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What kinds of philosophy are expressed in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels?
I'm not a very smart person, and never studied philosophy at school or college. I've been reading Discworld books since I was a wee little person and even though I've pretty thoroughly absorbed the messages to the best of my understanding, I'm sure there's lots I've missed.
I know this question has a bit of complexity in it, as someone like Vimes believes different things to the Patrician, or Granny Weatherwax, or Brutha, or Death.
Still, I feel like there might be something that links it all together and was wondering if anyone smarter than me might know?
Someone will undoubtedly come along with a better answer, but until then take this little tidbit from me. from what I understand and believe, Pratchett was foremost a humanist, and it really shines through in his novels. Section 3 of The Magical Humanism of Sir Terry Pratchett elaborates a bit on what that means in his Discworld writing in a better way than I can.
That seems reasonable to me. Another notable humanist is Gene Roddenberry, who really tried to run with that in Star Trek: The Next Generation. I consider both TNG and Discworld to be heavy influences on my worldview.
Confronted with the vastness of the universe and the things we have not yet found answers to in science, frequent paths people take from there are nihilism or seeking a more comforting and convenient worldview than one that acknowledges that. Humanism is, at its core, no different than accepting heliocentricity: it's accepting that humanity isn't the center of the universe, and that our actions don't have cosmic "meaning," but that the many unknowns of the universe are an invitation to exploration.
Understanding how we work, such as unraveling genetics and the science of reproduction, or understanding neuroscience, doesn't make us any less human just because it becomes increasingly implausible to ascribe a metaphysical nature to our existence, it just means we now know more about what makes us what we are. Understanding that we're at a little corner of a vast sea of stars doesn't mean we're unimportant, it means "we are over here" and there's a ludicrously huge universe we have yet to observe. You find meaning in your actions and the actions of others, not waiting for something to tell you you have a purpose.
Generally, I'd say I subscribe to humanism and utilitarian ethics. (Captain Picard is, after all, a role model.)
Thank you for that lovely article.
I'm not an expert in philosophy but there's really one basic tenet that is strongly expressed throughout his work:
We each deserve a chance to live up to the best that we can be.
This is really succinctly expressed, and the more I think about it, the more I can see this thread in his novels, all the way from the Fool>King storyline to Vimes (and then some!) to the Wintersmith in the Tiffany Aching books. I really appreciate that hope, not optimism, perhaps, but hope, in his writing.
I think you're right that the answer is going to be more complex than just "Sir Terry was a Whateverismian", but the good news is that you're not the first to ask this question so here is some further reading for you:
The sci-fi magazine Reactor has a The Tao of Sir Terry column.
There is a Philosophy and Terry Pratchett book where different philosophers write about the intersection of philosophy and Discworld.
Not strictly philosophy, but The Annotated Pratchett File does a nice job of telling you when a passing joke is a reference to some bigger idea you many not have been aware of.
Thank you.
Those are great resources, I will definitely check them out.
Thank you, @kej !
Could someone please change the title to 'What kinds of philosophy are expressed in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels?'
Sorry for the typos, I was coming off the end of a long shift.
@cfabbro @mycketforvirrad @kfwyre
I just did a re-read of Going Postal and this bit of conversation between Moist and Vetinari jumped out at me:
What's interesting to me is how this somewhat mirrors the Christian concept that evil is a consequence of God giving us free will. That sin (i.e. evil) is deviation from God's will, but nonetheless we are given the choice. And of course that "the wages of sin is death." Very much like the choice that Vetinari offers here. I think the parallel is even more striking when you consider that in that conversation Vetinari ruminates on angels in that conversation:
The official biography/memoir A Life With Footnotes is an excellent book and gives some insight.
I want to say skepticism was a significant part of Sir Terry's worldview.
Thank you, @boxer_dogs_dance ! I've put in an order at my local library.
If you have the time, could you expand a bit on the skepticism point? I sometimes get skepticism and cynicism (spelling?) confused!
cynicism - contemporary
I can't explain better than Wikipedia. He definitely wasn't a nihilist
When I read a Pratchett book, or if I Google pages of top Pratchett quotes, I find a complex mix of anger, doubt, hope, respect for courage and human potential, fascination and curiosity about various phenomena and more that I haven't identified. Sir Terry was very class conscious and aware that people frequently abuse power, status, wealth, but he doesn't reject or condemn all members of any class. He was also aware of the danger of mobs and the crime associated with poverty and slums. He was definitely aware of the crab bucket effect.
He worked for a long time in journalism doing City news and later in public relations writing. The book the Truth draws on his career experience.
I hope this helps.
that definitely helps, thank you very much!
I really appreciate how well read you are, and your contributions to this community.
You're welcome.