Golem XIV

Golem XIV is a superficial science fiction book definable by the Polish author Stanisław Lem from 1981 ( German translation: 1984 ), which is in Germany also titled Thus Spoke Golem known. It mainly deals with philosophical questions. Parts of the text published in the year 1973 ( German translation: 1976 ) in the collection " imaginary greatness." Lem himself called " Golem XIV" in his writing with the Polish literary scholar Stanislaw Beres autobiographical book " Lem Lem on " than the "sum of his thought ."

Content

" Golem XIV" in the history of Lem's a purpose-built by people super- computer which has broken through the barrier intelligence and thus has an independent reason. He has neither the personality nor such properties of the character. He can, however, the people to whom he speaks to show in the mask any personality. Golem XIV also knows no emotional life, because he is not a person but a calculus.

The content of the book is in addition to the preface of two fictional lectures by Golem XIV ( " Three things about the people " and " About Me "). The second of these " lectures" Lem published for the first time in 1981, while the first " lecture" already in the book " Imaginary size " was included ( prefaces to nonexistent books ). These lectures in a preface of the fictional scientist Irving T. Creve ( 1973 ) and an " epilogue " of the equally fictional scientist Richard Popp be embedded ( first time 1981).

The story of Golem XIV is less a novel than a philosophical work and describes the beginning and the end of the intelligent computer only marginally. Focus of the book are the monologues of the computer where Golem XIV reflects his view of the cosmos and of man.

Lem confronts the reader with the uncomfortable idea that humanity was a pure accident of nature and not the crown of creation. So Golem XIV questioned the criteria provided by man to himself to be regarded as "crown" of evolution, and points to the spiritual narrowness with which the person believes to recognize the deeper reasons of nature.

In the first " lecture" ( " Three things about the people " ) Lem Designs - capped as supercomputers Golem - outline of a neo-Darwinian theory of evolution, the content for the first time published in 1976 by ​​biologist Richard Dawkins concept of the " selfish gene " is near. Lem admits the genetic code one against the organisms resulting from evolutionary him a prominent position and clothe this idea in the formulation: "The meaning of the messenger is the message ." According to that view so the organisms exist solely for the purpose of transmission of the genetic code, which uses them as a sort of vehicle. The similarities between Lem's reflections and thoughts Richard Dawkins, published in 1976, whose theory Lem in 1973 could not yet know, were particularly published by the German philosopher Bernd Gräfrath in his 1996 book " Lem Golem. Parerga and Paralipomena " exposed.

He also contradicts this " lecture" the view that evolution is an evolution of organisms, from a lower to a higher stage been. From a technical perspective, the algae are so far more perfect than they can the photons of the sun directly convert into life energy. Those of us classified as higher beings but have lost this ability and must pick up their life energy as a parasite of other living beings.

Expenditure

• Stanislaw Lem: Golem XIV In: Stanislaw Lem: Imaginary size. Insel-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1976, ISBN 3-458-05014-0, pp. 109-205.
• Stanislaw Lem: Also sprach Golem ( = Fantastic Library Vol 175 = Suhrkamp Taschenbuch 1266. . ). Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1986, ISBN 3-518-37766-3.