Blish's "Conscience" vs. Wolfe's "Fifth Head"

Dan Goodman · 28 Dec 2005, 23:06 · from rec.arts.sf.written.2005.mbox

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From: "Dan Goodman" <dsgood at iphouse.com>
Subject: Re: Blish's "Conscience" vs. Wolfe's "Fifth Head"
Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:06:36 -0600
Message-ID: <43b31a7e$0$821$8046368a at newsreader.iphouse.net>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
References: <1135781723.546189.19520 at g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> <douf3o$bho$1 at news.datemas.de> <1135795018.842798.188130 at g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> <43b2ecc8$0$314$8046368a at newsreader.iphouse.net> <1135802577.600104.325410 at g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> <43b2ffd3$0$815$8046368a at newsreader.iphouse.net> <1135810650.498075.97470 at g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>

galt_57 at hotmail.com wrote:

> Dan Goodman wrote:
> > galt_57 at hotmail.com wrote:
> > 
> > > Dan Goodman wrote:
> > > > galt_57 at hotmail.com wrote:
> > > > > westprog wrote:
> > > > > > <galt_57 at hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > > > > > Contrasting the stories "A Case of Conscence" and "The
> > > > > > > Fifth Head of Cerberus" on the topic of religious
> > > > > > > redemption and inherent mortal flaws I am dismayed that
> > > > > > > Wolfe seems to want to hide a rather ignorant religious
> > > > > > > opinion
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > An ignorant opinion?
> > > > > 
> > > > > Cloning and the genetic improvement of humankind is purely
> > > > > evil and doomed to failure.
> > > > 
> > > > You've given no evidence that the opinion is ignorant.
> > > > 
> > > > I do hope you don't mean that 1) the opinion is wrong and 2)
> > > > anyone who is not ignorant will realize that it's wrong.
> > > 
> > > Oh no, I believe that very, very intelligent people can and are
> > > hoodwinked by religion and accept its presumption of moral
> > > authority.  I also accept that being hoodwinked is not the same
> > > thing as being ignorant.
> > 
> > So, what leads you to the conclusion that Wolfe's opinion is an
> > ignorant one?
> 
> Because clones are evil, you see. They just are.

That makes sense if 1) Wolfe himself puts it that way, or 2) you have
inside knowledge that Wolfe is not basing that opinion on reasoning
and/or evidence which he has not shared.

And, of course, it's also possible that you're misunderstanding what he
wrote as thoroughly as the people who believe(d) that _Animal Farm_ was
a defense of capitalism.

-- 
Dan Goodman
Journal http://www.livejournal.com/users/dsgood/ 
Clutterers Anonymous unofficial community
http://www.livejournal.com/community/clutterers_anon/
Decluttering http://decluttering.blogspot.com
Predictions and Politics http://dsgood.blogspot.com
All political parties die at last of swallowing their own lies.
John Arbuthnot (1667-1735), Scottish writer, physician.

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