--- Title: Priest and Clinician Debate Body and Soul Description: Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, N. Y., 26 January 1933, pp. 2 and 4 (edition M2; the first page in other editions). Report by John J. A. O'Neill, Science Editor of The Eagle, of Alfred Adler's lecture "The Growing Child and the Growing Mind" at the Grace Clinic, 121 Fort Greene Place, Brooklyn, on the evening of 25 January 1933, and of the discussion that followed with Mons. John L. Belford on body and soul; the individual as a unit, the goal of completion, the mother's influence, position in the family. Author: John J. A. O'Neill URL: https://adler.school/archivo/adler/cronicas/original/1933-01-26%20Priest%20and%20Clinician%20Debate%20Body%20and%20Soul --- # PRIEST AND CLINICIAN DEBATE BODY AND SOUL ## Mons. Belford and Dr. Adler Disagree on Separation Between Spirit and Flesh at Lecture on Child Psychology at Grace Clinic By JOHN J. A. O'NEILL Science Editor of The Eagle The dividing line between body and soul, if any, was the subject of a discussion, quite philosophical, between Mons. John L. Belford, D.D., and Dr. Alfred Adler, noted neurologist and psychiatrist, following a lecture by Dr. Adler last night at Grace Clinic, 121 Fort Greene Place. Dr. Adler's subject was "The Growing Child and the Growing Mind." Dr. Adler outlined the development of the growing mind in the new organism, the child, and described the various influences to which it is subjected, starting with the factors of heredity at the time of conception and continuing with the prenatal conditions influencing it. He outlined the impacts of other personalities, particularly its mother, that aid, hinder or participate to some extent in shaping the course in which the new individual avails itself of the opportunities for development. **Considered as a Unit** It is necessary to always consider the individual as a whole and to understand any phase consideration must be given to the person as a unit, Dr. Adler declared. This is essential, he pointed out, as any phenomenon of our lives is influenced by all other phenomena, (Please Turn to Page 4) # Debate Body And Soul at Grace Clinic (Continued from Page 1) and conditions and events of one period influence those of subsequent periods. Human beings, he said, are products of evolution, and as such represent the progress made toward achieving a goal of completion toward which they are striving. Between the actual accomplishments and the goal sought there always will be a gap, no matter to what extent the race or the individual develops. As a result of this gap between achieved progress and the goal sought the human being is always out of balance with its environment—tensions exist because of what it is and what it is striving to be. In the new organism—the child—the distance to be traversed toward the goal of achievement is greatest; but it has the greatest adaptability for growth and accomplishment. It suffers less from handicaps that are accumulated more rapidly later in life and hinder evolutionary accomplishment. The child is affected in its development by those within its own circle, drawing its patterns of behavior largely from the mother, and only turning to others when access to its mother is not available. As a result a heavy duty devolves upon the mother to treat all children in the family with careful impartiality and to wield the right kind of influence. **Cites Mother's Influence** Examples were cited by Dr. Adler to show how the influence of the mother in childhood crops up in various ways and under many disguises in later life of the individual. Reactions on the child due to its position in the family are significant, he said, making it possible for him quite frequently to be able to determine whether a child was the oldest or second oldest in the family. The youngest child, he said, is the one that quite frequently develops the greatest brilliance, due to the favoritism showered on it. Monsignor Belford said he was pleased to observe that Dr. Adler's views concerning the child and the responsibility of the members of the family toward it were so orthodox. He then asked Dr. Adler if he made any distinction between body and soul. "The body and soul cannot be separated," replied Dr. Adler. "There is the ego, the personality, the real self; there is the totality of the individual. Beyond this there is no more. There is nothing static; everything and every part grows and develops. "The growth and movement of part or phase of self reacts on all others and therefore what is true for growth of body is also true for growth of soul. I do not see any necessity for a gap between soul and body." "Is there not some entity that loves, that appreciates and makes contact with things not of the flesh?" asked Monsignor Belford. "It is a part of the totality of the individual," replied Dr. Adler. "Do you, then, consider the soul and the body complementary to each other?" asked the Monsignor. "They both work together," said Dr. Adler. Dr. Edwin L. Grace was chairman of the meeting, which was attended by an overflow audience that filled the rooms adjoining the auditorium. Grace Clinic is an institution for group medicine. A number of physicians, surgeons and specialists unite to make available under a single roof a wide array of professional, clinical and medical facilities. It has been established under the plan of the famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, of which most of the members of the staff are graduates. Lectures for the medical profession and interested laymen are given monthly. --- *Fuente:* John J. A. O'Neill, "Priest and Clinician Debate Body and Soul. Mons. Belford and Dr. Adler Disagree on Separation Between Spirit and Flesh at Lecture on Child Psychology at Grace Clinic", *Brooklyn Daily Eagle*, Brooklyn, N. Y., Thursday, 26 January 1933. The copy at fultonhistory.com (Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle 1933 Grayscale, files 1696 and 1698) is the M2 edition, in which the report begins on p. 2, cols. 7-8 (the jump line, "Please Turn to Page 4", and the continuation heading, "Continued from Page 1", refer to the front page of the other editions), and continues on p. 4, cols. 3-5, under the heading "Debate Body And Soul at Grace Clinic". Transcribed from the page images; the OCR, which mixes the columns with neighbouring items, was used only for orientation. Neighbouring items on both pages omitted.