Special:Badtitle/NS90:Forum:Literature/George Orwell on utopia/reply (2)

Heh, well, a frequent criticism of tvtropes is that they focus too much on low culture (kid's shows, videogames, etc), not enough on the high. I don't entirely agree with this criticism. The whole point of a wiki is that the general population can edit it, and it doesn't make sense to be surprised that the current population is interested in what's currently popular. Nevertheless, I decided to make a concession to this complaint and try to start us off with a discussion about a "real" author. (Technically, Dartz's post in the fanfiction forum came before this thread.)

I think at the core of this discussion is Romanticism Versus Enlightenment. The question is "Should we sacrifice a little material comfort for a little emotional fulfillment", with Romanticism in favor. I think even in the post-modern world, the majority of people come down pretty heavy on the Enlightenment side. I used to as well, but more and more I've started to feel that it represents an incomplete view of human nature. That's not to say it's not good to end suffering, but rather the price that it is worth paying is lower than most people think.

Without getting into specifics, I've seen people (esp. on tvtropes forums) who are very deeply emotionally attached to the idea that the scientific authorities know everything and that education can cure all social ills. Basically, trying to force academia into the role of philosopher-kings. Taken too far, this is a very dangerous worldview, in my opinion.