This clip of Kenneth McKenzie Clark, Baron Clark, OM, CH, KCB, FBA is from the end of his BBC documentary series Civilisation. Here Lord Clark complains about the lack of a true center, as he then could see none. Thankfully, Lord Clark found that center shortly before the end of his life, and was received into the Catholic Church.
“The great achievement of the Catholic Church,” said Lord Clark in Civilisation, “lay in harmonizing, civilising the deepest impulses of ordinary, ignorant people.”
This post was published on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 10:03 am. It has been categorised under Arts & CultureHistory and been tagged under Tradition. Click here to view comments or respond.
Forty year ago, and what can one say of the years since? Further decline, to the extent that his very accent is now vanishingly rare in the country which nurtured him. And as for the clarity of thought and precision of vocabulary!
An admirable man, but i must say I prefer the greater vigour shown by his son Alan (not to mention his admiration for the furor Teutonicus).
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Baron v Senden
3 July 2009
9:07 am
Thank you so much for this. If only our politicians could take note of this and our so-called educators. Yesterday, the leader of the Conservatives apologised at a “Gay Pride event” for Section 28. “I am sorry for Section 28. We got it wrong. It was an emotive issue. I hope you can forgive us.” He does not say exactly what they “got wrong” but the essence of Section 28 was given in THE TELEGRAPH: “the law introduced by the Thatcher government banning local authorities from promoting homosexuality…(it) banned local authorities from spending any money portraying homosexuality in a positive light.” So one must assume that the leader of the Conservative Party does believe that it is good “to promote” homosexuality in schools and “for local authorities to spend money portraying homosexuality in a positive light.” As Clark says, quoting Yeats, “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” It is worth knowing that a book was made of the Clark CIVILISATION series and can still be obtained second-hand.
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Chrysostom
5 July 2009
8:48 am
Kenneth Clark was surely one of the greatest souls of his age. I had no idea he converted to Catholicism near the end of his life, but am thrilled to hear it.
8:19 pm
Forty year ago, and what can one say of the years since? Further decline, to the extent that his very accent is now vanishingly rare in the country which nurtured him. And as for the clarity of thought and precision of vocabulary!
An admirable man, but i must say I prefer the greater vigour shown by his son Alan (not to mention his admiration for the furor Teutonicus).
9:07 am
Thank you so much for this. If only our politicians could take note of this and our so-called educators. Yesterday, the leader of the Conservatives apologised at a “Gay Pride event” for Section 28. “I am sorry for Section 28. We got it wrong. It was an emotive issue. I hope you can forgive us.” He does not say exactly what they “got wrong” but the essence of Section 28 was given in THE TELEGRAPH: “the law introduced by the Thatcher government banning local authorities from promoting homosexuality…(it) banned local authorities from spending any money portraying homosexuality in a positive light.” So one must assume that the leader of the Conservative Party does believe that it is good “to promote” homosexuality in schools and “for local authorities to spend money portraying homosexuality in a positive light.” As Clark says, quoting Yeats, “Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” It is worth knowing that a book was made of the Clark CIVILISATION series and can still be obtained second-hand.
8:48 am
Kenneth Clark was surely one of the greatest souls of his age. I had no idea he converted to Catholicism near the end of his life, but am thrilled to hear it.