Post by Empress Palpatine on Feb 27, 2010 17:45:07 GMT -6
I have now finished reading the book SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS by Carl Sagan. This is the book I have been summarizing over in the books section. I have not yet posted all the summaries as typing is slow. (It is in my scrawl right now). I posted it in the book section because it could have implications for both Sith and Jedi. However, here is a place to discuss its Sith implications. Personally, I think evolution leans more Sith, especially after reading this book. Certain themes came to mind that are a bit Sith:
The Dominance of Chance as the Main Factor and a Non-Anthropomorphic Force:
While reading this I felt like a juror at a very long trial weighing a lot of evidence pro and con for the existence of an anthropomorphic God. The evidence is stacked against most western main stream religions. Deism still fits the facts, and generally, religions of the Force would still be left standing.
A Sith will not be disappointed because a Sith's relationship to the Force is not usually an anthropomorphic one. A Sith sees the Force as more of a tool to enact the will of the individual Sith. It is mostly about mastery of energies. No "permission" of a deity is sought. A Sith is his own authority.
One could say that a Force initiated all things, like a Big Bang. After that, though, chance plays the biggest role. The universe and planets form as a result of the crashing and banging of cosmic forces. If you have billions of planets, chances are some will be suitable for life. It is a crap shoot. As to the formation of life, there is also a lot of dice tossing over a very long time; but somehow, positive and workable changes are saved such that they slowly accumulate. There are those strict atheists that believe it is all 100% chance. I am probably more of a deist that believes that there is 90% chance with some subtle nudging. I think the Force moves the process of evolution and natural selection along, but in doing so, is always casting the dice many times before getting a suitable result.
Natural Selection, a Ruthless Process:
Natural selection fits more along the way a Sith would do things. Many are born, but only some make it long enough to make the next generation. The weak and flawed perish. This is how the genetic codes slowly improve.
Primate Dominance Hierarchies:
Sagan goes into a lot of detail about how a chimp group is run. The dynamics have a lot in common with stories one hears about the Sith of Korriban. There are those who lead and those who serve/submit. Sagan makes the point that we humans still have a lot in common with our more hairy brethren.
Our Inner Beast:
People deny it, but it is there. After reading this book, you will understand some of the dynamics going on in a lot of human institutions. For those of you Sith looking for secret buttons to push and manipulate in people, this book is for you. You could outdo Machiavelli. There are secret buttons hidden in all of us that have been in our genetic code for millions even billions of years. If a person does not use their higher brain, they will likely default to these.
What Is Our Non-Beast Self:
By knowing what our inner beast is, we can identify that which is within ourselves or others that transcends the beast.
Why Human Politics Is Such a Mess:
This book definitely explains stupid shortsighted people, like the ones running most governments. Why are they stubborn? (For me especially, why are they stubbornly Republican? I have been looking for someone to explain Republicans for years.)
Feel free to discuss. Look at the summaries I wrote as well as Mrs. Vader's). That should be enough for a discussion of the Sith aspects. For the really ambitious, I recommend actually reading the book.
The Dominance of Chance as the Main Factor and a Non-Anthropomorphic Force:
While reading this I felt like a juror at a very long trial weighing a lot of evidence pro and con for the existence of an anthropomorphic God. The evidence is stacked against most western main stream religions. Deism still fits the facts, and generally, religions of the Force would still be left standing.
A Sith will not be disappointed because a Sith's relationship to the Force is not usually an anthropomorphic one. A Sith sees the Force as more of a tool to enact the will of the individual Sith. It is mostly about mastery of energies. No "permission" of a deity is sought. A Sith is his own authority.
One could say that a Force initiated all things, like a Big Bang. After that, though, chance plays the biggest role. The universe and planets form as a result of the crashing and banging of cosmic forces. If you have billions of planets, chances are some will be suitable for life. It is a crap shoot. As to the formation of life, there is also a lot of dice tossing over a very long time; but somehow, positive and workable changes are saved such that they slowly accumulate. There are those strict atheists that believe it is all 100% chance. I am probably more of a deist that believes that there is 90% chance with some subtle nudging. I think the Force moves the process of evolution and natural selection along, but in doing so, is always casting the dice many times before getting a suitable result.
Natural Selection, a Ruthless Process:
Natural selection fits more along the way a Sith would do things. Many are born, but only some make it long enough to make the next generation. The weak and flawed perish. This is how the genetic codes slowly improve.
Primate Dominance Hierarchies:
Sagan goes into a lot of detail about how a chimp group is run. The dynamics have a lot in common with stories one hears about the Sith of Korriban. There are those who lead and those who serve/submit. Sagan makes the point that we humans still have a lot in common with our more hairy brethren.
Our Inner Beast:
People deny it, but it is there. After reading this book, you will understand some of the dynamics going on in a lot of human institutions. For those of you Sith looking for secret buttons to push and manipulate in people, this book is for you. You could outdo Machiavelli. There are secret buttons hidden in all of us that have been in our genetic code for millions even billions of years. If a person does not use their higher brain, they will likely default to these.
What Is Our Non-Beast Self:
By knowing what our inner beast is, we can identify that which is within ourselves or others that transcends the beast.
Why Human Politics Is Such a Mess:
This book definitely explains stupid shortsighted people, like the ones running most governments. Why are they stubborn? (For me especially, why are they stubbornly Republican? I have been looking for someone to explain Republicans for years.)
Feel free to discuss. Look at the summaries I wrote as well as Mrs. Vader's). That should be enough for a discussion of the Sith aspects. For the really ambitious, I recommend actually reading the book.
