Mr. Brem, Where has this conversation between Jünger and Borges been published? Has it been translated to English or Spanish( or perhaps French)? I´ve seen pictures from this interview in Wilflingen but never read the conversation betwen my two favourite writers.
Thanks in advance. Dani ---------- > De: Richard Brem <[email protected]> > A: EJ Maillist <[email protected]> > Asunto: Re: Glass Bees discussion > Fecha: sábado 26 de septiembre de 1998 3:40 > > -- [ From: Richard Brem * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] -- > > >We got stuck last night here on this paragraph in the Bogen/Meyer > >translation. The narrator, in describing Zapparoni's first automatons, > >says: > > > > "On the smaller scale they gave the impression of >intelligent ants, > distinct units working as mechanisms, that is, not >at all in a purely > chemical or organic fashion. This was one of >Zapparoni's business > principles, or if you will, one of the rules of his >game. When faced with > two solutions, it seemed as if he almost >always preferred the more subtle > one. This corresponded with the >trend of the times, and he was not the > worse for it." p.6 > > > >We talked for hours on the concept of intelligence in the first >sentence. > >Where does the intelligence lie - in the individual unit or in the team >of > units. The analogy is after all ants. How are ants intelligent? Or >bees for > that matter? > > Analogies like this seem to me to be references to the idea of > "Gruppenseele" (collective soul or hive mind) as formulated by E.N. Marais > ("The Soul of the White Ant") and Maurice Maeterlinck ("La vie des abeilles" > , "La vie des termites"). > > "Adnoten": The concept of "Gruppenseele" seems to have been a major issue in > occultism in the 20s - at a time, when EJ had a deep interest in the occult. > > > The ants also feature in Juenger's conversation with Jorge Luis Borges > (which took place in Wilflingen on October 27, 1982): > "Then about Huxley I took the view that the 'Weltgeist' had solved the > problem of political order better in the case of the insects than we had > done for us. Borges replied: 'Maybe so as far as concerns the interests of > the State, but the single ant counts for nothing.' > But against that one could argue that all are provided for. They have a > place to live in, food and full employment, also a long hibernation sleep in > the winter. > Most of them are excluded from a sexual life, which could perhaps even > be a relief. But from love as well? When I stood in front of one of their > ant-hills in the noon-time sun and put my hand over them and it became > moistened as they scurried about and waved their feelers I believed I could > feel that they are happy. There should be some research into that; but we > agreed that zoologists are hardly in a position to do it." > > The idea of the collective soul or hive mind has become quite fashionable > again. Kevin Kelly, executive editor of "Wired" magazine, devoted the second > chapter of his book "Out of Control. The New Biology of Machines" (London > 1994) to this very idea. Kelly sees the Internet as a huge beehive: "Just as > a beehive functions as if it were a single sentient organism, so does an > electronic hive, made up of millions of buzzing, dim-witted personal > computers, behave like a single organism. Out of networked parts - whether > of insects, neurons, or chips - come learning, evolution, and life." > > I'm not sure if Juenger would agree with Kelly and his optimistic > interpretation of technology; in "The Glass Bees" he definitely didn't. > > Regards, > RBR > > PS.: Here's the German original: > > "[Zapparonis Spezialitaet waren die Liliputroboter. Von gewissen Ausnahmen > abgesehen, lag ihre obere Grenze bei der Groesse einer Wassermelone, > waehrend sie nach unten ins Winzige gingen [Nanotech!, RBR] und an > chinesische Kuriositaeten erinnerten.] > Dort wirkten sie wie intelligente Ameisen, aber immer noch in Einheiten, die > als Mechanismen, also nicht etwa auf molekulare Weise arbeiteten. Das > gehoerte zu Zapparonis Geschaeftsmaximen oder, wenn man so will, zu seinen > Spielregeln. Oft schien es, als ob er zwischen zwei Loesungen um jeden Preis > die raffiniertere bevorzuge. Aber das lag im Wesen der Zeit, und er stand > sich nicht schlecht dabei." > > "Glaeserne Bienen", 1. Kapitel > >
