The Glass Bead Game takes place in the future where the intellectually gifted are raised to play this game. The Game is supposed to combine history, mathematics and art. Only select individuals are allowed to play and they live in a fictional European province called Castalia. The only two functions of this province is to educate males in various subjects and to teach and nurture the Game. It is a very complex game and the rules are never precisely laid out for the reader. The main character Joseph Knecht becomes the "Magister Ludi" or head of the whole order that organizes and maintains the game. In order to obtain this position you must be the best at the game. Knecht become the master in a way that is sort of abstract. He visited the outside world and went on missions for the church among other things and learned as he went as opposed to in a boarding school. Knecht finds the order sketchy and questions his own loyalty. He eventually drops out of his position which has never been done and he tutors his friend's child until Knecht eventually drowns in a lake.
1) Do you think that a society could ever exist where the intelligent are appreciated like the super star athletes are today?
2) If you worked your whole life towards a goal and then realized there are flaws to it, would you leave and form a new goal as Knecht did or would you try to fix the flaws?
7 comments:
1. I think that society could exist and perhaps it would be a very advanced society. If our society can exist with the praise of athletes such as it does, then I don't see why a society praising intelligence couldn't.
2. I most likely would change the flaws because I have a hard time admitting defeat. If there was no way to fix the flaws, I think I would just create a new goal.
1. I agree with Kaitlyn. If athletes can be worshipped for their skills in in sports, why can't intelligent people be worshipped for their skills?
2. I would probably try and fix the flaws as well. If I worked my whole life to achieve something, and once I got there, it wasn't as good, I would try and fix it.
I don't think society will ever reflect or render to that ideal just for the fact that there is no entertainment involved with the intelligent. You don't see people turning off a sports game to watch jeopardy.
1)i agree with everyone for question one. Society loves entertainment, and fun. It would take a lot for our society to change, but it could happen. Society i think would be better for everyone if the intelligent people were just as appreciated as the superstars.
2)I would fix the flaws that are in my goal. IF i worked so hard for my goal, i wouldn't throw it all away, i would spend a little time to fix it.
2.) I wouldn't leave and try to form new goals and I wouldn't try to fix the flaws, I would just simply accept the flaws for what they are. If it was something I really enjoyed, I would learn to love the bad as well as the good.
2. I would try to fix the flaws and not throw away all the work to achieve that goal. A life goal, if someone is completely serious about it, is not something that is easily abandoned. The better option is to make the reality as close to your fantasy as possible by fixing the flaws.
I believe that it could be possible that a society would have the same praise for intelligence as they do for athleticism. I believe that change is slowly happening now. Our country is starting to focus more on education. In fact our president, Barack Obama is helping with this process. he stated in his state of the union speech "We need to teach our kids that it's not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair."
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