# Man Remakes Himself explained — Last and First Men

> Chapter companion for Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon.

## What happens

The chapter details the creation of the first Great Brain, a super-intellect formed by the Third Men, and its subsequent rule. It then describes the Great Brain's decision to create the Fourth Men, a new species designed with enhanced mental and sensory capabilities, including telepathy, and the long process of designing and perfecting this new human type.

## Themes in this chapter

### Technology and Its Dangers

The creation of the Great Brain and the Fourth Men illustrates the potential dangers of unchecked scientific ambition, including the loss of human emotion and the risk of creating beings detached from human experience.

### Humanity and the Other

The Great Brain and the Fourth Men represent a new form of 'other'—beings that are post-human, with altered capacities and a different relationship to emotion and society, raising questions about what it means to be human.

### The Limits of Knowledge

The Great Brain's quest to solve all problems and its eventual creation of the Fourth Men highlights the pursuit of knowledge, but also the limits of even super-intelligence, as seen in the failed early experiments and the need for constant revision.

## Character check-ins

### The Great Brains

The first Great Brain is created and becomes an autocrat, mastering science and philosophy. It later designs and produces the Fourth Men, a new species of super-intellects.

### The Third Men

The Third Men are the creators of the Great Brain, dividing into factions over the project. They later serve the Great Brain and provide the raw material for the Fourth Men.

### The Fourth Men

The Fourth Men are the new species designed by the Great Brain, with enhanced senses, telepathic abilities, and a long lifespan. They are created to pursue deeper research.

### The First True Individual

The first true individual of the fourth human species is produced after earlier failed attempts, representing the successful culmination of the Great Brain's project.

## Key lines

> His advice was increasingly sought and accepted. He became autocrat of the state.

The Great Brain's counsel was so valued that he eventually became the absolute ruler.

_This shows the transition from advisor to autocrat, highlighting the concentration of power._

> He cared nothing for the petty troubles of his people, but he was determined to be served by a harmonious, healthy, and potent race.

He was indifferent to individual suffering but focused on creating a strong and efficient population.

_This illustrates the Great Brain's detached and utilitarian view of his subjects._

> The undertaking was successfully accomplished. Some ten thousand of these new individuals, each specialized for his particular locality and office, now constituted the Fourth Men.

The project succeeded, resulting in ten thousand specialized beings that formed the new species of the Fourth Men.

_This marks the successful creation of the Fourth Men, a key event in the chapter._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters/xi-man-remakes-himself
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/last_and_first_men_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/last_and_first_men_se/chapters