Hi all. This is as good a way as any to plant a seed for possible use of this forum throughout our 4 weeks looking at Process through the lens of "Dune Messiah" - for me a strange and startling notion.
I will introduce myself as briefly as I can (given my Leo nature) and welcome others to reply to this convo with your own introductions. Personally I find writing my thoughts an effective way to think them and I may well post other topics here as they come up for me - but with the clear sense that this may not be a way others approach such a learning process. I often just release my writings to the wind like milkweed fluff!
I am a retired Middle-School math teacher living in idyllic upstate New York on the "farmstead" of which my wife and I spent thirty years dreaming. I raise some goats and chickens and we have over the past decade sold off parcels of our land to welcome wonderful young neighbors who bring their own energies to orcharding and permaculture and astrology and community. I have four lovely children of whom three are living; the death of my older son a decade ago was what drove me to seek new understandings of... well... everything.
I discovered the philosophy of Whitehead as a branch of a path of exploring panpsychism. I have explored more praxis-centered paths including meditation but find the odd austerity of philosophy, and ANW in particular, suits my nature.
I have a rather wide exposure to writings of and about Whitehead's ideas but only a passing knowledge of Process Theology. I find Whitehead's characterization of god as "fellow sufferer" and "poet of the world" as especially evocative.
I look forward to everything you bring to this learning circle.
Daryl
Hi Daryl,
Thanks for introducing yourself with this very nice short synopsis of your life. We have had three sessions now, so I feel like I already know you somewhat from your comments. I appreciate your clear and intelligent comments when you speak. You are clearly well read and articulate. I am working on that, but find I get nervous & then can’t think so well!
I found a YouTube audio a few days ago, a one hour interview with Frank Herbert from 1969 about the original Dune. I am going to try to link it here so others can listen. Now I have a completely different attitude to his Dune series and plan to read the first book. I had trouble getting past the violence & dark plots in Messiah. Plus, I saw the latest movie and it was very violent.
After listening to Herbert talk about his deep environmental concerns, political concerns, religious (messianic) concerns etc., I actually see and appreciate what he was up to.
Rick Cosci
@bluelotus Hi Rick... I felt that the recent movies were cinematically engaging, and a reminder of some of the powerful elements of the story from Book #1 - but - the ecological elements brought to the fore inf that book in particular were conspicuously absent. And these elements are a part of what I saw as a strong link to the "Process" world view which seems lacking in this Book #2. I am less intrigued by the analysis of "power" - though open to and enjoying our excursions there.
@dander53 Hi Daryl, That’s interesting, because in Herbert’s audio that I listened to, someone mentioned the Ecologist dying on the planet. An omen no doubt of the revenge of Mother Earth (Arakis). I have only seen the most recent film and it was suggested I watch the other one first, but I didn’t. I did see a Dune movie some years ago, don’t remember how long back. I feel like with this class and my research I am enjoying and getting more out of Dune.
Yeah, I’m not sure how “power” relates to Process either. Will think about this! It was certainly important to Herbert.
