Final answer:
Gulliver's praise of the mathematicians and emperor in Jonathan Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels' is an example of sarcasm, satirizing the misplaced trust in and the impracticality of theoretical knowledge without common sense. It also criticizes the human tendency to flatter authorities.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Gulliver praises the mathematicians and the emperor for figuring correctly how much to feed him, the author is actually engaging in a form of sarcasm.
This is a satirical device used by Jonathan Swift in his novel “Gulliver’s Travels” to critique the bureaucrats and scientists of his time who, despite their supposed wisdom and knowledge, are shown to possess flawed reasoning when dealing with practical issues.
In the context of the story, the supposedly precise calculations of how much to feed a giant are ridiculous given the novelty of the situation and demonstrate the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. Swift uses this example to illustrate the absurdity of placing too much trust in theoretical knowledge without common sense.
Gulliver's naïveté in praising the figures also reflects Swift’s criticism of human nature, suggesting that flattery is often blind or insincere, particularly when people are in awe of authority or intellectual reputation, regardless of its practical efficacy.