Rant
1) What is a renaissance man?
2)
Hero is only one very specific example of word value.
3)
TFT captured a moment prior to this 'so called ''18th level.''
4)
Each talent in TFT is equal to an entire "Class book" in
AD&D3e +.
It
is the late seventies and the phrase renaissance man has a specific
use for the gorram Hippies.
The word is a weapon against commercialization. Specifically it is a
light against specialization and all the bad things (according to the
gorram Hippies)
that the assembly line brings. No one even knows how to make a tooth
brush any more. One only knows their small part on the line that
makes them. The Renaissance man, the man who can do everything is a
much valued ideal. Or so the gorram
Hippies try to insinuate anyway.
He can do the most advanced math, is an Astronomer, Geologist,
Politically active Statesman, Poet, Artist, and everything else that
supposedly represents old world Civilization. What he is not. The
Renaissance man is not just a cog in a series of smaller and smaller
wheels.
Ok so their motive is backward looking, and really they are just anti industrialists driving vans (irony anyone?). Besides the entire Renaissance is a farce as it was fueled by refugee artists fleeing from Byzantium which was sac'd by European crusaders. So suddenly all these wealthy European Nobles have access to these very talented and highly trained specialist with advanced Roman knowledge who are destitute and looking for pay. In one generation all these amazing "discoveries" are made and a publishing frenzy begins.
It is more interesting to me that the entire renaissance credits zero Byzantium refugees by name. To have the gorram Hippies point to Renaissance figures as heroes just serves to illustrate how little I think of them. They started out honest, too bad they forgot. They started out saying "my hero is..." and would tell some story, or reference an author, or testify to an event they saw first hand. If you are a gorram Hippie and you want to tell me about some specific Renaissance figure, and why they are your hero, fine. But beyond that, don't try to sell me on one of your "higher ideals." I think you are too high already, thank you very much.
The modern world is defined by specialization. To want to exist in a world where anyone believes one person can know everything is medieval thinking. At best. At worst it is pure fantasy. Hell, if we're going to do that, we may as well have gods walking around on earth, fire breathing dragons, and magic that is real.
David Michael Grouchy II