All philosophies are either
monist or dualist. Monists believe that the material world is the only world --
hence, materialists. Dualists believe in a binary universe, that there is a
spiritual world in addition to the material world."
"Well, as a computer geek, I have to believe in the binary universe."
The Librarian raises his eyebrows. "How does that follow?"
"Sorry. It's a joke. A bad pun. See, computers use binary code to represent
information. So I was joking that I have to believe in the binary universe,
that I have to be a dualist."
"How droll," the Librarian says, not sounding very amused. "Your joke may not
be without genuine merit, however."
"How's that? I was just kidding, really."
"Computers rely on the one and the zero to represent all things. This
distinction between something and nothing -- this pivotal separation between
being and nonbeing -- is quite fundamental and underlies many Creation myths."
Hiro feels his face getting slightly warm, feels himself getting annoyed. He
suspects that the Librarian may be pulling his leg, playing him for a fool. But
he knows that the Librarian, however convincingly rendered he may be, is just a
piece of software and cannot actually do such things.
"Even the word 'science' comes from an Indo-European root meaning 'to cut' or
'to separate.' The same root led to the word 'shit,' which of course means to
separate living flesh from nonliving waste. The same root gave us 'scythe' and
'scissors' and 'schism,' which have obvious connections to the concept of
separation."
"How about 'sword'?"
"From a root with several meanings. One of those meanings is 'to cut or
pierce.' One of them is 'post' or 'rod.' And the other is, simply, 'to speak.'"
"Let's stay on track," Hiro says.
"Fine. I can return to this potential conversation fork at a later time, if you
desire."
"I don't want to get all forked up at this point."
monist or dualist. Monists believe that the material world is the only world --
hence, materialists. Dualists believe in a binary universe, that there is a
spiritual world in addition to the material world."
"Well, as a computer geek, I have to believe in the binary universe."
The Librarian raises his eyebrows. "How does that follow?"
"Sorry. It's a joke. A bad pun. See, computers use binary code to represent
information. So I was joking that I have to believe in the binary universe,
that I have to be a dualist."
"How droll," the Librarian says, not sounding very amused. "Your joke may not
be without genuine merit, however."
"How's that? I was just kidding, really."
"Computers rely on the one and the zero to represent all things. This
distinction between something and nothing -- this pivotal separation between
being and nonbeing -- is quite fundamental and underlies many Creation myths."
Hiro feels his face getting slightly warm, feels himself getting annoyed. He
suspects that the Librarian may be pulling his leg, playing him for a fool. But
he knows that the Librarian, however convincingly rendered he may be, is just a
piece of software and cannot actually do such things.
"Even the word 'science' comes from an Indo-European root meaning 'to cut' or
'to separate.' The same root led to the word 'shit,' which of course means to
separate living flesh from nonliving waste. The same root gave us 'scythe' and
'scissors' and 'schism,' which have obvious connections to the concept of
separation."
"How about 'sword'?"
"From a root with several meanings. One of those meanings is 'to cut or
pierce.' One of them is 'post' or 'rod.' And the other is, simply, 'to speak.'"
"Let's stay on track," Hiro says.
"Fine. I can return to this potential conversation fork at a later time, if you
desire."
"I don't want to get all forked up at this point."
( Neal Stephenson )
[ Snow Crash ]
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