StoryreaderHitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy
December 26th 2006 23:47
The narrative of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy appears to be governed by a principle similar to the concept of the butterfly effect (where the movement of a butterfly’s wings has repercussions felt halfway around the world) - only on a galactic scale.
The entire narrative is linked together by a chain of cause and numerous effects. The destruction of the earth is just a part of this chain. This narrative chain is also governed by its satiric nature, and an inherent sense of absurdity.
So it seems that anything is possible, every thing happens for a reason – or at least has a cause, and yet nothing seems to actually mean anything. Therefore earth is ruled by mice (who do not actually seem all that intelligent), humans are self absorbed guinea pigs and earth is destroyed to clear the way for a bypass. The key thing in the narrative does not seem to be what happens but that everything that happens is interconnected and inherently meaningless.
Philosophy does appear to be the issue that has the greatest significance in terms of its direct relation to the total destruction of earth in The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. Philosophy is followed by economic greed as the most significant issue in relation to the earth’s said destruction.
In the course of the narrative it becomes apparent that the pursuit of deep and meaningful ‘philosophical questions’ namely ‘The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything’ (p. 130) has resulted not only in the creation of earth, but also tellingly contributes to its ultimate destruction. Constant bickering about the meaning of life between highly intelligent pan dimensional beings results in the creation of a super computer to calculate the ultimate answer which in turn proposes another super program that will calculate the answer - earth.
Philosophy in the narrative is shown as a circular, self-serving and absurd discipline which must constantly perpetuate itself in order to justify its own existence. Conversely in the narrative philosophy never actually arrives at any rational answers. It seems that the questions must necessarily remain unanswered so that philosophy and philosophers may continue to search for them. It may even be that the never ending search for answers is what holds the various societies in the galaxy together.
Despite the fact that the circularity of philosophy results in the creation and one would assume the eventual destruction of earth. The actual destruction of the planet is shown to be the direct result not of philosophy, but of economic progress/greed. In that the earth is annihilated to make way for ‘…the building of a hyperspatial express route..’ (p.30).
There are satiric references to earth’s preoccupation with small green pieces of paper and progress. But there also seem to be similar preoccupations found in the rest of the galaxy. These universal preoccupations echo the preoccupations of earth’s capitalist society. The earth is destroyed, ironically in much the same way as Arthur Dent’s house - to further the cause of progress and with it economic prosperity.
It should also be noted that there is an interconnection between philosophy and economic greed. The two seem to be mutually supportive. Philosophy perpetuates itself to justify its own existence and the livelihood of its practitioners, but its perpetuation and support of stabilising discourses helps maintain the conditions for economic greed and progress to flourish.
Bibliography: Adams, Douglas (1979) The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Pan Books: London
The entire narrative is linked together by a chain of cause and numerous effects. The destruction of the earth is just a part of this chain. This narrative chain is also governed by its satiric nature, and an inherent sense of absurdity.
So it seems that anything is possible, every thing happens for a reason – or at least has a cause, and yet nothing seems to actually mean anything. Therefore earth is ruled by mice (who do not actually seem all that intelligent), humans are self absorbed guinea pigs and earth is destroyed to clear the way for a bypass. The key thing in the narrative does not seem to be what happens but that everything that happens is interconnected and inherently meaningless.
In the course of the narrative it becomes apparent that the pursuit of deep and meaningful ‘philosophical questions’ namely ‘The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything’ (p. 130) has resulted not only in the creation of earth, but also tellingly contributes to its ultimate destruction. Constant bickering about the meaning of life between highly intelligent pan dimensional beings results in the creation of a super computer to calculate the ultimate answer which in turn proposes another super program that will calculate the answer - earth.
Despite the fact that the circularity of philosophy results in the creation and one would assume the eventual destruction of earth. The actual destruction of the planet is shown to be the direct result not of philosophy, but of economic progress/greed. In that the earth is annihilated to make way for ‘…the building of a hyperspatial express route..’ (p.30).
There are satiric references to earth’s preoccupation with small green pieces of paper and progress. But there also seem to be similar preoccupations found in the rest of the galaxy. These universal preoccupations echo the preoccupations of earth’s capitalist society. The earth is destroyed, ironically in much the same way as Arthur Dent’s house - to further the cause of progress and with it economic prosperity.
It should also be noted that there is an interconnection between philosophy and economic greed. The two seem to be mutually supportive. Philosophy perpetuates itself to justify its own existence and the livelihood of its practitioners, but its perpetuation and support of stabilising discourses helps maintain the conditions for economic greed and progress to flourish.
Bibliography: Adams, Douglas (1979) The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy Pan Books: London
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