When Flandry appears alive and armed:
"Ydwyr uttered a sentence in no language the man had heard before." (p. 340)
I found that amusing. If it were the other way around, then Ydwyr would not recognize the language if, instead of speaking Anglic, Flandry had quoted Latin.
Returning to Eriau, Ydwyr tells Flandry that he has shown Djana "'...truth.'" (p. 341)
Complacency and arrogance. Empirical truths are learned by observation and particularly by the disciplined observation of scientific method. Philosophical understanding is approached through dialogue between world views, not through the assertion of one world view as against others. We might all begin by acknowledging that current opinions are our best approach to an objective understanding as of the present date.
It is very easy to win an argument if you define both sides (truth and error) without any reference to the person that you are in disagreement with! A Transcendental Meditation propagandist to a Labour Party City Councillor on British TV:
"You're saying that everything will be alright if society is organized properly. We are saying that everything will be alright if more people meditate..."
(A simplistic dichotomy to which I once subscribed.)
Of course, the propagandist should not have begun by telling the other man what he was saying...
Ydwyr and Flandry are also dealing with another species, the Ruadrath. Flandry has earned the "'...unutterable hatred...'" (p. 341) of the Ruad, Rrinn. Since Merseians and Terrans will subsequently establish a joint scientific base on Talwin, it is to be hoped that Flandry will have the opportunity to return and repair the damage with Rrinn.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree,for Ydwyr claiming to Flandry that he had shown Djana how "truthful" Merseia's ambitions were was indeed arrogant and complacent. It reminded me of the very similar arrogance and complacency shown in "Tiger By The Tail" by Flandry's captor: "I tell you this," said Cerdic, "because a wisp of conscience may be left in you, making you uneasy about serving us. Think on what you have been told, see where justice dwells, and enter gladly into its house, which today stands upon Scotha."
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
I should have added that if I had been with the Transcendental Meditation gentleman and his Labourite interlocutor, I would have disagreed with both of them. I would have argued with the former that his vie was too simplistic. And to the Labourite that the welfare state socialism of his party has been disastrously demoralizing to the UK and concentrated far too much power int the state.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Sure. But my point was that we did not know what the Labour guy would have said. The TM man told him what he was saying! Not good. We should listen to someone BEFORE responding to him.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
A fair point, I should have paid closer heed to how the TM propagandist talked. I thought his view too simplistic to take seriously.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
Another thought I had was that the fact Terran scholars and scientists came to work on Talwin, the Ruadrath, including Rrinn, would inevitably have contacts with humans. That in time might have softened his anger against Flandry.
Ad astra! Sean
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