OFF LIST Re: Wolfe and Materialism

Lee Berman · 11 Feb 2011, 17:54 · from 2011-February.txt.gz

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From: severiansola at hotmail.com (Lee Berman)
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:54:56 -0500
Subject: (urth) OFF LIST Re: Wolfe and Materialism
Message-ID: <SNT123-W4401CA8D4D793ACC5BB0BBCFEF0 at phx.gbl>

>Craig Brewer: My difficulty with finding real spiritual/supernatural events in the plot of New 
>Sun has always been that I could figure out ways that what happens is 
>metaphorically full of religious meaning...but it so often seemed possible to 
>reduce it to some other physicalist/materialist/Hiero conspiracy explanation. 
>With Lane's model, though, when Sev brings about Urth's evolution/salvation, it 
>can be at once a mere physical event but also a step on the ladder of, as he 
>says, "reconciling spirit with matter."

First, I enjoyed your conversation on materialism with Lane. Thanks.

I think what you wrote above is in the spirit with which Wolfe is writing. Any object or event
exists simultaneously at several levels. Borrowing from the Wolfe interview I recently cited, 
paper is not reduced by considering that it is made of hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are elevated
because they serve a useful purpose for a human being. Paper is elevated when it is put to the
purpose of discussing and expanding understanding of God.  God is elevated when the hydrocarbons 
he created are used at every level for every purpose. Elevation eventually leads from "highest"
back down to "lowest".  Circularity. Which is the most important, defining portion of a circle?

I think that's the principle. That we needn't choose one level as superior or subservient to
another. They exist simultaneously, and all elements in a Wolfe story can be interpreted in this
simultaneous, multi-level way.

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