As far as I remember, in the absence of the text, a character in CS Lewis' "The Dark Tower," enters an alternative Earth where there is no word for God. If we lack a word, are we therefore unable to think the idea? Of course not. In that case, ideas and language would never have been created. Lacking a single word for a new idea, we express it in several words, then coin a new term. Flandry uses several words:
"'You commoners and paupers outnumber the ruling class. You have weapons, here and there. You could take over, you know.'" (ibid.)
"Commoners," "ruling class," "weapons" and "take over" add up to "revolution."
In George Orwell's 1984, the Party tries to destroy thought by limiting and controlling language but language itself would have to be destroyed in the process.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
The problem being, of course, it was futile trying to overthrow Biocontrol if doing that got everybody, except a lucky few, dying in agony.
Ad astra! Sean
This is the key factor in making Unan Besar so unusual. A regime as decayed as Biocontrol -would- have been overthrown, probably, if it didn't have that 'ace up its sleeve'.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I can think of many nasty, real world regimes, here and now, which would love to have such an ace up its sleeve!
Merry Christmas! Sean
Post a Comment