I read it back in 2004 in a Philosophy class, and yep, you're totally right. I even remember that it was in the summer because I was getting credits at the local community college and I didn't have a job so I went to school. LeGuin is the GOAT.
Yep, it was part of our study on Utilitarianism, as an example of Utilitarianism drawn to a radical and extreme endpoint and we had a good class debate over the ending. The professor also gave us hilarious writing assignments. They had the same basic premise - we were part of an island tour group along with a bunch of philosophers, usually whichever ones we were reading, and then we had to apply their arguments to some situation at hand. In one case during a cave tour the guide gets stuck in the entrance and the flood waters are rising but Nietzsche discovers a box of dynamite and everyone has a debate about whether or not to blow up the guide to save themselves. The final assignment was our little group getting marooned on an island and having to debate how to build a new society.
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I am not joking when I say this story turned me into a leftist.
I read it back in 2004 in a Philosophy class, and yep, you're totally right. I even remember that it was in the summer because I was getting credits at the local community college and I didn't have a job so I went to school. LeGuin is the GOAT.
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Yep, it was part of our study on Utilitarianism, as an example of Utilitarianism drawn to a radical and extreme endpoint and we had a good class debate over the ending. The professor also gave us hilarious writing assignments. They had the same basic premise - we were part of an island tour group along with a bunch of philosophers, usually whichever ones we were reading, and then we had to apply their arguments to some situation at hand. In one case during a cave tour the guide gets stuck in the entrance and the flood waters are rising but Nietzsche discovers a box of dynamite and everyone has a debate about whether or not to blow up the guide to save themselves. The final assignment was our little group getting marooned on an island and having to debate how to build a new society.
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I love Existential Comics because its the only media that shows Marx as a grouchy bastard who dunks on people all the time <3
Was required reading in my freshman english class. Definitely never forgot it.
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