Arquivo para November 23rd, 2016
Technology and larvae
23
Nov
We are reading topic 3 of Chapter I: Technology and the Larvae, from Peter Kreeft’s 
book: The Best Things in Life, and .the questioning is what is in fact the product of technologies.
Socrates will question what is “serious science” that was how the biotechnologist Marigold refers to his valued work, Socrates says that Science comes from “scio” which means “I know”, as techn of “know how to do”, and says Which is a kind of magic, and it was in the medical age that magic and science were born, we are on page 48 in brazilian edition.
When they return to the question of age they penetrate the heart of the book, what would be the best answer to an even more important question, the question of summum bonum, the supreme good..
Remember that the previous dialogue had ended with the idea if a good winemaker could offer wine to an alcoholic, Peter Pragma returns the conversation because now he wants to know what he wanted to know what good life is, and now he begins to understand that he must know what it is the good.
MARIGOLD: … What is more important than the conquest of nature? And besides, there were not thousands of different answers, different religions and philosophies, myths, creeds, codes and cults?
SOCRATES: Yes, but they all had one common motive, which was the opposite of their technology.
MARIGOLD: One reason? And why is not something obvious then? Do not understand. SOCRATES: Perhaps because it is too obvious to be perceived by eyes full of maggots.
MARIGOLD: Enough! What is?
SOCRATES: They all agreed that the most important thing in life was to somehow conform the human soul to objective reality. His philosophy of “conquest of nature” believes that the most important thing is to conform objective reality to the desires of the human soul.
Marigold will say that this is progress, then go through the discussion of the existent gods, Socrates will argue if there is a common principle in beliefs, from there go to the discussion about what is the higher profession, which would seek the superhuman and come back the idea Whether it is possible to dominate nature or conform it to man. Finally they return to the question of practice, Marigold will say that philosophy does not kill hunger, to which Socrates argues that it is still not a supreme good, and which would be the higher good.
PETER: That’s the first question, is not it, Socrates? If there are no gods, then technology is superior, for there is nothing to conform to, and we must make nature conform to us. What else should be done?
