Jaynes as influence on Wolfe's _Soldier_

Michael Straight · 30 Oct 1998, 10:58 · from urth-v0021.mbox · original

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From: Michael Straight <straight at email.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: (urth) Re: Jaynes as influence on Wolfe's _Soldier_
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 10:58:35
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On Fri, 30 Oct 1998, John Bishop wrote:

> re Rostrum's quote of Lewis--we have actual examples of traditional
> peoples who have been extensively investigated; some do make the
> distiction (between "participating in this liturgy, or ... just going
> through the motions") and others don't.  In particular, I've read
> that this is one of the reasons the Hopi and the Navaho don't get
> along: the Hopi believe that correct form is important, but that
> ritual doesn't require sincere feeling; the Navaho believe that
> sincere feeling is crucial but form is secondary.
>=20
> It's easy to say wierd things about the Classical world and not be
> proven wrong; it's harder when there are living people to question.
> While the Hopi are not the ancient Egyptians, etc., I think we can
> usefully look to recent anthropological work to illuminate the past.

Have you read Chesterton's critique (I think it's in _The Everlasting
Man_) of the assumption you can draw valid inferences about ancient
peoples by observing modern peoples who happen to have a similar
technological level?  If so, what do you think?  (I'll try to find and
summarize it for you if you're interested.)

Of course, I'm not sure what evidence Lewis had for his statements either.
One place he talks about the subject is his book about the Psalms;  I'll
have to take another look at it.

-Rostrum



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