Did Leto the Just Have Prescience?

[gurneyman]

I'm not sure if this has already been covered, and I've been dissuaded against digging past the 3rd page to reference things...So I ask you kindly people, did the Red Duke have the gift? I recall an intro in the original Dune which asks why a man who by all accounts was not easily fooled, could have knowingly walked into such a trap. It goes on to ask if perhaps he "knew" all was lost and was merely "buying" a continuation of his line through the Fremen of Arrakis. I've often wondered if a man such as Leto, being so close to the end result of the KH program, wouldn't have some latent ability. Not much to go on if you stick tot he canon, and excuse my paraphrasing but just something I've always wanted an intelligent discussion about.

[MrFlibble]

I recall an intro in the original Dune which asks why a man who by all accounts was not easily fooled, could have knowingly walked into such a trap. It goes on to ask if perhaps he "knew" all was lost and was merely "buying" a continuation of his line through the Fremen of Arrakis.

It didn't take a prescient person to figure out what was going on with the Atreides getting the Arrakis fief. Leto knew the Harkonnens were after him, but hoped to get out of the situation with the best possible outcome. His Atreides upbringing and the code of honour is probably what prevented him from going renegade, so there was little choice for him anyway. It is mentioned somewhere in the first book that the Atreides basically underestimated how much the Baron was willing to spend on the Arrakis offensive. And there was an inside man.

I've often wondered if a man such as Leto, being so close to the end result of the KH program, wouldn't have some latent ability. Not much to go on if you stick tot he canon, and excuse my paraphrasing but just something I've always wanted an intelligent discussion about.

There's nothing to suggest that Leto, Jessica, the Baron or Feyd, all being so closely related to Paul and the KH programme, had any explicit ability of prescience. No situation in the book seems to indicate that even "a bit of talent" (to use Frank's own words) was used by any of these characters.

[ErasOmnius]

I agree. Prescience was an exact gift, or ability. I don' think that Leto I had the gift.

[gurneyman]

I see what you're saying yet the "precise gift" was visited on the Fremen in total. They were gifted with the sight although afraid of the implications of it.