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CTGttW Question 6: Understanding the world
The book shows different ways of relating to the world, and how to understand it. Grey represents science, categorisation, and understanding things by separation and classification. Yuri Petrovitch, the cleric, represents a retreat from understanding into dogma. Elena represents a direct, experiential understanding of the world through uncensored interaction with it.
Do you agree that these three viewpoints share the characteristics that Brooks gives them? Is science always reductionist? Is religion always reactionary? Is direct experience always superior?
Comments
I think that these are the current stereotypes, but I'm not convinced they are accurate. I was going to say that in particular it's disappointing to see religion presented purely as denial and dogma, but then it's equally disappointing to see science purely as reductive. It felt a bit as though many of the characters were playing roles rather than being individuals (which I think might be edging towards @Apocryphal 's position that they all blended together and weren't distinct?)
As a PS, I was kind of disappointed not to see more of the Captain, given the big build up when giving Weiwei's back story
I'm a little unclear here of the premise here. It seems to me tha there's being related with the world, which everything does, relating to the world, which only alienated selves might do, and attempting to dominate the world, which currently is most often attempted through understanding some part and ignoring the rest.
For the questions, No, no, no, no. You made me smile - thank you.
I was disappointed that she set up these different ways of understanding the world, but didn't interrogate or challenge them. I don't know whether she had something to say about them, then ducked the issue, or just added people like Petrovitch because they're expected furniture of 1899.
I was not entertained by Brooks' parade of stereotypes standing in for Important Ideas.