amicus
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2003
- Posts
- 14,812
To perhaps forestall another debate and attempt to ban political discussions from the AH, I want to offer some opposition. I do not wish to criticize either Allard or Severus, they have every much a right to their opinions as do I.
A 'Writer's Forum' can be limited to discussions concerning the mechanics of writing, which is all well and good, many might benefit. It can also be conducted at a higher level where authorial motivations, moral and ethical considerations, Literature, Philosophy and Poltical imperatives, all play a role in fiction writing.
I include a Post of mine and an exchange of thoughts that illustrate, I think, the value of a more sophisticated concept of 'Writerly'. I trust you find it interesting.
~~~
AllardChardon
& SeverusMax
Quote:
Originally Posted by amicus
Quote:
Originally Posted by Weird Harold
I interpret the above as your agreement with those mentioned as 'warning' of an untenable future based on current practice?
How to approach a response in such a way that anyone who reads will understand...a fault in my character perhaps, derived from many years on the radio and television explaining concepts to a wide ranging audience from teenagers to college professors.
Let this response address both the entertainment world and the academic elite left progressive minded writers and teachers.
The history of intellectual endeavor is rooted in the above average intelligence tribal member outsmarting or supporting the tribal chieftain to sustain himself. That transitioned to religion as power shifted and our chameleon like intellectuals became Priests and Monks and Scribes, again, pleasing their employers.
As Religion waned in power and became challenged by Monarchies, then our crafty intellectuals were required to please Royalty in acquire and income and acceptance into society.
As the Industrial Revolution and regional trade routes began to create wealth, the snooty intellectual, used to pleasing Chieftans, Popes and Kings, now had to deal with the 'greedy' businessman and his plump wife.
They really resented the loss of stature in society and still do to this day.
That accounts for a significant percentage of those who did not farm, or, as tradesmen, produce a product in demand by the masses, thus could only sustain themselves by prostituting their intellect to serve a Master of Quality, Tyrant, Pope or King.
Other intellectuals recognized their intelligence and became the scientists and philosophers of the past and the creative force behind the Industrial modernization of the world and the creators of the Service Economy that most Western Nations have profitted from for the past half century.
The psuedo intellectuals who toadied up to power but were revolted by the enterprise system, found a new home feeding at the public trough through the Mandated Educational System of Western Industrial nations.
Their dissatisfaction of existence was embedded in Existentialism, a world view of no rights, no wrongs and man esconsced in an Universe that was chaotic at best.
Thus the emergence of a dystopian:
Quote:
"... an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives..."
view of the future.
We all live a mortal life; most pass on to their children an optimistic view of existence, demonstrating, by our thoughts and actions, the values of our lives that we discover through faith or an intellectual pursuit of truth, aka, a knowledge of right and wrong, good and evil.
I don't expect an understanding from the hard core Left who are certain they are correct in assessing the future of man in dsystopian terms; that is all they see in the future.
From those exposed to a public and media education that continually denigrates faith and truth and preaches relativism and situational ethics and a constant barrage, even in popular music: "There ain't no good guys, there ain't no bad guys...", I regret that you have been bombarded by this trash and I offer that the world is not as the effete Liberal Progressive left portrays it.
Good literature, films and music do exist, but you have to search through the garbage to discover it. Modern Art depicts a chaotic, jumbled world, confused and juxtaposed with an ancient concept that man is evil by nature and must be, 'reborn' in Christian terms, or 'controlled', by Statism, where individual liberty is erased.
This is a Writer's Forum, as a couple current Threads remind us, and although you may dismiss my thoughts as political or philosophical, agree or disagree, the psychological perspective of every writer is determined by your fundamental moral assumptions concerning existence.
If you have an ambiguous moral foundation then Bestiality is neither right nor wrong, moral or immoral; you can poke a dog, or be poked by one and nothing really matters.
Don't think for a moment that your deepest moral convictions are not obvious in your stories; they are.
Amicus Veritas
~~~
A 'Writer's Forum' can be limited to discussions concerning the mechanics of writing, which is all well and good, many might benefit. It can also be conducted at a higher level where authorial motivations, moral and ethical considerations, Literature, Philosophy and Poltical imperatives, all play a role in fiction writing.
I include a Post of mine and an exchange of thoughts that illustrate, I think, the value of a more sophisticated concept of 'Writerly'. I trust you find it interesting.
~~~
AllardChardon
A Writerly Thread: I agree AH could discuss topics that are more pertinent to writers than politics, so here is my addition.
& SeverusMax
Enough Already!
Look, I agree about the whole taxes are too high thing (I'm Ron Paulista Libertarian/Republican), but can't we cool it on the politics thing for now? This is first and foremost an authors board here, about writing, and the politics black hole keeps sucking us all back in. That sounds strange coming from me, of all people, but I'm tired of constantly bickering with old friends whom I (despite their politics) admire and very much respect.
Quote:
Originally Posted by amicus
From "Logan's Run", to "Wall E", to "1984", written in 1948, (number reversal for the title), to Jules Verne and the Time Traveler, and a hundred other books and films that I have read and viewed, it seems our intellectual elite authors have a poor view of the future of man.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Weird Harold
~~~Do you warn your children about the possible good effects if they continue a course of action? Or do you paint a dim and gloomy picture of the bad effects to come from an unwise course of action?
Philip K Dick, George Orwell, and Jules Verne -- and whoever wrote Wall E -- didn't have "a poor view of the future," they had a poor view of their contemporaries and extrapolated the consequences of their contemporaries' actions and attitudes.
Doomsday Science and "Dystopic Fiction" aren't predictive so much as they are warnings. Predictions based on "If things go on..." seldom come true unless the warnings extrapolations are completely ignored.
I interpret the above as your agreement with those mentioned as 'warning' of an untenable future based on current practice?
How to approach a response in such a way that anyone who reads will understand...a fault in my character perhaps, derived from many years on the radio and television explaining concepts to a wide ranging audience from teenagers to college professors.
Let this response address both the entertainment world and the academic elite left progressive minded writers and teachers.
The history of intellectual endeavor is rooted in the above average intelligence tribal member outsmarting or supporting the tribal chieftain to sustain himself. That transitioned to religion as power shifted and our chameleon like intellectuals became Priests and Monks and Scribes, again, pleasing their employers.
As Religion waned in power and became challenged by Monarchies, then our crafty intellectuals were required to please Royalty in acquire and income and acceptance into society.
As the Industrial Revolution and regional trade routes began to create wealth, the snooty intellectual, used to pleasing Chieftans, Popes and Kings, now had to deal with the 'greedy' businessman and his plump wife.
They really resented the loss of stature in society and still do to this day.
That accounts for a significant percentage of those who did not farm, or, as tradesmen, produce a product in demand by the masses, thus could only sustain themselves by prostituting their intellect to serve a Master of Quality, Tyrant, Pope or King.
Other intellectuals recognized their intelligence and became the scientists and philosophers of the past and the creative force behind the Industrial modernization of the world and the creators of the Service Economy that most Western Nations have profitted from for the past half century.
The psuedo intellectuals who toadied up to power but were revolted by the enterprise system, found a new home feeding at the public trough through the Mandated Educational System of Western Industrial nations.
Their dissatisfaction of existence was embedded in Existentialism, a world view of no rights, no wrongs and man esconsced in an Universe that was chaotic at best.
Thus the emergence of a dystopian:
Quote:
"... an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives..."
view of the future.
We all live a mortal life; most pass on to their children an optimistic view of existence, demonstrating, by our thoughts and actions, the values of our lives that we discover through faith or an intellectual pursuit of truth, aka, a knowledge of right and wrong, good and evil.
I don't expect an understanding from the hard core Left who are certain they are correct in assessing the future of man in dsystopian terms; that is all they see in the future.
From those exposed to a public and media education that continually denigrates faith and truth and preaches relativism and situational ethics and a constant barrage, even in popular music: "There ain't no good guys, there ain't no bad guys...", I regret that you have been bombarded by this trash and I offer that the world is not as the effete Liberal Progressive left portrays it.
Good literature, films and music do exist, but you have to search through the garbage to discover it. Modern Art depicts a chaotic, jumbled world, confused and juxtaposed with an ancient concept that man is evil by nature and must be, 'reborn' in Christian terms, or 'controlled', by Statism, where individual liberty is erased.
This is a Writer's Forum, as a couple current Threads remind us, and although you may dismiss my thoughts as political or philosophical, agree or disagree, the psychological perspective of every writer is determined by your fundamental moral assumptions concerning existence.
If you have an ambiguous moral foundation then Bestiality is neither right nor wrong, moral or immoral; you can poke a dog, or be poked by one and nothing really matters.
Don't think for a moment that your deepest moral convictions are not obvious in your stories; they are.
Amicus Veritas
~~~