lordtrickster
lordtrickster t1_je1yset wrote
Reply to comment by semiomni in TIL that in Chinese Folk Religion, a mortal human being could ascend into godhood not through the decisions of a clergy/church, but by the sheer number of people who believe that their extraordinary achievements led to apotheosis, which forced Confucian/Taoists clerics to canonize a person as a God. by Khysamgathys
Given that basically all fiction is a mix of the experiences of the author and older fiction, both embellished, yeah, pretty much. Science fiction adds on embellished scientific theories.
Sure, there's imagination at play, but that's generally sourced from centuries of embellishments.
The 13th Warrior (movie) is a decent random example of where these sorts of things can come from. The grendel were dudes in bear hides and the firewyrm was just a column of riders with torches snaking in from the distance. As long as they kept winning, the truth would never get out.
lordtrickster t1_j9wd15z wrote
Reply to comment by commandolandorooster in Reality is an openness that we can never fully grasp. We need closures as a means of intervening in the world. | Post-postmodern philosopher and critic of realism Hilary Lawson explains closure theory. by IAI_Admin
I function off a "working model for the situation" approach. You'll never know the entirety of everything, but you can know enough to be useful in a given situation.
lordtrickster t1_j8gcyzs wrote
Reply to comment by peregrinkm in Would an arcology be conceivably possible? by peregrinkm
The "highly regulated social order" is where it falls apart. You'd have to be absolutely ruthless to maintain it, which tends to cause unrest and eventual rebellion.
lordtrickster t1_je20bzm wrote
Reply to comment by semiomni in TIL that in Chinese Folk Religion, a mortal human being could ascend into godhood not through the decisions of a clergy/church, but by the sheer number of people who believe that their extraordinary achievements led to apotheosis, which forced Confucian/Taoists clerics to canonize a person as a God. by Khysamgathys
Perhaps. I don't really see a difference between this and the Greeks, or even the Catholics and their saints. People decide a person is extra awesome and designate them as such.