FEED magazine had an article (one of their Deep Read features) some time ago on this very subject. The article addressed the contention that tragedy as a persuasive literary form has been eliminated from modern day literature (everything since Shakespeare's King Lear) due to the influence of technology. One definition of Tragedy, according to the literary types who study this stuff for a living, is at its core related to deistic beliefs: In tragedy God's (perhaps uncaring) shadow falls over Man - the results are tragic. The Greeks celebrated the tragic form in theater, King Lear, according to some, is the last great triumph for tragedy. Technology's obvious role, according to this line of reasoning, is the diminuation of deistic beliefs and the belief that God(s) do(es) not influence our daily lives. This has been an open source of contention between technologists/scientists and the Church(es) since before the days of Gallileo (though he is a famous example).
Following this line of reasoning, one can argue that today, tragedy has been reduced to bumper sticker slogans like "shit happens" rather than King Lear's, "Like flies to wanton boy are we to the Gods. They kill us for their sport." One can argue that this change in world view is due to a coarsening of the level discourse in society, but in my view its really a reflection of influence of technology and science on the worldview of mankind.
Is this a loss for mankind? I dunno. I don't feel a personal sense of loss and I think there's plenty of tragedy that needn't involve God. But perhaps the flavor of modern day tragedy is different than that of King Lear or Oedipus. Perhaps our view of the universe as an essentially stochastic process alters (harms?) what lies at the core of our humanity.
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FEED magazine had an article (one of their Deep Read features) some time ago on this very subject. The article addressed the contention that tragedy as a persuasive literary form has been eliminated from modern day literature (everything since Shakespeare's King Lear) due to the influence of technology. One definition of Tragedy, according to the literary types who study this stuff for a living, is at its core related to deistic beliefs: In tragedy God's (perhaps uncaring) shadow falls over Man - the results are tragic. The Greeks celebrated the tragic form in theater, King Lear, according to some, is the last great triumph for tragedy. Technology's obvious role, according to this line of reasoning, is the diminuation of deistic beliefs and the belief that God(s) do(es) not influence our daily lives. This has been an open source of contention between technologists/scientists and the Church(es) since before the days of Gallileo (though he is a famous example).
Following this line of reasoning, one can argue that today, tragedy has been reduced to bumper sticker slogans like "shit happens" rather than King Lear's, "Like flies to wanton boy are we to the Gods. They kill us for their sport." One can argue that this change in world view is due to a coarsening of the level discourse in society, but in my view its really a reflection of influence of technology and science on the worldview of mankind.
Is this a loss for mankind? I dunno. I don't feel a personal sense of loss and I think there's plenty of tragedy that needn't involve God. But perhaps the flavor of modern day tragedy is different than that of King Lear or Oedipus. Perhaps our view of the universe as an essentially stochastic process alters (harms?) what lies at the core of our humanity.