Specifically, pp 205-206 of the 1946 edition of Mistress Masham's Repose.
The Professor speaks:
"Do you know," he said, "I think that Dr. Swift was silly to laugh about Laputa. I believe it is a mistake to make a mock of people, just because they think. There are ninety thousand people in this world who do not think, for every one who does, and these people hate the thinkers like poison. Even if some thinkers are fanciful, it is wrong to make fun of them for it. Better to think about cucumbers even, than not to think at all."
"But ..."
"You see, Maria, this world is run by 'practical' people: that is to say, by people who do not know how to think, have never had any education in thinking, and who do not wish to have it. They get on far better with lies, tub thumping, swindling, vote catching, murdering, and the rest of practical politics. So, when a person who can think does come along, to tell them what they are doing wrong, or how to put it right, they have to invent some way of slinging mud at him, for fear f losing their power and being forced to do the right thing. So they always screech out with one accord that the advice f this thinker is 'visionary', 'unpractical', or 'all right in theory'. Then, when they have discredited his piece of truth by the trick of words, they can sit down to blacken his character in other ways, at leisure, and they are safe to carry on with the wars and miseries which are the result of practical politics..."
Just dropped in to drop that off and monitor conditions. I see this forum continues to support his point.
27 Nov 2012, 1:38 am
