The Zacharians are genetically identical. Diana says that she would not like to live in a population of copies of herself. Kukulkan replies that as persons they are similar but not identical. They pursue different professions and perceive new inputs differently. They are still too similar for my liking especially when contrasted with the diversity of humanity which, remember, has been improved by Diana's time.
If I were a Zacharian, then I might well prefer self-excommunication but maybe they lack an interest in difference? Clearly, if I were a Zacharian, then I would not be I, this person who exists here and now, so that the supposition becomes meaningless. If I were another person, then I would be that person with his motivations, not mine. "I" is the form of self-consciousness but its entire content is empirical persons differing from each other, you, me and someone else. A self-conscious being in another planetary system must be thinking, in his language, "I am (fill in the blank)." It is rather strange, isn't it?
2 comments:
The problem with homogenous populations is that they can be blindsided by something unexpected.
Eg., the Amerindian populations of the New World were genetically very similar due to small founding groups. That wasn't a problem... until Eurasian diseases were introduced. Massive population crashes followed.
The basic problem with the group Poul describes is cultural -- wounded vanity.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
The Zacharians were pouting because the rest of the human race refused to accept them as their genetically appointed masters.
Ad Astra! Sean
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