Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 16, No. 89.
Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
<http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>
[1] From: Terry Butler <Terry.Butler@ualberta.ca> (31)
Subject: Re: 16.087 Butler on prosthesis?
[2] From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi (20)
<tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
Subject: Reference related to Butler on prosthesis?
[3] From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi (16)
<tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
Subject: Re: Reference related to Butler on prosthesis?
--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 08:45:33 +0100
From: Terry Butler <Terry.Butler@ualberta.ca>
Subject: Re: 16.087 Butler on prosthesis?
At 08:43 AM 6/22/02 +0100, you wrote:
> Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 16, No. 87.
> Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
> <http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
> <http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>
>
>
>
> Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 08:40:43 +0100
> From: Willard McCarty <w.mccarty@btinternet.com>
> >
>To all those who know the writings of Samuel Butler well, this query: did
>he say (and if so where) that tools are an extension of the body?
I recollect you will find the idea developed in Butler's scientific works:
Life and Habit: An Essay After a Completer View of Evolution, 1878;
Evolution, Old and New, 1879; Unconscious Memory, 1880; and especially Luck
or Cunning as the Main Means of Organic Modification?, 1887.
In the latter, according to the Gutenberg on-line version at
ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext04/lckc10h.htm:
"It should be observed also that the distinction between the organism and
its surroundings - on which both systems are founded - is one that cannot
be so universally drawn as we find it convenient to allege. There is a
debatable ground of considerable extent on which res and me, ego and non
ego, luck and cunning, necessity and freewill, meet and pass into one
another as night and day, or life and death. No one can draw a sharp line
between ego and non ego, nor indeed any sharp line between any classes of
phenomena. Every part of the ego is non ego qu organ or tool in use, and
much of the non ego runs up into the ego and is inseparably united with it;
still there is enough that it is obviously most convenient to call ego, and
enough that it is no less obviously most convenient to call non ego, as
there is enough obvious day and obvious night, or obvious luck and obvious
cunning, to make us think it advisable to keep separate accounts for each."
--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 08:48:57 +0100
From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi
<tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
Subject: Reference related to Butler on prosthesis?
The article on "The Internet as a Medium for Science Communication"
written by Henry S. Rzepa, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College,
London might interest you regarding your query of Butler on prosthesis!
According to excerpts of the article, In modern times, the first
individual to foresee how technology could help people communicate on a
global scale was Samuel Butler. A contemporary of Darwin, he wrote in
1863; "I venture to suggest that ... the general development of the human
race to be well and effectually completed when all men, in all places,
without any loss of time, at a low rate of charge, are cognizant through
their senses, of all that they desire to be cognizant of in all other
places. ... This is the grand annihilation of time and place which we are
all striving for, and which in one small part we have been permitted to
see actually realised"
The complete article is available at <http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/ou/>
With best regards,
Arun Tripathi
--[3]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 08:50:02 +0100
From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi
<tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
Subject: Re: Reference related to Butler on prosthesis?
Dear Dr. Willard McCarty,
Hi, the exact reference related to the query of "Butler on prosthesis."
In 'Erehwon', Samuel Butler characterizes *technology as an extension of
the human* - more or less remote senses, limbs and intellects that amplify
our innate capabilities. ((Cf: Erehwon, The Book of the Machines, Chapter
25, Samuel Butler, first published 1872))
Quoted in the article on "Like a Second Skin" at
<http://comp.uark.edu/~tkrueger/metadermis/meta.html>
I hope this helps!
Thanks in advance.
Best regards,
Arun Tripathi
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