Foundation's Triumph
Back in 1942 Isaac Asimov started the foundations series -
and the future took shape.
In 1999 we got book number 10. The third in the
second foundation Foundation trilogy.
- and it is as great as ever
!
Hugo and Nebula award winner David Brin seems to be the man to continue
the saga !
The beginning
According to psychohistory a tiny colony of
mathematicians and psychologists, the Foundation, should take over when the old
empire crumples and dies.
Unfortunately, pertubations will nudge the
psychohistorical parameters - knocking the Seldon plan off course.
For that
purpose a shadowy elite of "demigods" is set up to protect the plan.
And
beyond all that yet another layer for the future of humanity.
The plan
set up by R. Daneel Olivaw. A plan that uses the other plans to buy time before
this master plan can come into effect.
In the Olivaw plan humanity is changed
into a GAIA like structure called the Galaxia superorganism - Every human soul
in contact with every other one. All knowledge shared instantly. All
misunderstandings erased. All unified into the vast unified web.
Insufficiency of the Seldonite road = psychohistory
... an ancient
shaman called Karl Marx, whose crude incantations bare no similarity to
psychohistory... Marxist's, too, once thought they had reduced history to basic
science. we know better we Seldonite's ....
Yet, The
Zeroth Law lead Daneel to follow his own plans. Psychohistory would succeed
with probability 70 % - Not good enough according to Daneel !
R. Zun
Lurrin is one of several humaniform units Daneel had begun grooming to become
his possible successor. In their vision, the robot view, human beings should
manage their own affairs, within a broad range of constraints that he (Daneel)
feels are safe......
"..... that is the essential horror of the Zeroth
law, serve abstract humnity while allowing trillions of real people to die...",
said R. Lodovic.
Dangerous ideas
R.Zun: Most societies tried to protect their citizens
against dangerous ideas. And yet the culture that invented us, rejected this ?
R. Daneel: The maturity principle: The belief that children can be brought
up with just the right mix of trust and scepticism.
R.Zun: Fascinating, if
this was valid, it would have staggering implications, there would be no
inherent limit to the exploration and growth of human souls.
R.Zun: Your plan
to help them unite. To create a telepathic network. An end to solipsism. How
could anyone hurt the feelings of others, if those feelings are integral parts
of your own mind ?
Human brains as the topmost organs of a universal entity.
Yet, the diversification among human communities is essential for the provision
of the inventive material for the Odyssey of the human spirit ...?
Only a
diversity of viewpoint helps prevent selfdeception! Only criticism can defeat
error!
Triumph
... You are smart Olivaw !
You are smart olivaw. Smart
enough to be a bit unsure. You are setting up some sort of backup in case
Seldons plan doesn't work... A hybrid between humans and robots...
The
real reason the empire is falling is because you, Daneel, wants to get rid of
the Galactic bureaucracy. - the grey class. No small meddlers to interfere with
Olivaw's masterplan that turns humanity into Galaxia.
Hari Seldon: Yet, your
plan is incomplete Daneel!
... the simple gets incoporated into the complex.
For all its power Gaia and Galaxia... are simple beings. The future Foundation
will be so strong, so diverse, so open, that it will simply absorb your
innovation, GAIA, and move on to even greater things ! Human diversity and
individualism will continue - and there will still be a need for books !...
The existence of encyclopedia Galactica 117th edition F.E. proved that
Hari Seldon visions turned out to be the stronger - after all...
January 2nd 2000
Simon Laub
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Email: silanian@mail.tele.dk
Simon Laub