Father Inire Theory cont.

David Stockhoff · 10 Dec 2010, 14:49 · from 2010-December.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2010 09:49:32 -0500
Subject: (urth) Father Inire Theory cont.
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W2075047246968E5ADD361CCF2F0 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W2075047246968E5ADD361CCF2F0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <4D023DFC.3040607 at verizon.net>


On 12/10/2010 9:27 AM, Lee Berman wrote:
>
> Father Inire might appear in sort of a Merlin's role on first blush. But unlike true
> monarch, Arthur, the Autarchs do not have royal blood nor divine grace. They are drawn
> from among the commoners. In my last post I illustrated the weakness of The Autarchy and
> the secret power residing in Father Inire for the 1000 year history of the Commonwealth.
The Autarchy is a thin thread, yes, but its very strength is the lives 
of commoners. One could argue, easily, that the people are always a 
higher source of authority than blood or blatantly false divine grace. 
Anyway, it is merely a rhetorical point as to whether a king is raised 
or cheapened by his proximity to the source of his authority---you can 
have it either way. Transparent knockoff or ritual imitation of the Ideal?

But I think you mean to point out that Inire provides stronger 
continuity than the Autarchy. Agreed.
>
> When Vodalus feeds his followers Thecla's body it is with the hopes that her loyalty to
> him will be imbued in them. But, as Severian's coin symbolizes, everything Vodalus does
> is a cheap imitation of the Autarch. He is such a dupe he doesn't know where the true
> power of the Autarchy lies. Vodalus is so clueless he doesn't realize his own movement has
> been propped up by Father Inire, as evidenced by his flier and blaster, and the Inire
> dictated ascension of his successor, Agia. Father Inire maintains the continuity of the
> Autarchy by having each successor eat the brain of the predecessor.  Again, Vodalus uses
> just a cheap imitation of the true seat of power's method of instilling loyalty and
> compliance.
Definitely.
>
>
> Many have wondered why the Autarch/Inire would keep and sustain the Vodalus movement. The explanation
> is that like Vodalus, Father Inire/Devil/Demiurge has no choice but to rule in a cheap imitation of the
> true source of power in the universe(s).
You mean as the Increate keeps the Devil employed, so does Inire keep 
Vodalus busy. But where is the Devil? This risks becoming a circular 
argument, if Vodalus is an imitation of an ideal Evil whose very 
existence is a conjecture.


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