Isaac Asimovs Foundation - Psychohistory :: Isaac Asimov Foundation

Foundation Psycho narrative Psychohistory is the framework upon which Isaac Asimovs Foundation rests. It provides for diverse episodes about a variety of characters over a period 400 years, and those episodes feature a number of strong-minded individuals seeking solutions to a series of problems as they cabbage (Gunn 42). In the novel, these problems have all been fore-ordained long ago by Hari Seldons attainment of psychohistory. Psychohistory is defined by Asimov as a "profound statistical learning that deals with the reactions of human conglomerates to bushel social and economic stimuli" (Touponce 76). In short, this science predicts the future(a) by treating cosmos as champion vast series of mathematical equations. However, the one drawback of psychohistory is that this science does not account for individual, random variables. Hari Seldon uses the science of psychohistory to predict the fall of the massive Galactic Empire. By using complex mathematical equa tions, Seldon is able to mathematically prove that the downfall of the Galactic Empire is eminent. In addition, psychohistory also adds a sense of determination and predestination to Foundation. The main characters in each defend of the novel atomic number 18 aware that when a Seldon crisis occurs, they will manage to curb the correct decisions leading to the inevitable turnout of the crisis. Seldons prophesies "are revealed precisely later the fact, and even the solutions that he or others say are obvious are obvious only in retrospect, as in all ingenuous histories" (Gunn 41). This is jump shown in "The Psychohistorians" when Salvor Hardin makes the decision that he must find over the management of the Foundation. This decision is logical in retrospect, but it causes Hardin ofttimes agonizing over the probable results of his actions before he does them. The dilemma undergo by Asimovs characters is how to achieve the predetermined outcome concocted by Se ldon. The hero of the first Foundation, Salvor Hardin, decides to wait until the crisis limits his choices to only one course of action. He argues ...the future isnt nebulous. Its been calculated out by Seldon and charted. Each successive crisis in our history is mapped out and each depends in a measure on the sure-fire conclusion of the ones previous...At each crisis our freedom of actions would become circumscribed to the point where only one course of action was possible...As long as more than one course of action is possible, the crisis has not been reached.