Mental sciences in -
Asimov's Foundation History
Anderson's Psychotechnic History
Anderson's Technic History
Out-dated science in -
Heinlein's Future History
Niven's Known Space History
Anderson's Technic History
These comparisons highlight two insights about science:
that scientific understanding continually changes;
that scientific method applies to objective reality but not to subjective mentality.
Surely a predictive science of humanity is a fantasy? Either a minority tries to understand and control the rest of society or all the members of society individually and collectively understand and control themselves in which case they act freely and unpredictably in the present.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree, I am totally skeptical about any predictive sciences of society of the kind seen in Asimov's Foundation series or Anderson's Psychotechnic stories are possible. Human beings and their affairs are too whimsical, chaotic, and unpredictable for that.
A Hordian analysis of history, content with seeking possible historical patterns on a broad scale seems somewhat more possible.
Ad astra! Sean
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