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Bonus Ep 10: Dune
🕑 Added 2021-11-17 14:50:43 +0000 UTChello to all our lovely patrons! once again, thank you for subscribing, it really helps the show out! this time, we come together to discuss Dune. you've probably seen the movie, you may have read the book but we're here to flesh out the real world analogues that Frank Herbert included in Dune. it's a weird mix of feudalism, mercantilism, and capitalism and we're here to talk all about it. from the parallels between the Holy Roman Empire and the Padishah Empire to CHOAM as this strange OPEC/East India Company thing and everything in between.
so let us know what you thought about this episode or just your general thoughts on Dune. hope you enjoy the show!
Comments
lukeisamazing
depends on the type: speed based time dilation where time appears to move faster when approaching the speed of light is special relativity. gravitational based time dilation is within general relativity
aldebrn
Itβs special relativity that implies time dilation, not general relativity π
Ligma
I think my main point is: historical processes happen because of material conditions, not because of an idea someone had. Maybe attributing change to technology is simplifying it a bit but ultimately I think human agency has a very small part in the process.
Ligma
In response to your response to my response: You made the point that the caravel wasn't decicive in allowing western european colonization of the americas because the chinese had similar technology and didn't take that path, and I agree that the technology alone isn't enough to make the change, but I think the important thing is that among all of the factors we can point to in why things change over time, the things external to humanity are the ones that change. If we are historical *materialists* then shouldn't we attribute changes over time in society to changes in the material conditions? Since the location of western europe relative to the rest of the world is a constant on human timescales, and human nature, such as it is, doesn't change, then the material circumstances which change are dependant on technology and climate. The fall of Constantinople making it harder for western europe to get spices is ultimately superstructural, with its own material causes. We are asking a chicken and egg type question about the relationship between human institutions and the conditions which create them and I think the marxist answer is that the conditions come first and the institutions come after.
