Several series and one-off novels by Poul Anderson describe future civilizations which, whether good or bad, are based on science, not on slavery, serfdom or superstition. Other Anderson works show earlier historical stages. Thus, Gods and other mythological forces withdraw from human affairs in
The King Of Ys (with Karen Anderson) and in
The Merman's Children and the Time Patrol preserves that medieval church-state conflict:
"'...out of which grew the first real knowledge of the universe and the first strong ideal of liberty.'"
-Poul Anderson, The Shield Of Time (New York, 1991), Part Six, 1990 A. D., p. 434.
These works neither present a linear narrative nor even represent a single genre but definitely form an artistic and conceptual unity.
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And we still have conflicts between Church and State today. The example I've thought of being the hostility the Maoist regime in Peking has for Christianity, esp. the Catholic Church. The Holy See has been trying to come to terms with the regime in Peking, but all such efforts founder on the unwillingness of the Maoists to concede the independence of the Church from the state.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Whether that regime is still "Maoist" is another matter but it is not good.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Well, the regime was founded by Mao and calls itself Maoist. And it certainly is NOT GODD.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
It has changed since it was founded but it certainly is NOT GOOD.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
The Maoist regime was never good. And whatever slight tendency it had to more further reaching reforms than the simply economic in the 1980's has been drastically reversed.
Ad astra! Sean
Note the grim scientistic dictatorship in CORRIDORS OF TIME, and the equally dystopic ‘spiritual’ one in the eastern part of the world.
Science, like reason itself, is simply a tool. It helps you get what you want: it has no role at all in determining what it is you want.
China: Deng may not have been a Maoist, but Xi is, with a massive dose of Ham racial supremacism thrown in. Ask a Uighur about that!
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Both the realms of the Rangers and Wardens in THE CORRIDORS OF TIME were nasty places, I agree. But, strictly as persons, I think the Ranger Brann was better than Storm Darroway, the Warden.
I agree, science and reason are only tools, telling us how things work, but not what we SHOULD do. The "should" of things can only be handled by philosophy and religion.
I tend to think of Teng, at least for 12 years or so after Mao died, as a heretical Maoist. Unfortunately, he could not bring himself the logical end point of his own reforms, and so we got the Tienanmen Square Massacre and the regime tightening its grip on power.
Correct, what you said about Dictator Xi, a ruthless tyrant and Han supremacist.
Ad astra! Sean
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