h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

this whole business is starting as a stress reliever for my upcoming research paper that is supposed to compare the views of nature In H2g2 with the more traditional views, exemplified through Emerson and Bacon's writings. While there are a ton of things that come to my mind, the problem will be trying to get my professor to comprehende any of the points I can make. Since it's due in three days, I really need to start more than just finding page numbers, but that requires me to determine if I can talk about all of the things that I thought of, or if I have to scratch some (probably the good ones) in an effort to save my grade. Hence, I'm stalling for time by writing this, which is related to the job I have to do, but still not decisive or productive.

some of the points I would like to make in my comparison:

using nature in the search for truth- both h2g2 and the traditional views say to look to nature for truth. Emerson in Nature, where he admonishes science for using nature to prove theories instead of observing nature, then trying to theorize from what they've observed. H2g2 agrees, in conversation with Prak, and with the idea that to find the truth of the question that =42, the planet Earth must be made- thus looking to nature for the answer, or rather, the question.

the idea that men rules over beast- it is from the Bible, it is one of the most traditional (and frustrating, in my opinion) views of the western culture. In H2g2, the "beasts" are the mice, whom mankind thinks to be above, but the mice really own the planet- having paid for it and all, and they are the most intelligent life form on it. The "beasts" known as the dolphins were also smarter than man, and managed to get off the planet before it was 'dozed.

Created in God's own image- traditional view from the bible agrees with h2g2, but differ on who the God is. Traditional views hold it as the Judeo-christian god, h2g2 holds "god" as an old man who lives in isolation and is unable to remember even simple names for objects. Instead of "god", mankind's culture was created in the image of the mice's. The mice have to go to their honeplanet/dimension to do a talk show, and end up lying about the question to prolong their importance. This is a perfectly normal idea for the culture of mankind, and the mice, without meaning to, influenced it.

nature as created by God v. nature as a machine- both Adams and Emerson/Bacon agree that nature has it's uses, but where Adams shows nature as a machine created specifically and detailed, Emerson and Bacon hold the traditional views that God created the Earth, and while it was in a specific order, there is more creativity attributed to the creation of the planet by God.


there are more, but I'm gonna go eat lunch.

This is very well thought out. Of course, there is always the relationship between the two ideals (God vs. the Machine). Since people don't know the true nature of God, there is always the slight possibility that what people percieve to "be" God is actually some greater power with which we have no knowledge of, in this case a planet designed obsessed with fjords. I am interested in seeing what new revelations come to you after lunch.