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NancyLebovitz comments on [Book Suggestions] Summer Reading for Younglings. - Less Wrong Discussion

8 Post author: Karmakaiser 12 May 2012 04:57PM

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Comment author: NancyLebovitz 15 May 2012 03:23:50AM 0 points [-]

IIRC, Duane eventually put something in to the effect that fighting entropy is an over-simplified goal, but I don't remember which book that was in.

Comment author: erratio 18 May 2012 03:16:42AM 0 points [-]

Well there was that one book in the middle of the series which is basically pro-death (ends with one of the characters choosing not to be completely cured because then their whole life would become about not dying rather than appreciating the time they had), but I would still say that the overall message is highly anti-death

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 18 May 2012 09:34:29AM 0 points [-]

The Wizard's oath was specifically about fighting entropy, and that's problematic because living things depend on entropy. Fighting entropy isn't the same as fighting death.

Comment author: Desrtopa 24 May 2012 04:06:24AM *  1 point [-]

II just looked up the wording of the oath, and entropy doesn't actually enter into it (it also does say "I will put aside fear for courage, and death for life.") It's true that the characters often talk about fighting entropy, but it doesn't seem like it's ever been an accurate description of what they do.