virus: Strange attractors and meta-religions

Reed Konsler (konsler@ascat.harvard.edu)
Mon, 7 Apr 1997 12:00:14 +0100

>The entire Roman Empire seemed like a loser's culture--they borrowed all
>achievements from the previous Greek civilization. And, where do you get the
>premise that people are given "stations"?
> -David

Careful how you diss the Romans. You're talking about an entire culture
which, I would argue, did create a lot of physical and mental value. Just
because
it went extinct is no reason to call it a "loser's culture" and claim EVERYTHING
the Romans thought was completely derivate. Do you think the dinosaurs
were a "loser's genus"? Let's say the United States continues its apparent
slide
into directionless anarchy...is it a loser's culture, too?

I seem to remember someone (I think it was Tad) reminding us how we
should have respect for people who build things; the giants whose shoulders
we stand upon. It is important that we don't commit the error of hubris;
the ideas we hold are ours in the sense that they are in our head...but not
in the sense that we created them de novo.

Give to Ceasar that which is Caesars due.

Reed

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Reed Konsler konsler@ascat.harvard.edu
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