Return to Isaac Asimov main page Books-Commentary - Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov Foundation Series: What's with the group consciousness and hermaphrodite robots? I was a big fan of Asimov's earlier sci-fi books, but he started to go over the edge in "Foundation's Edge". I mean, the idea that Golan Trevise would choose to have the entire human race lose individuality and become part of a group mind is pretty disgusting. The idea of R. Daneel getting men and women's equipment was equally odd. Do you think towards the end when he was writing this that Asimov's doctors slipped some morphine in his IV bag? Click here to post a message        posts on 5/4/2006 10:15:00 PM It happened to me to read this awesome book, Conversations with God (by Neale Donald Walsch), and I suggest you all to read it! Really, it is something you shouldn't miss out! Now why am I talking about such a book on a website that deals with sci-fi? Well, for a science fiction fan, there are some very interesting parts in it about what is usually considered sci-fi literature (even though they're not seen as sci-fi here) and then there is a very interesting part that really reminds of what Asimov called Gaia in this book! I know you might wonder: what does Asimov have to do with this book? Well, it's almost as if he was really inspired and hit the spot when he made up Gaia and the group consciousness. I don't want to anticipate too many things, but this book (aside from Asimov and sci-fi in general) is too important not to be known by everyone!        The commentator io posts on 9/13/2005 3:24:17 PM I think the hermaphrodite society of Solaria should be seen as an example of what could happen to a world based on individuality and on all aspects related to it. I admit this is an extremely paradoxical, far-fetched vision of a future where the single individual prevails over the group: the absolute freedom turns out to be a strong desire of seclusion, of independence from other people (hermaphroditism is just an aspect of this desire, for these people don't even need sexual partners to procreate). The solarian society presents a lot of interesting points to analyze under this point of view and I think Asimov's intentions were to draw a parallel between Solaria, as a world of single individuals, and Gaia, as world of beings (not only human beings) sharing a common consciousness.        The commentator io posts on 9/12/2005 10:14:32 PM The idea of a group consciousness including all aspects of a planet (from the smallest pebble to all kinds of intelligent life, such as human beings, animals and what not) is a very interesting idea, in my opinion, even though I can't say if I really agree about it. The problem is that the whole thing lies far outside the sci-fi field, it turns out to be a philosophical dilemma: is it right to give up your individuality in order to become a part of a harmonic ensemble, without conflicts of interests, or you should rather keep your individuality but give up a future of peace and of lack of conflicts (I mean, lack of the so-called struggle for life in general)? The fact is that maybe both these perspectives have their pros and cons: individuality is a all-important value in our society (in some societies in particular, such as the american one) and it seems very difficult to go without it, but it's also true that, ever since the big wars of last century, people now want to get through with such a long age of conflicts and dream of peace (that's what's been happening in Italy, my country, where you'll see people hang big flags with the writing "peace" off their balconies). See, a group consciousness such as the one Asimov described in his novels would solve this problem, but it's pretty hard to make a choice when it comes to the future of humanity. Click here to post a message Other Recent Isaac Asimov Discussions Isaac Asimov 1/20/2009 4:18:01 PM Was Psychohistory Actually Workable? 6/30/2008 5:23:18 AM Were robots forced to fake orgasms under Isaac Asimov's Three Law of Robotics? 3/31/2008 5:35:27 PM Isaac Asimov Foundation Series: What's with the group consciousness and hermaphrodite robots? 5/4/2006 10:15:00 PM The 3 Laws of Robotics 2/17/2006 10:09:57 PM Did Isaac Asimov lose his touch towards the end in the Robots and Foundations series? 9/12/2005 9:24:00 PM What's with all the sex with robots? 8/11/2005 4:26:46 AM Note: the views expressed here are only those of the posters.

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