Getting Ursula le Guin and Iris Murdoch to chat a bit
I use bing chat LLM because it is more boring, and there is a limit.
I wondered if they had ever met, no, but what would they say to each other?
I am still reading Iris Murdoch’s Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals. (London: Chatto & Windus, 1992.) and on recent pages science fiction is mentioned.
Below? Using Microsoft’s Bing chat, it’s LLM offering.
What decades do Ursula leGuin and Iris Murdoch lives overlap?
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Ursula le Guin birth and death datesSearching for:
Ursula le Guin birth and death datesSearching for:
Iris Murdoch birth and death datesSearching for:
Iris Murdoch birth and death datesGenerating answers for you…
Generating answers for you…
According to the search results, Ursula le Guin was born on October 21, 1929 and died on January 22, 20181234. Iris Murdoch was born on July 15, 1919 and died on February 8, 199956789. Therefore, their lives overlapped for 78 years, from 1929 to 1999. They shared the following decades: 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
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Learn more:
1. theguardian.com2. browsebiography.com3. en.wikipedia.org4. britannica.com5. deadorkicking.com6. astro-seek.com7. en.wikipedia.org8. britannica.com9. theguardian.com10. gettyimages.com+7 more
Did they ever meet or talk or correspond?
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I could not find any direct evidence of them meeting, talking or corresponding in the search results. However, they both had a significant impact on literature and philosophy, and they both explored themes of morality, utopia, and the power of imagination. Iris Murdoch was a moral perfectionist who believed that art and literature could help us see the reality more clearly1. Ursula le Guin was an anthropologist of other worlds who challenged the conventional boundaries of genre, gender, and society234. They both wrote stories that questioned the ethical implications of our choices and actions, such as The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by le Guin5 and The Bell by Murdoch.
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Learn more:
1. abc.net.au2. nature.com3. depauw.edu4. theconversation.com5. en.wikipedia.org+1 more
Are there any articles or books which discuss the two of them in regard to each others work?
There are some articles and books that discuss the two of them in regard to their work, but not many that compare them directly. For example, you can find a collection of literary essays on Iris Murdoch and the Literary Imagination1, which explores her influence on contemporary writers and thinkers. You can also read an article on Iris Murdoch at 100: ‘Her books are full of passion and disaster’2, which celebrates her centenary and her legacy as a novelist and philosopher. On the other hand, you can find an article on Don’t know where to start? The essential novels of Ursula K Le Guin3, which recommends some of her best works and highlights her achievements as a science fiction and fantasy writer.
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Please write five questions that each might ask of the other in an AMA interview session
Here are some possible questions that each might ask of the other in an AMA interview session:
Please answer the questions on their behalf
Iris Murdoch to Ursula le Guin: How do you balance your scientific and anthropological background with your creative and imaginative impulses in your writing?
Ursula le Guin to Iris Murdoch’s question: I don’t see a contradiction between science and imagination, or between anthropology and creativity. I think they are complementary ways of exploring the diversity and richness of reality, both human and non-human. I use science and anthropology as tools to construct plausible and consistent worlds, but I also use imagination and creativity to make them meaningful and engaging.
Ursula le Guin to Iris Murdoch: How do you approach the moral dilemmas and conflicts that your characters face in your novels? Do you have a clear sense of right and wrong, or do you leave it open to interpretation?
Iris Murdoch to Ursula le Guin’s question: I don’t think there are easy or definitive answers to the moral questions that I pose in my novels. I think morality is a complex and dynamic process that involves reason, intuition, emotion, and imagination. I try to present the moral situations of my characters as realistically and honestly as possible, without imposing my own judgments or opinions. I hope that my readers will reflect on their own values and choices, and perhaps learn something from the experiences of my characters.
Iris Murdoch to Ursula le Guin: What are some of the influences and inspirations that shaped your vision of other worlds and cultures in your science fiction and fantasy stories?
Ursula le Guin to Iris Murdoch’s question: I have been influenced and inspired by many sources, both literary and non-literary, in creating my other worlds and cultures. Some of them are ancient myths and legends, such as the Taoist and Norse traditions; some of them are modern writers, such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Virginia Woolf, and Jorge Luis Borges; some of them are scientific theories, such as quantum physics, ecology, and sociology; and some of them are personal experiences, such as traveling, dreaming, and meditating.
Ursula le Guin to Iris Murdoch: How do you use language and style to convey the complexity and subtlety of human emotions and relationships in your novels? Do you have any favorite words or phrases that you like to use?
Iris Murdoch to Ursula le Guin’s question: I think language and style are essential elements of any literary work, especially when dealing with the nuances and intricacies of human psychology and ethics. I try to use language and style that are precise, elegant, and expressive, but also flexible, playful, and experimental. I like to use words and phrases that have multiple meanings or associations, that evoke images or sensations, or that create rhythms or patterns. Some of my favorite words are love, freedom, art, truth, and mystery.
Iris Murdoch to Ursula le Guin: How do you view the role and responsibility of a writer in society? Do you think that literature can change the world, or at least make it a better place?
Ursula le Guin to Iris Murdoch’s question: I think the role and responsibility of a writer in society is to be a witness, a critic, a visionary, and a storyteller. A writer should observe and record the world as it is, but also question and challenge it as it could be. A writer should imagine and invent alternative possibilities for the world, but also communicate and share them with others. A writer should tell stories that entertain and enlighten, but also inspire and empower.
Bing chat’s limit was reached 28 Aug 2023.
Both would be horrified by this.
Iris Murdoch theme list
> Both would be horrified by this.
Really? I don't know Ursula Le Guin except through Lathe of Heaven and Left Hand of Darkness (I loved the former, not the latter). She was a science fiction author who liked Taoism; why do you think she'd object?