BR TO GILBERT MURRAY, 2 DEC. 1954
BRACERS 52439. TLS. Murray papers, Bodleian
Edited by W. Bruneau. Proofread by A.G. Bone

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41 Queen’s Road
Richmond
Surrey
2 December, 1954.

Dear Gilbert,

Thank you very much for sending me your address to the Classical Association which I have read with much interest and nearly complete agreement. It does not seem to me at all like the remarks of the professor in my story, as you said it was. I am not sure that you are right in saying that ennui, discontent and disgust have not hitherto been fruitful sources of poetry: I think Ecclesiastes is evidence to the contrary.

I am in whole-hearted agreement with you about Arnold Toynbee, and I think one could use him (though I should not do so) as an argument against purely cultural education. The texture of modern life is much more influenced by science than by either culture or religion, but hardly any of the people who write about culture are acquainted with any of the ideas that have been potent since 1500. I sometimes wish that Platonists would study some of the subjects that Plato thought important. But they never do. They read the Theaetetus, but they would not dream of knowing the work of Theaetetus on the regular solids which was what made Plato think him worthy of note.

I shall be immensely honoured if you come to hear me on Mill, but I really don’t think it will be worth your while. I agree with you that he was mostly right, except in purely theoretical matters.

Your faithful swine,
B.R.