To add, probably superfluously - that relational aspect is even more pronounced in the case of Artegal and his "right hand". Without human direction Talus is a lot worse than a jerk, but with it, an instrument and component of justice - at least as the narrative sees it.

(Remember: invincible robots don't kill people; people kill people, using invincible robots as their weapon of choice.)

Cathy

On 25 July 2018 at 22:06, Nohrnberg, James C. (Jim) (jcn) <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Do we no longer assume that Spenser portrays the Palmer as a voluble first-class jerk?

The Palmer hangs with Guyon as Una does with Redcrosse, so as Truth is related to Faith, Prudence is to Temperance. The Palmer is apparently a self-assured Know-it-all, I-told-you-so, Been-there/Done-that kind of guy (and maybe what we'd call a prude and a cautious or circumspect Nervous Nellie?), and yet mightn't that slightly overbearing and unattractive character go with the Aristotelean euboulia or habit of taking Good Counsel (Nic.Eth. 6.9) that ought to encourage or reinforce (or coach) the protagonist aspiring to embody Temperance--since the related virtue of Prudence does about the same thing (as euboulia) (Nic.Eth. 6.5)? Aquinas worries the relation of prudence to euboulia in ST II-I, q.57, art.6, obj.1 and resp. Guyon does listen and hearken to the Palmer, no? I.e., in Aquinine terms, he perfects counsel, while in the same motions he is also governed by prudence. So jerk or no, contra a knee-jerk imprudence or impulsiveness. But this is only my first reaction, so to speak....

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James Nohrnberg, Prof. Emeritus
Univ. of Virginia
Dept. of English / Bryan Hall 209
P.O. Box 400121
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4121