Erewhon · Character

Professors of Unreason

Academics at the Colleges of Unreason who teach hypothetical logic.

minor

Also known as the Professors of Unreason, Unreason

First appearance: xxi the colleges of unreason

Professors of Unreason's tie to Narrator is one of the pressures that moves Erewhon—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

Educated at the Colleges of Unreason, they hold degrees in hypothetics and work as straighteners, bankers, and priests, diffusing culture.

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With Narrator (professional): The Professors of Unreason are academic figures who engage the narrator in debates about Erewhonian philosophy and logic. With Solomons (professional): The Professors of Unreason and Solomons interact as members of Erewhonian intellectual and commercial society. With Marquis of Normanby (social): The Marquis of Normanby and the Professors of Unreason engage in diplomatic and intellectual exchanges as representatives of different worlds.

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See Professors of Unreason in xxi the colleges of unreason

Character Web

3 connections

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Relationship types

Professional
Social

Character groups

Erewhonian Characters and References
Protagonist
Erewhonian Society and Love Interest

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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Relationships

Narrator
professional · ambivalent
The Professors of Unreason are academic figures who engage the narrator in debates about… How this plays out →
Solomons
professional · neutral
Marquis of Normanby
social · ambivalent
Narrator
professional · ambivalent
The Professors of Unreason are academic figures who engage the narrator in debates about… How this plays out →

Narrator
The Professors of Unreason are academic figures who engage the narrator in debates about Erewhonian philosophy and logic.
Solomons
The Professors of Unreason and Solomons interact as members of Erewhonian intellectual and commercial society.
Marquis of Normanby
The Marquis of Normanby and the Professors of Unreason engage in diplomatic and intellectual exchanges as representatives of different worlds.
Narrator
The Professors of Unreason are academic figures who engage the narrator in debates about Erewhonian philosophy and logic.

Relationship notes

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See Professors of Unreason in xxi the colleges of unreason

In the story

Professors of Unreason appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

To the Metropolis
Educated at the Colleges of Unreason, they hold degrees in hypothetics and work as straighteners, bankers, and priests, diffusing culture.
Current Opinions
Mentioned as teachers of the hypothetical language used by straighteners to name mental indispositions.
Birth Formulae
The narrator discusses the birth formula system with a Professor of Unreason, who defends it as a necessary compromise.
XXII: The Colleges of Unreason—Continued
The professors, especially the Professor of Worldly Wisdom, enforce conformity, suppress originality, and administer exams that punish clear thinking.
XXIII: The Book of the Machines
The author of the Book of the Machines is implied to be one of the Professors of Unreason.
XXV: The Machines—Concluded
Implicitly referenced as the intellectual authors of the anti-machine treatise and the subsequent destruction.
The Views of an Erewhonian Prophet Concerning the Rights of Vegetables
The philosopher is a Professor of botany who uses logical arguments to push dietary laws to absurdity.
Endnotes
Their theory about machine vitality is mentioned, though the narrator disclaims belief in it.

Chapter companion notes

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