- Sep 22, 2013
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This is an exchange between Shiva (Hindu god of destruction and meditation) and Grendel (fictional brooding monster from epic old-English poem Beowulf described as 'intellectual' in John Gardner's inventive 'negotiation' novel Grendel) regarding the philosophical value/development of the practice of medicine.
It's a modernism-relevant telethon (inspired by Extreme Measures)...
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SHIVA: Medicine symbolizes adaptive treatment of the 'body system.'
GRENDEL: Medicine must parallel interaction with nature/environments.
SHIVA: The development of medicine has involved experiments with resilience.
GRENDEL: The opposite of medicine is torture and witchcraft...
SHIVA: Medicine is not meant to be a sadomasochistic pleasure!
GRENDEL: Why is it 'irresistible' to play with a loose-tooth?
SHIVA: The slight coordinative pain of a loose-tooth reminds us of muscular resilience.
GRENDEL: How does medicine address spiritual atrophy?
SHIVA: A doctor's job is to understand the patient's 'place' in civilization.
GRENDEL: True (since behaviors can contribute to malady --- e.g., AIDS).
SHIVA: Let's take phone calls about medicine-opinions (we'll have a telethon!).
GRENDEL: Very well...I'll get us 10 telephones and you advertise on the Internet.
SHIVA: "Shiva and Grendel invite you to ask questions about medicine development!"
{For 6 hours, Shiva and Grendel answered telephone calls from people curious about the development of medicine and what it meant for civilization IQ/imagination}
GRENDEL: Calls from American Midwest - people curious about resistance to cold weather.
SHIVA: Calls from NYC/LA - people curious about virology research.
GRENDEL: Calls from China - people curious about acupuncture.
SHIVA: Calls from New Zealand - people curious about surgical tools and hygiene.
GRENDEL: How do we definitively delineate medicine from witchcraft/torture?
SHIVA: Medicine is supposed to treat a patient's demands, while torture is non-consensual.
GRENDEL: How do you explain the demand for Euthanasia (medically-assisted suicide)?
SHIVA: Euthanasia is a form of 'anaesthesia-priesthood.'
GRENDEL: How is modern civilization focused on the development of medicine?
SHIVA: Wall Street, Facebook, NATO (etc.) compel mankind to think about sloth.
GRENDEL: Perhaps civilization itself will 'enhance' medicine (e.g., Human Genome Project)!
SHIVA: It would be ideal if medicine dissuades us from war itself...
GRENDEL: Unfortunately, you can't quell the 'fires of paranoia.'
SHIVA: Let's hope then that technology can uplift the spirit (e.g., Artificial Intelligence).
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It's a modernism-relevant telethon (inspired by Extreme Measures)...
====
SHIVA: Medicine symbolizes adaptive treatment of the 'body system.'
GRENDEL: Medicine must parallel interaction with nature/environments.
SHIVA: The development of medicine has involved experiments with resilience.
GRENDEL: The opposite of medicine is torture and witchcraft...
SHIVA: Medicine is not meant to be a sadomasochistic pleasure!
GRENDEL: Why is it 'irresistible' to play with a loose-tooth?
SHIVA: The slight coordinative pain of a loose-tooth reminds us of muscular resilience.
GRENDEL: How does medicine address spiritual atrophy?
SHIVA: A doctor's job is to understand the patient's 'place' in civilization.
GRENDEL: True (since behaviors can contribute to malady --- e.g., AIDS).
SHIVA: Let's take phone calls about medicine-opinions (we'll have a telethon!).
GRENDEL: Very well...I'll get us 10 telephones and you advertise on the Internet.
SHIVA: "Shiva and Grendel invite you to ask questions about medicine development!"
{For 6 hours, Shiva and Grendel answered telephone calls from people curious about the development of medicine and what it meant for civilization IQ/imagination}
GRENDEL: Calls from American Midwest - people curious about resistance to cold weather.
SHIVA: Calls from NYC/LA - people curious about virology research.
GRENDEL: Calls from China - people curious about acupuncture.
SHIVA: Calls from New Zealand - people curious about surgical tools and hygiene.
GRENDEL: How do we definitively delineate medicine from witchcraft/torture?
SHIVA: Medicine is supposed to treat a patient's demands, while torture is non-consensual.
GRENDEL: How do you explain the demand for Euthanasia (medically-assisted suicide)?
SHIVA: Euthanasia is a form of 'anaesthesia-priesthood.'
GRENDEL: How is modern civilization focused on the development of medicine?
SHIVA: Wall Street, Facebook, NATO (etc.) compel mankind to think about sloth.
GRENDEL: Perhaps civilization itself will 'enhance' medicine (e.g., Human Genome Project)!
SHIVA: It would be ideal if medicine dissuades us from war itself...
GRENDEL: Unfortunately, you can't quell the 'fires of paranoia.'
SHIVA: Let's hope then that technology can uplift the spirit (e.g., Artificial Intelligence).
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