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Can you site any of these cynical views of contemporary society from that strip?
Just do a google image search, pretty much every strip that comes up expresses that view.
The main feature I see is cynicism about human nature. Perhaps they are not in a personal state of despair, but only because they are willing to embrace the madness.
How is the strip displaying a pessimistic worldview ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by enamdar
Just do a google image search, pretty much every strip that comes up expresses that view.
The main feature I see is cynicism about human nature. Perhaps they are not in a personal state of despair, but only because they are willing to embrace the madness.
Now, most would agree that the comic Calvin was generally quite cynical, realistic, and pessimistic. You can also agree then that the comic Hobbes had a fairly light-hearted worldview, sharing, thoughtful, and generally positive. In the philosophy world, the roles are reversed. Hobbes is generally considered to be much closer to the comic Calvin's worldview, and the philosopher Calvin is much more positive, pious, and patient.
This is true; however, each character has a striking similarity to his namesake, as well as the ironic contrast to the two philosophers.
Looking at Calvinism*, the theme of religious predestination is important - it typically leads to a view among the members of a Calvinist sect that they are predestined to salvation, and anyone who disagrees with them is destined for damnation. Calvin certainly holds the belief that he is destined for greatness and most everyone else is inferior to him - he says almost exactly that in many strips.
Hobbes, on the other hand, certainly does not have the cynical outlook of Thomas Hobbes - unless you consider that Thomas Hobbes' idea of man as a fundamentally savage, animalistic creature applies only to man, that is, humanity. Hobbes, as an intelligent, communicative tiger, agrees with Thomas Hobbes that humans are brutes; he thus concludes that himself, tigers, and in fact other animals in general are superior to man, especially in the area of civilized behavior.
*By "Calvinism" I mean not the beliefs of the man but the behavior of those groups, mostly people of certain Protestant faiths, who follow an interpretation of John Calvin's ideas. The Dutch Boers in colonial South Africa are perhaps the most extreme example of this type of interpretation taken to its self-serving extreme."
"
Social criticisms
With rare exception, the strip avoided reference to actual people or events. Watterson lampoons public decadence and apathy, commercialism, and the pandering nature of the mass media.
Watterson's vehicle for criticism is often Hobbes, who comments on Calvin's unwholesome habits from a more cynical perspective. He is more likely to make a wry observation than actually intervene; he may merely watch as Calvin inadvertently makes the point himself. In one instance, Calvin tells Hobbes about a science fiction story he has read in which machines turn humans into zombie slaves. Hobbes comments about the irony of machines controlling people instead of the other way around; Calvin then exclaims, "I'll say. Hey! What time is it?? My TV show is on!" and sprints back inside to watch it. Another strip depicted Calvin's science fiction story about a extraterrestrial spaceship sucking up Earth's oceans and air. To the cries of the suffocating victims, the aliens reply that this is preferable to the loss of their jobs. Calvin is concerned that his story is too far-fetched, to which Hobbes responds "Not enough, actually"."
Now, most would agree that the comic Calvin was generally quite cynical, realistic, and pessimistic. You can also agree then that the comic Hobbes had a fairly light-hearted worldview, sharing, thoughtful, and generally positive. In the philosophy world, the roles are reversed. Hobbes is generally considered to be much closer to the comic Calvin's worldview, and the philosopher Calvin is much more positive, pious, and patient.
This is true; however, each character has a striking similarity to his namesake, as well as the ironic contrast to the two philosophers.
Looking at Calvinism*, the theme of religious predestination is important - it typically leads to a view among the members of a Calvinist sect that they are predestined to salvation, and anyone who disagrees with them is destined for damnation. Calvin certainly holds the belief that he is destined for greatness and most everyone else is inferior to him - he says almost exactly that in many strips.
Hobbes, on the other hand, certainly does not have the cynical outlook of Thomas Hobbes - unless you consider that Thomas Hobbes' idea of man as a fundamentally savage, animalistic creature applies only to man, that is, humanity. Hobbes, as an intelligent, communicative tiger, agrees with Thomas Hobbes that humans are brutes; he thus concludes that himself, tigers, and in fact other animals in general are superior to man, especially in the area of civilized behavior.
*By "Calvinism" I mean not the beliefs of the man but the behavior of those groups, mostly people of certain Protestant faiths, who follow an interpretation of John Calvin's ideas. The Dutch Boers in colonial South Africa are perhaps the most extreme example of this type of interpretation taken to its self-serving extreme."
"
Social criticisms
With rare exception, the strip avoided reference to actual people or events. Watterson lampoons public decadence and apathy, commercialism, and the pandering nature of the mass media.
Watterson's vehicle for criticism is often Hobbes, who comments on Calvin's unwholesome habits from a more cynical perspective. He is more likely to make a wry observation than actually intervene; he may merely watch as Calvin inadvertently makes the point himself. In one instance, Calvin tells Hobbes about a science fiction story he has read in which machines turn humans into zombie slaves. Hobbes comments about the irony of machines controlling people instead of the other way around; Calvin then exclaims, "I'll say. Hey! What time is it?? My TV show is on!" and sprints back inside to watch it. Another strip depicted Calvin's science fiction story about a extraterrestrial spaceship sucking up Earth's oceans and air. To the cries of the suffocating victims, the aliens reply that this is preferable to the loss of their jobs. Calvin is concerned that his story is too far-fetched, to which Hobbes responds "Not enough, actually"."
I said from my first post that I was not very familar with Calvin and Hobbes, but from the few strips I had read they matched up with the view of human nature from their namestakes. The passages I posted back up my argument with more concrete details from the strip themselves.
You recommended that those strips could help me with my pessimism and that they would help me "get it".
If there is any specific message you think I will get from those comics perhaps you should point them out.
You have already said that you weren't familiar with the strips, but you felt knowlegeable enough to comment that they were pessimistic.
You see, a truly wise man would have simply said "I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that work".
A wise man would not have made an uninformed comment, and then frantically tried to justify it.
You grow tiresome, my friend.
Quote:
Originally Posted by enamdar
I said from my first post that I was not very familar with Calvin and Hobbes, but from the few strips I had read they matched up with the view of human nature from their namestakes. The passages I posted back up my argument with more concrete details from the strip themselves.
You recommended that those strips could help me with my pessimism and that they would help me "get it".
If there is any specific message you think I will get from those comics perhaps you should point them out.
I am thoughly convinced that no matter what the situation you will always find misery in it and wallow in it because you enjoy it. You not only overflow with it you stand in the slop. Going back to your original post, there is no way anyone could be happy with you and vice versa with the attitude you display. It's a combination of arrogance and stupidity in one. You want to see the negative in everything and that is by choice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by enamdar
I said from my first post that I was not very familar with Calvin and Hobbes, but from the few strips I had read they matched up with the view of human nature from their namestakes. The passages I posted back up my argument with more concrete details from the strip themselves.
You recommended that those strips could help me with my pessimism and that they would help me "get it".
If there is any specific message you think I will get from those comics perhaps you should point them out.
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