"Some people didn't take to being civilized; their DNA wasn't right for it." (p. 185)
This is the old and protean enemy of Anderson's first future history. See here. But how different are the two future histories! The Psychotechnic History has native Martians, a colonized Venus, psychotechnics and FTL whereas the Harvest of Stars history has Lunarians, personality downloads, the cybercosm and Life Mothers.
Is there a conflict between (some) human DNA and civilization? I saw a TV discussion that counterposed violent humanity and peaceful civilization but this is another false dichotomy. It is the humanity that has built the civilization and the civilization that generates violence so there is peace in the humanity and violence in the civilization. Opposites interpenetrate.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
It's far truer to say the violence we see so often comes from our flawed human nature and personalities, and not from civilization, per se. Civilization comes from the better sides of that human nature.
Sean
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