. At this moment Dante in his journey has attained what many psychologists would not hesitate to call full maturity freedom and psychic health. He can do the right thing with pleasure. He is free of compulsion is both intellectual and emotional. He has found the original wellspring of deep emotion profound love within himself. He now prepares guided by Beatrice for a flight through the planetary happens and finally to the beatific vision.

The last county copy of the comedy diesel maps the stages of man's inward growth and intimate growth of which we as yet know very little. The inferno is quite well known though far from Concord if the annals of crime and politics proved insufficient. The Notebooks of any psychoanalyst would provide excellent illustrations. You have just heard Dr John say ily professor of English at Pace College New York discussed the fame in the name of Dante part two free transcripts of today's talk as well as a list of other lectures given in this series may be obtained by writing to fame in the name paste College New York New York 138. We also welcome your comments and suggestions. The address again is fame in a MAME pace College New York New York one hundred

thirty eight. This program was distributed by the national educational radio network.