Let's backtrack. In Production Of Anti-Matter, we summarized a conversation between Venator and Lirion but missed one part.
Lirion says that, without more energy from anti-matter, the Lunarians at Proserpina will be imprisoned in sameness. Venator asks whether they have:
"'...no inner resources.'" (p. 69)
Lirion scoffs. Machine intelligence admires its own:
"'Abstractions, mental constructs...'" (ibid.)
- but that is not:
"'...for living creatures...'" (ibid.)
Like passivity versus violence, this is another false dichotomy. Organic intelligence encompasses pure mathematics and its application to the empirical universe and everything else: emotions, social interactions, artistic creativity, spirituality, whatever else we might think of. Stop splitting up the truth and fighting over the parts!
A parable told by Jiddu Krishnamurti:
The Devil's friend saw a man picking up a small piece of the truth. The Devil said, "It doesn't matter. He is only going to organize and systematize it."
6 comments:
This is interior vs. exterior. I'm for exterior. Inner-focused individuals tend to be narcissistic.
Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita teaches "karma yoga," contemplation in action. His teaching is cited in THE PESHAWAR LANCERS.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I think the warrior Benedictine monks of Mt. Angel in your Emberverse books manage to balance "interior vs. exterior" just right.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: thanks!
Paul: yeah, maintaining a balance is best. It's also important not to get too fascinated by your own interior stuff.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I was reminded of the Rule of St. Benedict, which I read long ago. IIRC, he wanted Benedictine monks to balance that "interior vs. exterior." Not by them becoming warriors, but by practical work of many different kinds. Things like farming, copying books, teaching schools, etc. The monks of Mt. Angel became warriors from sheer necessity.
Ad astra! Sean
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