By time traveling through, so far, 48,000 years, Saunders has:
"'...seen the workings of the great laws in the rise and fall of cultures.'" (p. 262)
In particular, he has seen the Galactic Empire, still great after 10,000 years but reduced to a last fragment after another 25,000.
The Dreamer has lived through 500,000 years and has:
"'...proved rigorously that permanence is a self-contradictory concept.'" (ibid.)
Thus, although the Dreamer cannot explain every scientific-psychodynamic concept to Saunders, there is a convergence between the man's experience as a time traveler and the Vro-Hian's reasoning as a philosopher so they both deduce that the Second Empire also will decay toward chaos.
I disagree. The universe, or at least this phase of it, will decay physically but surely a civilization that at last understands its own internal processes will know how to adapt to changing circumstances and to remain dynamic as long as its material environment endures?
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I remain totally skeptical it will be possible for any civilization built by FALLEN or other, similarly fallen beings to so completely the internal of every BEING (not merely civilization) that it can remain permanently dynamic as long as the universe lasts. To me, that would be possible only if were not fallen and prone to sin, error, and death (as Fr. Axor might say).
It's hard enough for any civilization or society to simply not be TOO bad, never mind aspiring to an impossible Utopian pefection!
Ad astra! Sean
I think it’s a false analogy to imagine a science of society that could function like physics. Human societies are made up of -self-acting- particles. Electrons can switch phase states but can’t decide to do so.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Exactly! And I attribute this impossible Utopian hope for a "science of society" to the baleful influence of Jean Jacques Rousseau and Karl Marx.
Ad astra! Sean
I agree. That is why any science of psychology/society/social interactions etc has to involve individual and collective self-understanding, not a political/scientific elite pushing buttons to manipulate populations.
Kaor, Paul!
Nonetheless, I strongly suspect some politicians and ideologues will attempt precisely that to any alleged "science of psychology/social interactions" and fail bloodily.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Deffo.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Getting OFF this rock would limit the harm from such disasters. It would be much harder for any fanatical ideologue to corral the entire human race into such a strait jacked if it scatters in all directions!
Ad astra! Sean
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