RE: Plato's big lie

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Tue May 20 2003 - 20:12:13 MDT

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    Alex Future writes

    > [quote from: Lee on 2003-05-17 at 09:21:04]
    > Well, that I *didn't* know. CAT'S CRADLE executes the Big Lie? As I
    > recall, the great scientist (\"any scientist who cannot explain what he
    > is doing to an eight-year old is a charlatan\") creates ice-nine, and
    > there is a lot of anti-science propaganda woven into the story, but I
    > don't recall anything about \"soma\" (those little lies that are necessary
    > in life) being done in emulation of Plato. But it's been almost 35 years.
    >
    > I'm guessing it was the Prophet Bokonon and the other guy, forgot his name,
    > who was the military dictator of the island where Cat's Cradle is set. They
    > started as best buddies but were pretending to be enemies so the people would
    > have an outlet for their rebellious urges.

    Oh, yes. Sounds right. BTW, I was wrong about "soma"; got the term
    confused with Brave New World, I guess. The harmless lies in Cat's
    Cradle are called "foma".

    > Yes, it is too bad Vonnegut and a lot of other science fiction writers and
    > social commentators don't really "get it" as far as science goes.

    I am especially annoyed since I was a very impressionable 20 years old
    when I read that, and it contributed to the malaise of the whole stupid
    generation thing in 1968, which was very anti-science and anti-establishment
    (e.g., studying and doing your homework and playing "the man's" game).

    Lee



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