Claw = Fang?

Daniel Petersen · 27 Nov 2012, 16:16 · from 2012-November.txt.gz

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From: danielottojackpetersen at gmail.com (Daniel Petersen)
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:16:11 +0000
Subject: (urth) Claw = Fang?
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W2296F4462ED496D43989FCCF5E0 at phx.gbl>
References: <SNT123-W2296F4462ED496D43989FCCF5E0 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <CAGB0RZ6NSyqc5NT3iqEtJS8BZnnT+3simpBUbFwSRB+_riqLfA at mail.gmail.com>

Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:

Trying to reinterpret your words in my own
coarse fashion, I wonder if we can stretch the analogy to suggest that as
metal
being blacksmithed, we do have the choice to either be molded as intended
by an
intelligent and benignly purposed Creator or to reject the molding and
accept
existence as an errant, excised scrap of purposeless metal, perhaps useful
only as
recycled material for some future project.


Yeah, I could probably go for something like that.  That ability to choose
is what makes all analogies break down.  We're made of *living*, organic,
deliberating, volitional 'metal' - the fires and anvils and hammers are
certainly the limits of our freedom - but we play a part, however small.
 In my opinion, at least (and I think Wolfe's fiction largely evinces this
- though not without complication and density).

-DOJP

On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 3:58 PM, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com>wrote:

>
> >Daniel Petersen: The freedom of creatures to bend with good's healing
> integration or,
> >conversely (and perversely), to bend against that good in the direction of
> >evil's disintegrating non-creative force seems plausible (and urgent) to
> me
> >in Wolfe.  His characters are not just inert objects being shaped by
> >opposing forces.  They are *imago Dei *creatures of inherent goodness
> >(think of the way Silk views even the 'worst') being called to 'go with
> the
> >flow' of that goodness rather than flowing in the opposite direction.
> > That's libertarian freewill to me, not some pretend 'freedom' that must
> be
> >what it is by eternal decree (hammer and tongs style) even though it can
> >subjectively feel as if it's making it's own choices because that makes
> >life psychologically bearable.
>
> Eloquently stated, as always Daniel. Trying to reinterpret your words in
> my own
> coarse fashion, I wonder if we can stretch the analogy to suggest that as
> metal
> being blacksmithed, we do have the choice to either be molded as intended
> by an
> intelligent and benignly purposed Creator or to reject the molding and
> accept
> existence as an errant, excised scrap of purposeless metal, perhaps useful
> only as
> recycled material for some future project.
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-- 
Daniel Otto Jack Petersen
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