Ayn Rand in a Neanderthal world


jts

Recommended Posts

I'm going to do some rambling. So I don't know how much sense I will make. I will connect unconnectables: Ubuntu, Neanderthals, Objectivism, an ass backwards fiction idea.

Ubuntu:

Ubuntu is a South African word that (they say) has no word in English with the same meaning. Ubuntu has been translated "we are what we are because others are what they are". It is a philosophy of sorts. Another usage of the word is: He has a lot of ubuntu; meaning he interacts with others in a way that benefits both himself and others.

Ubuntu is also the name of a Linux distro. Ubuntu used to be consistently the most popular distro on this list but now Mint is more popular. Ubuntu has many derivatives: Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu, Ubuntu Gnome, Ubuntu studio, etc..

Ubuntu was created by Mark Shuttleworth, a megapowerful smart guy who believes in the philosophy.

So that is the scoop on Ubuntu.

Neanderthals:

I watched some lengthy documentaries about Neanderthals. They were not necessarily lacking in intelligence. But they lived in tiny clans, like 7 or 10 in a clan, with little interaction with other clans except to kidnap their women. How much division of labor do you think there was in such a tiny clan? How much ubuntu? They lived an extremely primitive and difficult life.

Objectivism:

We in 2015 have all this technology, a result of man's mind. Neanderthals had none of it. Our technology is a result of a multitude of geniuses working in synergy from generation to generation.

An ass backwards science fiction idea:

By some freak time warp anomality, Ayn Rand (or a copy of her) finds herself among Neanderthals. They are friendly with her and accept her into their clan. They recognize her superior intelligence and see her intelligence as an asset to their survival. Survival was always a concern among Neanderthals. In a Neanderthal clan, every member of the clan is important to the survival of the clan. Ayn Rand retains all the knowledge and skills and memories that she had before the freak time warp anomality. She is stuck here for the rest of her life, has no way to get back. She learns their language and can communicate with them. She is smart enough to know that no matter how disgusted she is by them, she needs them for her survival in this primitive environment.

Question:

How does Ayn Rand proceed? To answer this question, maybe you could write a science fiction novel. Or a philosophy fiction novel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being as how I was marooned here on The Planet of the Apes, allow me to respond in several ways at once.

1. No amount of abstract philosophy could make the Neanderthals into Cro-Magnons. Argument is useless.

2. Given the Cave Paintings, it s obvious by inspection that a conceptual (literally) gulf had been crossed about 14000 BCE.

3. Another was bridged when accounting led to writing in Sumeria about 4000 BCE. Ponder how recent that was!

4. The general claim here is that one smart person could go back in time and change history. However, as often as I have run those scenarios from Alexander the Great to Thomas Edison, I can only conclude that in the Land of the Blind, the one-eyed man is not King, but thought insane.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to do some rambling. So I don't know how much sense I will make. I will connect unconnectables: Ubuntu, Neanderthals, Objectivism, an ass backwards fiction idea.

Ubuntu:

Ubuntu is a South African word that (they say) has no word in English with the same meaning. Ubuntu has been translated "we are what we are because others are what they are". It is a philosophy of sorts. Another usage of the word is: He has a lot of ubuntu; meaning he interacts with others in a way that benefits both himself and others.

Ubuntu is also the name of a Linux distro. Ubuntu used to be consistently the most popular distro on this list but now Mint is more popular. Ubuntu has many derivatives: Lubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu, Ubuntu Gnome, Ubuntu studio, etc..

Ubuntu was created by Mark Shuttleworth, a megapowerful smart guy who believes in the philosophy.

So that is the scoop on Ubuntu.

Neanderthals:

I watched some lengthy documentaries about Neanderthals. They were not necessarily lacking in intelligence. But they lived in tiny clans, like 7 or 10 in a clan, with little interaction with other clans except to kidnap their women. How much division of labor do you think there was in such a tiny clan? How much ubuntu? They lived an extremely primitive and difficult life.

Objectivism:

We in 2015 have all this technology, a result of man's mind. Neanderthals had none of it. Our technology is a result of a multitude of geniuses working in synergy from generation to generation.

An ass backwards science fiction idea:

By some freak time warp anomality, Ayn Rand (or a copy of her) finds herself among Neanderthals. They are friendly with her and accept her into their clan. They recognize her superior intelligence and see her intelligence as an asset to their survival. Survival was always a concern among Neanderthals. In a Neanderthal clan, every member of the clan is important to the survival of the clan. Ayn Rand retains all the knowledge and skills and memories that she had before the freak time warp anomality. She is stuck here for the rest of her life, has no way to get back. She learns their language and can communicate with them. She is smart enough to know that no matter how disgusted she is by them, she needs them for her survival in this primitive environment.

Question:

How does Ayn Rand proceed? To answer this question, maybe you could write a science fiction novel. Or a philosophy fiction novel.

You sent her there. You can bring her back.

--Brant

or piss me off

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Question:

How does Ayn Rand proceed?

She gathers a group of adoring Neanderthals to sit at her feet and gush as she reads from the latest chapter of her unpublished novel, Prometheus Laughed. The most servile of the flatterers she takes as her bedmate.

Sounds vaguely familiar, but Neanderthals not needed. If a Cro-Magnon will do he gets the job or he won't look like Gloat Galt.

--John Brant

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being as how I was marooned here on The Planet of the Apes, allow me to respond in several ways at once.

1. No amount of abstract philosophy could make the Neanderthals into Cro-Magnons. Argument is useless.

2. Given the Cave Paintings, it s obvious by inspection that a conceptual (literally) gulf had been crossed about 14000 BCE.

3. Another was bridged when accounting led to writing in Sumeria about 4000 BCE. Ponder how recent that was!

4. The general claim here is that one smart person could go back in time and change history. However, as often as I have run those scenarios from Alexander the Great to Thomas Edison, I can only conclude that in the Land of the Blind, the one-eyed man is not King, but thought insane.

In the Land of the Blind the One Eyed man can see the wall he is beating his head against.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Question:

How does Ayn Rand proceed?

She gathers a group of adoring Neanderthals to sit at her feet and gush as she reads from the latest chapter of her unpublished novel, Prometheus Laughed. The most servile of the flatterers she takes as her bedmate.

Yeah, but what about the skinny little runt scheming to be her favored?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not think that there is any evidence of anything more than a rudimentary language among the Neanderthals, nothing written down (cave paintings are not conducive to presenting Objectivist epistemology and Ayn would have to drag Michelle Marder-Kamhi though the time-warp to help them "get" Objectivivist esthetics). She would have a much better chance with their competitors, the Cro-Magnons, who were essentially homo sapiens. Besides, they exterminated the Neanderthals, although maybe breeding with a few (really ugly offspring!)..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not think that there is any evidence of anything more than a rudimentary language among the Neanderthals, nothing written down (cave paintings are not conducive to presenting Objectivist epistemology and Ayn would have to drag Michelle Marder-Kamhi though the time-warp to help them "get" Objectivivist esthetics). She would have a much better chance with their competitors, the Cro-Magnons, who were essentially homo sapiens. Besides, they exterminated the Neanderthals, although maybe breeding with a few (really ugly offspring!)..

I applaud the idea of a timewarp-dragging of Kamhi. This would have extirpated modernism and post-modernism at its roots. Of course, the tribe might have been offended by bossiness and killed and eaten the meddler. Better she had brought agriculture and advanced toolmaking. Perhaps she would have convinced Trog that she could serve a useful function in the family. ...

From my understanding, recent research suggests that Neanderthal language was of fully human capacity, though there was a likely 'primitive' brain in which it was seated (see Wikipedia for a brief summary). I'd often found it a puzzle how Neanderthal could have been able to thrive without human language, without the ability to communicate concepts. Though they were indeed different to modern humans, and perhaps cognitively limited in comparison, that they could and did interbreed with modern humans suggested that they shared an ability for language. Who would want a partner who could not take direction?

That's what I thought during the times when Neanderthal vocal tracts were thought suitable only for grunts.

To the felicitous notion of Rand among the Neanderthals, I think she would have become a leader of the Neanderthal family she found herself in. She may also have become a fecund matriarch, and through her line have injected rational genes into the germ line of humanity. Ayn Rand as tough-talking no-nonsense educator-queen of early humankind makes for a fine fancy.

Edited by william.scherk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not think that there is any evidence of anything more than a rudimentary language among the Neanderthals, nothing written down (cave paintings are not conducive to presenting Objectivist epistemology and Ayn would have to drag Michelle Marder-Kamhi though the time-warp to help them "get" Objectivivist esthetics). She would have a much better chance with their competitors, the Cro-Magnons, who were essentially homo sapiens. Besides, they exterminated the Neanderthals, although maybe breeding with a few (really ugly offspring!)..

From the Neanderthal DNA extracted so far, there is enough difference in the genomes so that few of the offspring would be themselves fertile. The best estimate so far is that at most 4 percent of the portion of that part of the homo sapien genome that makes us different from other primates is Neanderthal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now