Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Antithesis

We have referred to Hegelian philosophy. The previous post and its combox present a Hegelian triad.

Thesis: Scientific knowledge.
Antithesis: Environmental damage.
Synthesis: Environment repair and enhancement through further application of knowledge.

James Blish's After Such Knowledge Trilogy, deriving its title from a TS Eliot quotation, "After such knowledge, what forgiveness?," poses the question, "Is knowledge evil?," although Blish's own answer was "No."

We are living in the antithesis (see above) when the melting of the Arctic leads not to international cooperation but to increased economic competition for trade routes and resources.

Hegel thought that syntheses were inevitable. They are not. We have to work at them.
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8 comments:

  1. Sean M. Brooks6 February 2025 at 08:22

    Kaor, Paul!

    Too simplistic, IMO. Men and nations have fought for non-material things like pride, anger, a faith, and ideology, etc.

    Ad astra! Sean

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  2. paulshackley2017@gmail.com6 February 2025 at 08:39

    Sean,

    I don't see the relevance of this comment.

    Paul.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sean M. Brooks6 February 2025 at 08:48

    Kaor, Paul!

    See your comment about economic competition, trade routes, resources. It's far easier to resolve disputes over merely material things than passionately held beliefs.

    Ad astra! Sean

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  4. paulshackley2017@gmail.com6 February 2025 at 09:07

    Sean,

    Is it? But I was only referring to a material conflict here.

    Paul.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sean M. Brooks6 February 2025 at 15:44

    Kaor, Paul!

    Then it's to be hoped that compromises will be possible, a la the lines Old Nick persuaded the t'Kelans to accept in "Territory."

    Ad astra! Sean

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  6. S.M. Stirling7 February 2025 at 18:06

    As the Athenian delegates said before the gates of Melos 2,400 years ago, rights only apply between equals or near-equals in power. For the rest, "the strong do as they will, and the weak suffer what they must."

    Ask them in the Ukraine or Sudan, or ask a Uyghur.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sean M. Brooks8 February 2025 at 19:37

    Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

    And however bad that kind of callousness is, it's simply what human beings are like--nor do I expect it to disappear. Only expedience and the existence of Christianity at least sometimes sets some limits on human brutality. Something we can only manage, never confidently expect to eliminate.

    I commend the Athenians for being candid!

    Ad astra! Sean

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  8. S.M. Stirling10 February 2025 at 18:08

    Paul: humans -always- cause environmental damage. Science allows us to -detect- it.

    ReplyDelete