“For example, if he used it as a way to illustrate a point, clarifying his meaning, then it was not improperly used. If he used it as evidence of Orwell’s own well-thought-out views on the subject, then again, it was not improperly used. There are many ways to use fiction that are not improper.”
What his intentions were doesn’t matter; what matters is the expected reaction of the audience, which in this case is going to see a vivid example supporting Eliezer’s claim that human evil sets out to muddle thinking. This happens to be true, but it doesn’t have anything whatsoever to do with Winston Smith or O’Brien, both of whom were made up by Orwell with (I suspect) one of Orwell’s intentions being exactly that their fake historical authority would be used to support Orwell’s (true) opinions. I wish we could all just agree on a norm banning references to fiction from any serious discussion about the real world. People seem completely incapable of handling the stuff.
“For example, if he used it as a way to illustrate a point, clarifying his meaning, then it was not improperly used. If he used it as evidence of Orwell’s own well-thought-out views on the subject, then again, it was not improperly used. There are many ways to use fiction that are not improper.”
What his intentions were doesn’t matter; what matters is the expected reaction of the audience, which in this case is going to see a vivid example supporting Eliezer’s claim that human evil sets out to muddle thinking. This happens to be true, but it doesn’t have anything whatsoever to do with Winston Smith or O’Brien, both of whom were made up by Orwell with (I suspect) one of Orwell’s intentions being exactly that their fake historical authority would be used to support Orwell’s (true) opinions. I wish we could all just agree on a norm banning references to fiction from any serious discussion about the real world. People seem completely incapable of handling the stuff.