The soul of the marionette : a short inquiry into human freedom
Gray, John, 1948-2015
Book
In The Soul of the Marionette, John Gray draws together the religious, philosophic and fantastical traditions that question the very idea of human freedom. We flatter ourselves about the nature of free will and yet the most enormous forces - biological, physical, metaphysical - constrain our every action. Many writers and intellectuals have always understood this, but instead of embracing our condition we battle against it, with everyone from world conquerors to modern scientists dreaming of a 'human dominion' almost comically at odds with our true state. This is a stimulating and enraging meditation on everything from cybernetics to the fairground marionettes of the title.
Main title:
Author:
Imprint:
[London] : Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Books, 2015.[London] Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Books, 2015.©2015.
Collation:
179 pages ; 24 cm.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-179)
Shelving notes:
36684 1 22-04-2015 0 nyctro 22-04-2015 7
Contents:
Machine generated contents note: 1.The Faith of Puppets -- The freedom of the marionette -- the faith of puppets -- demiurgy and tailors' dummies -- Leopardi and the souls of machines -- the return of Ligeia -- the golem and the circular ruins -- Solaris and our world -- the revelation of Philip K. Dick -- entering the Zone -- Mr Weston drops a match -- 2.In the Puppet Theatre -- Roof gardens, feathers and human sacrifice -- dark mirrors, hidden angels and an algorithmic prayer-wheel -- human redundancy and the cyborg economy -- an iron mountain and a shifting spectacle -- a universal Panopticon -- puppetry, conspiracy and Ouija boards -- when the machine stops -- 3.Freedom for Uber-marionettes -- What science won't tell you -- ethics for puppets -- gravity and the Fall.
ISBN:
9781846144493 (hardback)1846144493 (hardback)
Dewey class:
123.5
LC class:
HM1266
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
188910
| Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Melbourne Library | -Society | SOCIETY 123.5 GRAY | Available |