We'll obviously be moving on to Chiang's other works in class today, but before we do I want to say one final thing about "Understand."
We talked in class about the differences between Greco and Reynolds and which one we sided with - and whoever you feel was "right," it's interesting to put yourself in their shoes. I think it's pretty much clear that the key difference between the two lies in the reasons that the two accumulate knowledge: For Reynolds, knowledge is the key to power - a tool he will use as he betters the world (whether they like it or not). For Greco, knowledge is to be pursued for knowledge's sake - he intends not necessarily to use his knowledge for anything other than the pursuit of more knowledge. In other words, knowledge is the means to an end for Reynolds and the end result itself for Greco.
So which is nobler?
We're all Honors students at this University, and as such we receive certain perks: early registration for classes, scholarships, etc. We also know that graduating with an Honors designation will improve our resume and help us land the jobs we want in the future. So is that the reason we're doing this? Is the Honors program beneficial as a tool only, or do we appreciate it the way Greco appreciates his knowledge, for its beauty? If all those perks were taken away and we were left with the option to simply take harder classes and do more work and "gain more knowledge," for its own sake, would we?
Would you?
I think that as the reader, we're meant to see Greco's thirst for knowledge as admirable and relatable (who hasn't thought, "I wish I were smarter"). Whether it's more noble is really the question of the story, I think. We talked in class about how the story could be seen as a supervillain origin story, about both Greco and Reynolds. In that case, I don't know that there is a "more noble" quest, as both of them are not good people in a moral sense. They neglect their responsibilities and daily lives, using their intelligence to use the system to their own ends.
ReplyDeleteAs far as my own personal choices go, I think I would pursue knowledge without the perks, so long as it was information I actually wanted to know. For example, I took this class because it related to a topic I was interested in and wanted to discuss. If a course on the political history of ancient Mesopotamia were offered in its place, I don't know that I would have been as enthusiastic.
In the case of the Honors College, I think I agree with Jessica. As I understand this instance, Honors students would be required to take X hours of classes within the Honors college, which only they would have access to, but you wouldn't receive early registration or any distinction upon graduating. This is actually a huge deal for me to admit, since (before this semester) I was only in the Honors college for the early registration with no intentions whatsoever of graduating in it. (Side Note: Changing your mind about this involves taking at least six hours of Honors a semester for your senior year, which is thus far really awesome.)
ReplyDeleteBut if the issue came to the more specific scenario of Greco and Reynolds, how I would feel about the nigh unlimited knowledge on that level, I'm not entirely sure. A large part of this is just that I'm not that situation. What I do know now is that I would most definitely use it to benefit myself in a Greco-esque fashion, where I would use and abuse the stock market at minimal loss to anyone else for my own survival.
Since this is getting entirely too long for a comment, I'm just going to hard-claim Acton on this one. The power would probably corrupt me into making decisions that I likely wouldn't make now. My world-view would just be too different.
As I was reading "Understand", I caught myself getting almost annoyed with the fact that Greco didn't plan on doing anything with his superhuman knowledge. I think it's a lot easier to relate knowledge with power, since we often view the smartest people in the world as the most influential (Steve Jobs, etc.). I can honestly say the main reason I entered the Honors College before my freshman year was because I wanted to continue my studies within Honors programs, and to graduate with a more distinguished degree. However, I was really surprised to find how much i enjoyed the classes and new material that i've been introduced to, and have found myself pursing knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
ReplyDeleteIs Reynold's pursuit any nobler, when in fact he acknowledges that the death of "normals" was/is necessary for Reynold to eliminate Greco?
ReplyDeleteNeither is nobler than the other. However, to state that Reynold is superior to Greco is a comparison that could withstand debate.