Opus 2012-187, Discernment Watch: The Dividing Line

Last week a finished a sci-fi novel called The Long Earth.  It was a good tale, well told with an interesting plot and believable characters.  In sum it was a good read.  Remember that as I begin to get critical.

Recently I wrote a series of posts on “Hidden Agendas.”  That was a reflection on re-reading the joys of my youth and seeing things I did not see then.  The trend continues.  One of the hidden themes that I see in modern science fiction and fantasy is a desperate attempt to find a way to explain the existence of intelligent life on earth and to find a meaning in life. 

Whether they want to admit it or not, scientific evidence does not support the common understanding of evolution and natural selection.  The three biggest problems are the complexity of life, the lack of time and the fact that all the links are missing.  But that is not my focus today. 

Today I am in general more on the meaning of life and in particular the nature of man.  As I was reading I came across the following sentence on page 160.  “People, unfettered, know how to live, how to treat each other.”  The basic view of the nature of man presented here is that which is at the heart of modern education and culture.  It says that human beings are basically good but are corrupted by the influences of our society.  The way this is applied it to deny evil and badness and assume that all problems can be fixed if we will listen to the social workers, psychologists and educators.  The problem is society, not the nature of man.

Although I did not go looking for it I think the authors had earlier referred to The Lord of the Flies.  It presents a more traditional, Judeo-Christian view of the nature of man.  In that story a group of children are stranded on an island for a period of time, “unfettered” as Prachett and Baxter would phrase it.  They descend into barbarism and violence.  It has been a long time since I reviewed the book but I think there was also cannibalism. 

Which side of the divide do you come from?  Do you think that people are basically good and all we need to do is give them the proper environment for a perfect society?  Or do you believe that man is flawed and will tend toward self-centeredness and selfishness?  It makes a difference in how you put things together.  Currently our schools, welfare system and courts are based on the “man is good” philosophy. 

Are you happy with the way things are going?

Prachett, Terry, and Baxter, Stephen.  The Long Earth.  New York:  Harper, 2012.

homo unius libri