In Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy, Hari Seldon used psychohistory, a blend of history, psychology, and statistics, to predict the fall of a galactic empire and the dark times before the rise of a new empire (Foundation). He set up an elaborate plan to shorten the gap between the two empires using psychohistory (Foundation). A series of crises ensued which were supposed to guide the Foundation, the planet Seldon set up, along the plan (Foundation). An anomaly later occurs when a telepath, named the Mule, enter the equation, which relies on blind mobs, and starts his own empire (Second Foundation). The Second Foundation, which Seldon founded the to deal with problems that interfere with the plan, appear to stop this interferance (Second …show more content…
pag.) (D'Ammassa 153). Contrary to many other works of science fiction, this galaxy only contains humans (D'Ammassa 153). The books span 400 years over when the empire still existed, after the collapse of the empire, and the start of the rebuilding process (D'Ammassa 153) (Hamilton 12-13). The different planets where the events of the books take place are extremely varied from a metal planet with an imperial palace and library, a rocky, isolated, mostly uninhabited planet, to a planet which is a tropic-like resort (Asimov Masterplots, Fourth Edition n. pag.). The setting is gigantic and different that, as Goldman describes, “[Asimov] successfully convinces the reader of the utter vastness of the universe” (Goldman 22-23). The setting gives an awed mood and atmosphere to the series. The utter vastness of this universe is clearly conveyed to the readers and the variation in planets and the technology that backs them, such as a planet with onc city that surrounds its entirety, is awe inspiring. Asimov intended the setting to give the plot a more epic vibe. By using imaginative settings to create a vast universe, he made the plot seem more intense via the scale of the
In her essay, “The Fourth State of Matter”, Jo Ann Beard ruminates over the idea of plasma as a state of matter while dealing with the disintegration of her marriage, the death of her dog, and the violent deaths of her friend and colleagues. The tone, dialogue, and reflections in her essay mirror the detached bewilderment Beard feels while trying to make sense of the loss around her.
Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History by historian David Christian explores a “modern creation myth” (2). Christian takes his readers from the big bang to modern day in a technical and historical narrative. He believes that big history is a new, yet important, area of history ignored by historians. Christian tells us big history is “a coherent story about the past on many different scales, beginning, literally, with the origins of the universe and ending in the present day” (2). The strength in Christian’s argument is in that he carefully takes his readers through each stage in history, much like a textbook, using charts, graphs, pictures, and the language for each area, like astronomy or biology. However, Christian’s goal is not complete. Christian, at multiple points, tells his readers there are many more details and theories that surround any one of his given subjects. Although his book is a great overall coverage for a topic as large as big history, his readers may wonder if such the idea of big history is a good one.
Richard Hofstadter's The Age of Reform In 1955, Richard Hofstadter wrote his Pulitzer Prize winning book The Age of Reform, about the Gilded Age. Hofstadter’s arguments about the Populist and Progressive movements and their origins started debate and renewed scholarship on the Populist and Progressive movements. Many historians did not agree with Hofstadter’s arguments and published their own papers stating their conclusions based on their own research.
1. Sterling, Bruce. "Major Science Fiction Themes:utopias and Dystopias." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. .
The next group of historical thinkers is the psychohistorians. Sigmund Freud was the pioneer of psychoanalytic theory and psychohistory interprets history through psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic theory helps explain the players in history through their behavior and how they operate psychologically. Psychoanalytic theory was...
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World portrays a society in which science has clearly taken over. This was an idea of what the future could hold for humankind. Is it true that Huxley’s prediction may be correct? Although there are many examples of Huxley’s theories in our society, there is reason to believe that his predictions will not hold true for the future of society.
Perception is a concept that we take for granted in our everyday lives. We assume that what we perceive are the physical properties of the objects we encounter. George Berkeley, through his work Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous , questions these notions of what is truly real. Berkeley voices his opinion through the character Philonous, who assumes a very similar role to Socrates in the Platonic dialogues. First, it is necessary to distinguish between different types of sensory perception for clarity’s sake. Philonous systematically shows where all sensory perceptions break down to qualia within the mind in the beginning of his dialogue, first with secondary qualities, and then primary qualities. To explain our sense of objective reality, Philonous refers to an ultimate observer, who observes everything, at all times. There are however some issues with Berkeley’s idealist theory, as I will explore at the end of this paper.
Sigmund Freud was the founder of modern psychology. Freud’s theories of the mind and how the mind worked changed how psychoanalyst look at the mind and its actions. Freud’s universal theory of the mind will more than likely outlive the psychoanalytical therapy. Sigmund Freud is respectively compared to other notable men, such as Plato and Shakespeare. Some people believe his effect is more important to us than the lasting value of his theories. He was an Austrian neurologist who created a new approach to the knowledge of the human personality.
In this essay I will argue that Rosenthal's Higher Order Thought Theory provides a possible account of conscious awareness, in doing so addresses and gets to solve the mind-body problem for that particular mental phenomenon.
An underlying theme present throughout the series is the possibility that our existence is not the only one. According to current theories in physics, it is entirely possible that our universe is just one of many universes f...
Science fiction is a genre, which depicts what life would be like in a world with major scientific and technological developments. When it comes to science fiction, the exploration of future technology is a major element. Many stories and films focus on space, robots, aliens, a mad scientist, and/or artificial intelligence. “The universal themes found in science fiction—themes of freedom and responsibility, power, love, individuality and community, good versus evil, technology run amok, and more—present ample opportunity to explore complex issues and compelling controversies at length and in depth in ways that not only engage the intellect, but involve the emotions and expand the imagination.” The story “Flowers for Algernon,” by Daniel Keyes, is an example of science fiction that examines the impact of artificial intelligence. “The End of the Whole Mess,” by Steven King, is an example of science fiction that focuses on the fall of a mad scientist. The film “Gravity” is an example of a science fiction movie that explores the use of major technological advancement within space. In this paper I will assess the major themes portrayed in “Flowers for Algernon,“ “The End of the Whole Mess,” and the film, “Gravity.” Additionally, I will examine how these models of science fiction teach a major lesson about the imperfections of future scientific and technological advancements on society.
To begin, the world where the novel takes place is separated into Compounds and pleeblands and...
The Best Science Fiction of the Twentieth Century. Ed. Orson Scott Card. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 2001. 212-217.
Marxism, or Scientific Socialism, is the name given to the body of ideas first worked out by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. In their totality, these ideas provide a fully worked-out theoretical basis for the struggle of the working class to attain a higher form of human society--socialism.
Inspired by the works of Karl Marx, V.I. Lenin nonetheless drew his ideology from many other great 19th century philosophers. However, Marx’s “Communist Manifesto” was immensely important to the success of Russia under Leninist rule as it started a new era in history. Viewed as taboo in a capitalist society, Karl Marx started a movement that would permanently change the history of the entire world. Also, around this time, the Populist promoted a doctrine of social and economic equality, although weak in its ideology and method, overall. Lenin was also inspired by the anarchists who sought revolution as an ultimate means to the end of old regimes, in the hope of a new, better society. To his core, a revolutionary, V.I. Lenin was driven to evoke the class struggle that would ultimately transform Russia into a Socialist powerhouse. Through following primarily in the footsteps of Karl Marx, Lenin was to a lesser extent inspired by the Populists, the Anarchists, and the Social Democrats.