The idea dominates the pre-FTL period but seems to have been forgotten, at least initially, in the FTL period. However, as we have seen, a single sentence in each of the two Wilson Pete stories and then another in "The Pirate" remind us of the idea. In fact, references to psychodynamics and to integration imply that this science has been applied on Earth although not on the extra-solar planets where the stories are set.
Onward.
3 comments:
I think Poul seriously fell out of love with the "science of humanity" idea as time went by.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Absolutely! Because human beings, events, affairs, etc., are too chaotic and contingent to be predictable. At most broad patterns over centuries might be seen, as suggested by John Hord. But those patterns can only refer to past events, they cannot predict the future.
Ad astra! Sean
A major pattern identified by Toynbee, who seems to be followed by Hord in that, is the invasion by external barbarians of a collapsing civilization.
Given the world wide nature of current civilization, any barbarians would have to be internally generated, so that part of the pattern won't happen.
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