Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Judaism, Fiddler on the Roof, and Humanity

Author:Joshua Allen
Posted:8/29/2000; 1:42:16 PM
Topic:Judaism, Fiddler on the Roof, and Humanity
Msg #:20514 (In response to 20511)
Prev/Next:20513 / 20515

Well, I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that IP was a western tradition that was at first opposed to Judaism. IP as relates to writing became an issue as soon as the printing press achieved widespread use. Rabbis copying zohar by hand were not in threat of losing their jobs by having their work appropriated and used for profit by others. In fact, until the advent of the printing press, it was not practical to make a profit from writing, so writing was undertaken for other reasons. For example, I think that the torah had more to do with cultivating the seeds of Abraham than it did with filling a consumer demand. Writings used for non-profit purposes tend to be most valuable when they are widest spread. Judaism was the first deliberately viral thought-construction, and the writings were simply vectors to transmit the thoughts. In this sense, it is obvious that ecclisiates should be attributed to Solomon. Mark Twain once said, "People are more likely to believe what you say if you tell them Ben Franklin said it first". If you are writing something that you want people to buy whether they demand it or not, Solomon is a good source. I'll conceed that Zohar probably wasn't deliberately viral -- it just survived because the thoughts were so pure and attractive, but that's my opinion :-)

-- I spread through the world like germs; bless the globe with the pestilence, the hard-headed never learn.. - Wu-Tang Clan

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