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Popular Culture and Philosophy #56
الكثيب فلسفياً: طريقة المينتات المستغربة
يحاول هذا الكتاب البديع الإجابة على بعض الأسئلة المحيرة التي تنتابنا عندما نقرأ سلسلة تاريخ كثيب التي ألفها فرانك هيربرت. فإلى جانب الرسالة التي يقدِّمها أحد هؤلاء الزُّرق ذوي العيون الزرقاء والشِّفاه الحمراء، أي المينتات الذين يأكلون التوابل، والذين يرسلون رسالتهم من المستقبل السحيق، يقدم كتاب رواية كثيب وفلسفتها أكثر مجموعة مريحة من الأسئلة يمكن للمرء أن يحلم بها في هذه الأيام قبل مرحلة الجهاد الأكبر.- توم بيرنز، مؤلف كتاب النظرية السياسية والخيال العلمي والأدب المثالي.
بالنسبة للباحثين عن أوجه الحكمة الكثيرة في رواية كثيب، يُعَدُّ كتاب رواية كثيب وفلسفتها رفيقًا لا غنى عنه لتلك الروايات، كونه يكشِف معالم فكرة هيربرت حول العالم الذي خلقه، وهذا الكتاب يمثِّل طيف وعي ذي مفعول مخدر يأتي في المرتبة الثانية بعد التوابل نفسها.
- فيون ديمبسي، فيلسوفة وناشطة في الإعلام الجديد.
يمثل كتاب رواية كثيب وفلسفتها مثالًا رائعًا ودقيقًا حول قدرة الخيال العلمي على مساعدتنا في فهم الأفكار الفلسفية وكذلك على قدرة الفلسفة في تعميق تقديرنا للمواضيع الأدبية، وينطبق ذلك بصورة أساسية على تلك الجوانب العامة الشاملة التي نلمسها في قلب كون كثيب والفلسفة على حدٍّ سواء، أي جوانب السياسة والأخلاق ومعرفة الذات والحياة الرغيدة.
- جيمس م. أوكابال، من جامعة ولاية غربي ميسوري.
تقدم لنا ملحمة كثيب التي ألفها فرانك هيربرت والتي تعتبر من أكثر قصص الخيال العلمي قراءة في كل الأزمان السابقة واللاحقة؛ كونًا لا يعرف فيه التعصب أي رحمة، ويتشكَّل فيه التاريخ عبر تفاعل مؤامرات شرسة.
ولكن ما الذي يحدُث عندما يؤدي التلاعب بالمورثات إلى خلق مسيح يشبه الإله؟ وهل يجب أن يترتب على إسقاط الديكتاتورية المتوحشة المزيد من المشكلات بدلًا من حلها؟ وهل يجعلنا اعتمادنا على الموارد الثمينة أو على التوابل التي تسبب لنا الإدمان تحت رحمة هؤلاء الذين بوسعهم أن يدمروا تلك الموارد؟ وهل بوسعنا إحياء الموتى عبر إعادة بناء الأشخاص وتشكيلهم بالاعتماد على بضع خلايا مأخوذة من أجسادهم؟
إن كتاب رواية كثيب وفلسفتها يتربص بكون كثيب من كل الجوانب، فتلك الشخصيات التي نعجب بها بالرغم من قلقنا تجاهها أو نكرهها بشدة مثل شخصية بول أتريديس والبارون فلاديمير هاركونين، ودانكان إيداهو، والإمبراطور الرباني ليتو الثاني، وساحرات البيني جيسيرت، كلها تنطق بشيء جديد، وذلك عبر عملية تتم بلا وجل تغربل من خلالها الأسئلة الخالدة حول الحياة بصورة فلسفية.
- جيفري نيكولاس أستاذ مساعد لمادة الفلسفة لدى معهد ماونت إنجل.
بالنسبة للباحثين عن أوجه الحكمة الكثيرة في رواية كثيب، يُعَدُّ كتاب رواية كثيب وفلسفتها رفيقًا لا غنى عنه لتلك الروايات، كونه يكشِف معالم فكرة هيربرت حول العالم الذي خلقه، وهذا الكتاب يمثِّل طيف وعي ذي مفعول مخدر يأتي في المرتبة الثانية بعد التوابل نفسها.
- فيون ديمبسي، فيلسوفة وناشطة في الإعلام الجديد.
يمثل كتاب رواية كثيب وفلسفتها مثالًا رائعًا ودقيقًا حول قدرة الخيال العلمي على مساعدتنا في فهم الأفكار الفلسفية وكذلك على قدرة الفلسفة في تعميق تقديرنا للمواضيع الأدبية، وينطبق ذلك بصورة أساسية على تلك الجوانب العامة الشاملة التي نلمسها في قلب كون كثيب والفلسفة على حدٍّ سواء، أي جوانب السياسة والأخلاق ومعرفة الذات والحياة الرغيدة.
- جيمس م. أوكابال، من جامعة ولاية غربي ميسوري.
تقدم لنا ملحمة كثيب التي ألفها فرانك هيربرت والتي تعتبر من أكثر قصص الخيال العلمي قراءة في كل الأزمان السابقة واللاحقة؛ كونًا لا يعرف فيه التعصب أي رحمة، ويتشكَّل فيه التاريخ عبر تفاعل مؤامرات شرسة.
ولكن ما الذي يحدُث عندما يؤدي التلاعب بالمورثات إلى خلق مسيح يشبه الإله؟ وهل يجب أن يترتب على إسقاط الديكتاتورية المتوحشة المزيد من المشكلات بدلًا من حلها؟ وهل يجعلنا اعتمادنا على الموارد الثمينة أو على التوابل التي تسبب لنا الإدمان تحت رحمة هؤلاء الذين بوسعهم أن يدمروا تلك الموارد؟ وهل بوسعنا إحياء الموتى عبر إعادة بناء الأشخاص وتشكيلهم بالاعتماد على بضع خلايا مأخوذة من أجسادهم؟
إن كتاب رواية كثيب وفلسفتها يتربص بكون كثيب من كل الجوانب، فتلك الشخصيات التي نعجب بها بالرغم من قلقنا تجاهها أو نكرهها بشدة مثل شخصية بول أتريديس والبارون فلاديمير هاركونين، ودانكان إيداهو، والإمبراطور الرباني ليتو الثاني، وساحرات البيني جيسيرت، كلها تنطق بشيء جديد، وذلك عبر عملية تتم بلا وجل تغربل من خلالها الأسئلة الخالدة حول الحياة بصورة فلسفية.
- جيفري نيكولاس أستاذ مساعد لمادة الفلسفة لدى معهد ماونت إنجل.
400 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2011
51 people are currently reading
525 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 19, 2011
I'm leaving my 5-star rating standing and I'll explain why, call it the Obama Peace Prize 5-star rating. I'm giving the book 5 stars for starting an important public discussion more than I am for the quality of the actual book.
I'm still only about half way through all the articles because I'm taking my time, notating agreements and disagreements, which is why I think the book and the related discussion it creates is important: It is high time we had more public discussion of why Dune is important, not just as a pinnacle of sci-fi or American Literature, but because I very much believe that humanity is better for its creation.
While it is left to speculation how Frank himself would have received each article, I think he would have appreciated this work for what it is: Readers who got an intellectual understanding of his work above pure entertainment, and considered it of value enough to be discussing its merits almost 50 years after its publication.
Its a sad time for DUNE when the primary point of contention centers around the quality (or lack thereof) of current tackings-on to Frank's work. The articles in this book do us a service in focusing on more legitimate concerns. I do of course offer a caveat which I expanded upon here in the Amazon book discussion page for this book: that any scholarly arguments made in the Dune universe must take into consideration the multidimensional aspect of a work where other authors take over for a lost giant.
I'm still only about half way through all the articles because I'm taking my time, notating agreements and disagreements, which is why I think the book and the related discussion it creates is important: It is high time we had more public discussion of why Dune is important, not just as a pinnacle of sci-fi or American Literature, but because I very much believe that humanity is better for its creation.
While it is left to speculation how Frank himself would have received each article, I think he would have appreciated this work for what it is: Readers who got an intellectual understanding of his work above pure entertainment, and considered it of value enough to be discussing its merits almost 50 years after its publication.
Its a sad time for DUNE when the primary point of contention centers around the quality (or lack thereof) of current tackings-on to Frank's work. The articles in this book do us a service in focusing on more legitimate concerns. I do of course offer a caveat which I expanded upon here in the Amazon book discussion page for this book: that any scholarly arguments made in the Dune universe must take into consideration the multidimensional aspect of a work where other authors take over for a lost giant.
October 3, 2020
"Greatness is a transitory experience. It is never consistent. It depends in part upon the myth-making imagination of humankind, The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in. He must reflect what is projected upon him. And he must have a strong sense of the sardonic. This is what uncouples him from belief in his own pretensions. The sardonic is all that permits him to move within himself. Without this quality, even occasional greatness will destroy a human."
This is one of the more interesting volumes of the Philosophy and Popular Culture series, likely due to particularly rich subject matter provided by the stories of the Duniverse and its author's avowed interest in the meanings and functions of myths and myth-making. The main focus of the contributors concerns the novels of the main Atreides storyline from Dune to God Emperor of Dune, with occasional references being made to Herbert's later novels and those of his son. For the most part though, the authors here do a decent job of explaining the background context so that someone who has only read the original novel can still make sense of these chapters. The topics concern primarily a mixture of ethics and politics, along with a couple that explore issues of identity, with metaphysical issues cropping up occasionally well. Overall, it is a fascinating and lively read that plumbs the depths of a fictional universe rife with philosophical and moral complexities. It will perhaps serve as an interesting comparison with the upcoming Dune movie to see how much of Herbert's original ideas make it into the newest cinematic adaptation.
Some, though not all, of the particularly interesting chapters here:
Curse of the Golden Path by Sam Gates-Scovelle - An intriguing survey of some ways that Herbert depicts the prescient abilities of various Dune characters. This ability proves an insightful means to examine epistemological and ethical understandings of society, as well as conceptions of free will and how such foreknowledge can ultimately become a trap as it does for Paul in Dune Messiah.
A Universe of Bastards by Matthew A. Butkus - This essay looks at political organization at very points in the Duniverse with a focus on the concept of stability and ultimately showing the inherent instability (and eventual doom) in the hierarchical forms of government that seek to provide such stability in themselves, such as the reigns of Paul and Leto II.
A Ghola of a Chance by Sam Gates-Scovelle and Stephanie Semler - Examining primarily the cloning technology seen in the gholas along with the ancestral memories of the Bene Gesserit, this chapter looks at the interrelation of identity and memory. Persistence of identity seems the main theme as there is the prominent question of whether a ghola of Duncan Idaho can be regarded as the same the original from three millennia prior just because he shares the same memories as him (along with those of previous gholas). Is identity then just a matter of memory? And what does that mean for lost or diminished memories?
Wiping Finite Answers from an Infinite Universe by Kristian Lund - This is perhaps the most brilliant of this volume's essays. It touches on phenomenological understandings of humanity in the ways that different groups of the Duniverse approach humans, as well as how most also abuse humans as mere tools for their purposes. Lund shows that the complete lack of aliens in the Duniverse, which generally stands out in the genre of space science fiction, serves to foreground philosophical understandings of how we should conceive of humanity. This is further underscored by the effects of the Butlerian jihad on the Duniverse and the human drive to seek certainty and finality, amidst the void of the universe.
Paul Atreides the Nietzschean Hero by Roy Jackson - One of two chapters examining possible Nietzschean concepts and allusions in the Duniverse (something that seems very probable given the strong resurgence of Nietzsche in the US at the time Herbert wrote the original novel). This essay primarily centers on a comparison between Herbert' Paul and Nietzsche's Zarathustra and their pervading moral themes. Jackson also highlights the intriguing similarity in the way that Paul becomes the Preacher to dismantle his former faith and Nietzsche's creation of the fictional Zarathustra, a character that Nietzche regarded as symbolizing the tenets of Abrahamic faiths, who now serves to oppose them in his Thus Spake Zarathustra.
This is one of the more interesting volumes of the Philosophy and Popular Culture series, likely due to particularly rich subject matter provided by the stories of the Duniverse and its author's avowed interest in the meanings and functions of myths and myth-making. The main focus of the contributors concerns the novels of the main Atreides storyline from Dune to God Emperor of Dune, with occasional references being made to Herbert's later novels and those of his son. For the most part though, the authors here do a decent job of explaining the background context so that someone who has only read the original novel can still make sense of these chapters. The topics concern primarily a mixture of ethics and politics, along with a couple that explore issues of identity, with metaphysical issues cropping up occasionally well. Overall, it is a fascinating and lively read that plumbs the depths of a fictional universe rife with philosophical and moral complexities. It will perhaps serve as an interesting comparison with the upcoming Dune movie to see how much of Herbert's original ideas make it into the newest cinematic adaptation.
Some, though not all, of the particularly interesting chapters here:
Curse of the Golden Path by Sam Gates-Scovelle - An intriguing survey of some ways that Herbert depicts the prescient abilities of various Dune characters. This ability proves an insightful means to examine epistemological and ethical understandings of society, as well as conceptions of free will and how such foreknowledge can ultimately become a trap as it does for Paul in Dune Messiah.
A Universe of Bastards by Matthew A. Butkus - This essay looks at political organization at very points in the Duniverse with a focus on the concept of stability and ultimately showing the inherent instability (and eventual doom) in the hierarchical forms of government that seek to provide such stability in themselves, such as the reigns of Paul and Leto II.
A Ghola of a Chance by Sam Gates-Scovelle and Stephanie Semler - Examining primarily the cloning technology seen in the gholas along with the ancestral memories of the Bene Gesserit, this chapter looks at the interrelation of identity and memory. Persistence of identity seems the main theme as there is the prominent question of whether a ghola of Duncan Idaho can be regarded as the same the original from three millennia prior just because he shares the same memories as him (along with those of previous gholas). Is identity then just a matter of memory? And what does that mean for lost or diminished memories?
Wiping Finite Answers from an Infinite Universe by Kristian Lund - This is perhaps the most brilliant of this volume's essays. It touches on phenomenological understandings of humanity in the ways that different groups of the Duniverse approach humans, as well as how most also abuse humans as mere tools for their purposes. Lund shows that the complete lack of aliens in the Duniverse, which generally stands out in the genre of space science fiction, serves to foreground philosophical understandings of how we should conceive of humanity. This is further underscored by the effects of the Butlerian jihad on the Duniverse and the human drive to seek certainty and finality, amidst the void of the universe.
Paul Atreides the Nietzschean Hero by Roy Jackson - One of two chapters examining possible Nietzschean concepts and allusions in the Duniverse (something that seems very probable given the strong resurgence of Nietzsche in the US at the time Herbert wrote the original novel). This essay primarily centers on a comparison between Herbert' Paul and Nietzsche's Zarathustra and their pervading moral themes. Jackson also highlights the intriguing similarity in the way that Paul becomes the Preacher to dismantle his former faith and Nietzsche's creation of the fictional Zarathustra, a character that Nietzche regarded as symbolizing the tenets of Abrahamic faiths, who now serves to oppose them in his Thus Spake Zarathustra.
October 12, 2011
This is an excellent collection of essays and explorations of the Dune novels by Frank Herbert. I enjoyed reading them immensely, learned a bit about philosophy, and learned quite a lot about the Dune saga. I must confess I have failed to understand the Dune books and haven't even read the entire series to date. This collection has given me a new understanding and appreciation for Dune and its sequels and I have put them on my reading list.
My only critique is that this collection of essays is presented as "found" writings that exist within the Dune universe. That conceit is a little heavy handed and badly done, and I honestly see know reason for it. I would have preferred these authors and thinkers present these essays as their own work, and not "found" by them. But I suppose everyone is entitled to their own fun when it comes to playing in another's intellectual sandbox. In my opinion, it was wearisome.
My only critique is that this collection of essays is presented as "found" writings that exist within the Dune universe. That conceit is a little heavy handed and badly done, and I honestly see know reason for it. I would have preferred these authors and thinkers present these essays as their own work, and not "found" by them. But I suppose everyone is entitled to their own fun when it comes to playing in another's intellectual sandbox. In my opinion, it was wearisome.
December 22, 2024
الكتاب يفتح الأذهان على عالم كثيب، لكن هناك جزئيات فيه أصباتني بالملل، ومليئة بالتكرار
March 18, 2019
285 - 2019
December 8, 2011
Interesting enough for a hardcore Dune enthusiast. I found the material a bit elementary and did not like the method the author uses time and again to apply events in Dune to life today. It's very jarring to reconcile these two times, for example the Gom Jabbar test Mohiam administers to Paul in the middle of a shopping mall.
June 29, 2012
The Dune chronicles are among the most philosophical novels out there, so this book was a necessary step on the Golden Path. Worthwhile reading for any serious Dune fan.
June 29, 2021
At points and interesting compilation of philosophical analysis from Dune. Some highlights were the analysis of Dune’s take on free will and personhood. Unfortunately these were interspersed with many pieces that required either deep memory of the Dune texts or alternatively sat at a very high level.
September 2, 2023
Ok, not great. Very repetitive. Each other felt it necessary to explain or recap Dune which meant that you read the same thing over and over and over again. Got old very quickly.
November 6, 2021
Since the book is a collection of essays by different authors, the chapters are not equal in the depth of analysis of the source. Some of them seem too naive for the rather cynical Dune. Most of the time, however, this is excellent reading.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews