It is my long considered opinion that
it is a tragedy for our society, our culture
and for "the people" as individuals who live
and face their death, that
such authors as Robert Musil and Dr. George Leonard
are not widely known and studied. These persons
have come up with constrctive answers to the
problem of Man in the Age of Technology, to
once more adduce the title of a fine book by
Arnold Gehlen.
Science fiction, at least as I have become acquainted
with it mostly second hand by seeing the poverty of
imagination of computer science PhD researchers
whose imaginative horizon reaches no further
than the latest episode of Star Trek, describes
a world in which only androids would be at home,
what I call neo-feudalism in flying fortresses.
Science fiction seems mostly social reaction, complementary to the
way, as Joseph Weizenbaum wrote in 1976, the computer
functioned as one of the most powerful forces for social
reaction in the 20th century (_Computer Power and
Human Reason: From judgment to calculation_).
The protagonist of Musil's _The Man Without Qualities_
goes to work in an engineering office. What happens
is, I propose, diagnostic for our civilization. (See
my website for details if interested:
http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/computerAphorisms.html#Quality
Dr. George Leonard, in his study of the experience
of professional athletes, _The Ultimate Athlete_,
tells us the shape of the solution, as actually
experienced by our zillion dollar athletic stars, but
they dare not tell for fear of losing their jobs.
Curiously, there was a piece in Saturday's NYT about
the pianist Glenn Gould, which also addressed this
problematic:
http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/footnotes2.html#fn59
--
Finally, I will address a different issue: The poverty of
economists. I'm not sure this is altogether true. I think
of Paul Baran and Paul Sweezy. But I don't know much about
economics.
What I do know is that once I heard two industrial sociologists,
Seymour Melman and Harley Shaken(sp?) speak. I forget what
they said, but their sincere commitment to the well being
of working men and women has remained an inspiring memory.
There are no inspiring models? What about "the Scandanavian
model", as a first baby-step forward
(see, e.g., Pelle Ehn, _The Work-Oriented Design
of Computer Artefacts_)?
There are answers out there. I readily admit they
are not easy to find, due to what Hermann Broch called:
the clamour of the non-existent.
Non-existent, but all too persistent.
I don't expect to influence anyone with this passionate
tirade, but perhaps one day you will remember "Gee, there
was this guy who ranted on about -- What was it he said?"
Maybe it will still be there to be found in a Google search???
"Yours in discourse [ref.: Jurgen Habermas and Karl-Otto Apel]...."
\brad mccormick (<-- a label the people who had no idea
of the answsers stuck on me)
Mike Spencer wrote:
>
> Ray said,
>
> > But whatever happens, it would be wonderful if our economists and
> > futurists on this list would come up with some ideas that could
> > interest the rest of us beyond the tattered 19th century Industrial
> > models. Maybe we could get a Science Fiction writer but with the
> > exception of the "Pollinators of Eden" and a couple of Roger
> > Zelazny's novels, everything else including my beloved Frank Herbert
> > and Harlan Ellison are inferior to Orwell and Huxley. Where is this
> > "Future of Work" folks?
>
> Well, there *are* some people writing speculative fiction -- one even
> calls his work "science fiction" -- that suggest the future of work.
> Here's a short list:
>
> Bruce Sterling, _Distraction_
>
> Bruce Sterling, _Holy Fire_
>
> Bruce Sterling, _Heavy Weather_
>
> William Gibson, _Virtual Light_
>
> William Gibson, _Idoru_
>
> William Gibson, _All Tomorrow's Parties_
>
> Neal Stephenson, _The Diamond Age_
>
> Bruce Sterling, Maneki Neko
> (short story in _A Good Old-fashioned Future_)
>
> Bruce Sterling, Bicycle Repairman
> (short story in _A GoodOld-fashioned Future_)
>
> - Mike
>
> ---
> Michael Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada
>
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/
--
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
<![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/
