Is Weird Fiction Slanted Towards Western Values?

[Evans]

The title says it all. Is modern Weird Fiction largely slanted towards a view of the world informed by modern Western values, that is that it implies a perception of the world as 'inert' material to be mastered by human endeavor, usually technological, the punchline often being that we are too insignificant to carry out this operation.

Cosmicism, the most extreme example of this world-desire, is a horror of thwarted desire: Humanity simply are not up to the task of making the world amenable to Man.

[Mr. Veech]

Quote Originally Posted by Evans

The title says it all. Is modern Weird Fiction largely slanted towards a view of the world informed by modern Western values, that is that it implies a perception of the world as 'inert' material to be mastered by human endeavor, usually technological, the punchline often being that we are too insignificant to carry out this operation. Cosmicism, the most extreme example of this world-desire, is a horror of thwarted desire: Humanity simply are not up to the task of making the world amenable to Man.

I immediately thought of the mid to late Heidegger's destruction of Western metaphysics upon reading your post, which in turn made me think of Adorno and Horkheimer's critique of instrumental reason. "Thwarted desire" might correspond roughly to that part of the "object" which resists conceptual reduction or subsumption. Instead of a rational totality, there's an aspect of the material or natural world which forever eludes man's own understanding of things. One might think of "cosmicism" in the aforementioned manner.

Sounds pretty "Western" to me.

EDIT:

I usually dislike post-Marxist theory, but I feel rationality was ultimately corrupted by the advent of capitalism insofar as it transformed reason into a tool of efficiency, not a means by which happiness (self-perfection) is achieved, which is the classical definition of reason. Granted, I don't think either understanding (or historical mode?) of rationality brings happiness. Nevertheless, the latter account is beautiful and tragic, while the former is vulgar and worthy of contempt.

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

Just cosmic horror or modern weird fiction in general?

[DarkView]

If we define Western Values as order derived technologically, and this comprehended by the Western mind as being an absolute value, I would say yes. Perhaps the only reason things seem amenable in the West is its existential state--relative comfort, seeming prosperity, and order. In such a state it is easy to believe that, by extension, the whole of the universe can be amenable as well, if not physically then at least intellectually. So, In large part, I'd venture that weird fiction, (cosmic horror in particular), is an attempt to dispel the illusion of amenability.

[Mr. Veech]

Quote Originally Posted by DarkView

If we define Western Values as order derived technologically, and this comprehended by the Western mind as being an absolute value, I would say yes. Perhaps the only reason things seem amenable in the West is its existential state--relative comfort, seeming prosperity, and order. In such a state it is easy to believe that, by extension, the whole of the universe can be amenable as well, if not physically then at least intellectually. So, In large part, I'd venture that weird fiction, (cosmic horror in particular), is an attempt to dispel the illusion of amenability.

The comfort and prosperity you mentioned is probably a necessary (though not sufficient) condition for something like "cosmicism" (I now hate the term after reading qcrisp's observations) to develop. Only a developed society can discover the futility and senselessness of existence; less developed societies typically don't have the necessary resources to reach that state of cultivation.

[DarkView]

Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Veech

Quote Originally Posted by DarkView If we define Western Values as order derived technologically, and this comprehended by the Western mind as being an absolute value, I would say yes. Perhaps the only reason things seem amenable in the West is its existential state--relative comfort, seeming prosperity, and order. In such a state it is easy to believe that, by extension, the whole of the universe can be amenable as well, if not physically then at least intellectually. So, In large part, I'd venture that weird fiction, (cosmic horror in particular), is an attempt to dispel the illusion of amenability. The comfort and prosperity you mentioned is probably a necessary (though not sufficient) condition for something like "cosmicism" (I now hate the term after reading qcrisp's observations) to develop. Only a developed society can discover the futility and senselessness of existence; less developed societies typically don't have the necessary resources to reach that state of cultivation.

I understand the reservations for that term, as it originally denotes order, though it could be that it is the human mind that projects rationality and intelligibility and not that the universe is intelligible.

[Ibrahim]

Quote Originally Posted by DarkView

. So, In large part, I'd venture that weird fiction, (cosmic horror in particular), is an attempt to dispel the illusion of amenability.

Which in a way means that Weird Fiction is slanted against Western values...

[Ibrahim]

Quote Originally Posted by Evans

The title says it all. Is modern Weird Fiction largely slanted towards a view of the world informed by modern Western values, that is that it implies a perception of the world as 'inert' material to be mastered by human endeavor, usually technological, the punchline often being that we are too insignificant to carry out this operation. Cosmicism, the most extreme example of this world-desire, is a horror of thwarted desire: Humanity simply are not up to the task of making the world amenable to Man.

Are those, really, western values?
Also, what are typically oriental values?

The implied contrast here, with the image of the fatalistic, slothful orient- that's perhaps a bit western...

[Evans]

Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Veech

I immediately thought of the mid to late Heidegger's destruction of Western metaphysics upon reading your post, which in turn made me think of Adorno and Horkheimer's critique of instrumental reason. "Thwarted desire" might correspond roughly to that part of the "object" which resists conceptual reduction or subsumption. Instead of a rational totality, there's an aspect of the material or natural world which forever eludes man's own understanding of things. One might think of "cosmicism" in the aforementioned manner.

I did think of Heidegger after I'd made that post. I would separate the 'instrumental' view of the world from the attempt to understand it though in the case of my criticism here the issue is not being unable to understand the world but being able to understand clearly that the world says 'No'.

Quote Originally Posted by Ibrahim

Are those, really, western values?

Yes. If need be I can elaborate on their progressive development in Enlightenment Deism, Positivism, Utilitarianism and to a lesser extent economics.

Quote Originally Posted by Ibrahim

Also, what are typically oriental values?

No one specific answer but I bring them up in contrast because:

A. Non-Dualism has historically had more prominence in Indian and Far Eastern thought.

B. Pantheism and Panentheism have had more influence in Indian, Native American, South American and to a lesser extent Islamic thought.

C. Animism has had more influence in African and South American thought

Quote Originally Posted by Ibrahim

The implied contrast here, with the image of the fatalistic, slothful orient- that's perhaps a bit western...

No... Where again do I imply fatalistic or slothful?

The development of what we might call the weird tale outside of the West might not have happened if not for Eastern writers being exposed to Poe, especially the Japanese Modernists.

So, yes, I believe this is the case.