The Obsolete Man
Philosophy 1
The Obsolete Man Romney Wordsworth has to be eliminated because he is build out of flesh and has a mind. He is a Librarian. He manages books and by extension the dissemination of knowledge, therefore, according the state, he is obsolete. Even is his name, Wordsworth, offhandedly implies that words do have meaning – a “worth” – and intelligence does have a value in society. It is important to be logical when arguing who you are because if you do not someone or something will try and take advantage of you. Throughout human history, the largest atrocities were perpetrated by men who portrayed logic and rationality to their people as wrong, evil, and essentially, useless. Wordsworth represents logic and reason because he manages books and by extension the dissemination of knowledge. A healthy society needs literature, poetry, scholarly articles to inform the citizenry, and even, in a way, religion. These tools teach people empathy and altruism. Romney Wordsworth stands firm with his position that he is a librarian and that a librarian has value in a free society. Obviously, the State is not a free and open society and does not recognize him as having any value because he does not serve any purpose in their eyes. Wordsworth is steadfast in his claim that above all else you cannot judge a human being by what he does. As the narrator says at the end of the episode, “A state that fails to recognize the worth and dignity of man is itself obsolete.” It is always useful to question authority. The function of a benevolent government is to provide security among other things, but when it comes destructive the people need to serve as a check on that government. It’s never a good idea to wholly trust a government. If not for any other reason, skepticism on the part of an intelligent and healthy citizenry promotes healthy discussion, supports whistleblowers, and in many ways shines a spotlight on those with malevolent intentions keeping them out of
The Obsolete Man Romney Wordsworth has to be eliminated because he is build out of flesh and has a mind. He is a Librarian. He manages books and by extension the dissemination of knowledge, therefore, according the state, he is obsolete. Even is his name, Wordsworth, offhandedly implies that words do have meaning – a “worth” – and intelligence does have a value in society. It is important to be logical when arguing who you are because if you do not someone or something will try and take advantage of you. Throughout human history, the largest atrocities were perpetrated by men who portrayed logic and rationality to their people as wrong, evil, and essentially, useless. Wordsworth represents logic and reason because he manages books and by extension the dissemination of knowledge. A healthy society needs literature, poetry, scholarly articles to inform the citizenry, and even, in a way, religion. These tools teach people empathy and altruism. Romney Wordsworth stands firm with his position that he is a librarian and that a librarian has value in a free society. Obviously, the State is not a free and open society and does not recognize him as having any value because he does not serve any purpose in their eyes. Wordsworth is steadfast in his claim that above all else you cannot judge a human being by what he does. As the narrator says at the end of the episode, “A state that fails to recognize the worth and dignity of man is itself obsolete.” It is always useful to question authority. The function of a benevolent government is to provide security among other things, but when it comes destructive the people need to serve as a check on that government. It’s never a good idea to wholly trust a government. If not for any other reason, skepticism on the part of an intelligent and healthy citizenry promotes healthy discussion, supports whistleblowers, and in many ways shines a spotlight on those with malevolent intentions keeping them out of