Terinu Commentary
Sep. 13th, 2006 03:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalNot mine. It's written by L. Mehhay Pipping for a philosophy course. I'm posting it on my LJ for her because the Terinu forum currently screws up the formatting of anything cut and pasted.
Commentary on Peta Hewitt’s Terinu
In the graphic novel Terinu, created and drawn by Peta Hewitt, there exists a race of technologically advanced beings who believe themselves to be the descendants of gods. As such, they believe that all other races exist solely to be their servants and worshippers. Any new race they came into contact with they set out to convert – by force if the initial peaceful attempt failed, and opposing members of that race sent to re-education camps. I will argue that enforcing this strict society on others is destructive of the very things they want to achieve, will result in them living hollow lives, and that ultimately, what they are doing is a breach of the moral law.
There are a number of similarities with the lives of this race (the Varn) and that of the ancient Greeks in Socrates’ time; namely, that polytheism is enforced, that they find slaves yet treat them almost as equals, and that they do not pursue philosophy. It is interesting to note that while the slaves of the Greeks were moving along the actualisation process when they were captured; to be captured by the Varn means that you are regressing; as they believe and enforce polytheism, they are still living in a state of nature, despite their technological expertise.
Thanks to the technology the Varn have at their disposal, disease is almost completely wiped out and they can – do – live for millennia as practically immortal beings. The almost sad part of this is that despite their long, easy lives, they will never become actualised, nor do they even try. It is in fact doubtful they ever heard the term, as they do not engage in philosophy. As a result, though they might think that they are happy and content with life, it is highly doubtful. As Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living”.
Another effect of having a non-philosophical society based on polytheism is that the questions of what is good or just are not pursued. The reason is of course that there is no need – what is good or just is what the Varn say is good or just. The problem with this, just as with the Greek Gods of yore, is that the individual ‘gods’ will not always agree on what is just in one occasion; they will disagree and have arguments, much like humans. This might be remedied by having one Varn act like a judge, but the Varn treat each other as equals even when other races are beneath them, so this is unlikely to happen. I may be even less just than their present system, since that Varn would be an unstudied person without the ability or experience to make truly moral decisions.
Although one does not really have a choice in joining their Dominion, when one convert to their ways of rule and begin to (at least outwardly) worship them as gods, one is very much free to live as one chooses. The Varn share their technology and wealth, so in one sense a whole new world of possibilities becomes open to everyone. Suddenly one has freedom to roam the galaxy and live wherever one wishes to, as long as one performs some kind of service that is beneficial. One such thing would perhaps be to report back if a new race is found. The problem lies in the fact that though one appears to have more freedom, the greatest and most important of freedoms is denied: that of choice. Whatever one does, one must worship the Varn, obey the Varn. As we can see from our human history, the suppressing of a people from believing what they wish to – especially when the suppressed are larger in number – is a hazardous affair that almost definitely leads to bloodshed. This fact that the Varn do not respect the choice one makes in how one wishes to conduct one’s life is unforgivable, and despite the absence of physical violence in their rule, is an immense breach of the moral laws. As sentient beings, we all have the right to choose what to believe in.
Interestingly, it is this very thing that the Varn least want to happen – ultimately what they want is a beneficial, functioning society, and believe that this can only happen when they are in charge. Have they not seen the capabilities of the other races when they first encountered them? Have they not seen how badly they take care of their worlds, their people? Better, they reason, to let them with knowledge take care of that, and those without to serve them who do. The Varn, with the knowledge that comes from their long lives and (despite the short-lived conflicts accompanied with the finding of a new race) peaceful regime, believe themselves to be better suited to take care of the worlds they take over. This is amusing when one considers that though they feel themselves to be above humans, they act very much like humans did while ‘white’ humans were widening their empires – stealing land, killing and converting people to their way of life. We can assume this is because of them still living in a state of nature as opposed to a culture. And again, as human history shows, this will eventually lead to the oppressed attempting to rise up against the oppressors.
One might well wonder how alike humans and Varn truly are; we have examples of similarities between the races, so far does this go? Are Varn, like humans, born with innate wishes to dominate, to control, like Freud says of humans? It would explain their wish to leave no race outside their Dominion, though it seems to rise out of a well-meant wish to heighten the standards of living. They certainly share their wealth and bounty, though whether this is to feel even more superior is unclear. It may be that they think that thoughts of greed, control and lust are beneath them.
In conclusion, though the Varn might think they are making lives easier and therefore better for everyone, what they are in actual fact doing is bringing the standards of life down, denying everyone their innate rights and all the possibilities of living happy, content lives free from discord.
Date: 01-02-2006
Words: 1044
Links with syllabus:
Bibliography and references:
Terinu web site: www.terinu.net
Velasquez, M. 2002 Philosophy, a text with readings. Wadsworth
Commentary on Peta Hewitt’s Terinu
In the graphic novel Terinu, created and drawn by Peta Hewitt, there exists a race of technologically advanced beings who believe themselves to be the descendants of gods. As such, they believe that all other races exist solely to be their servants and worshippers. Any new race they came into contact with they set out to convert – by force if the initial peaceful attempt failed, and opposing members of that race sent to re-education camps. I will argue that enforcing this strict society on others is destructive of the very things they want to achieve, will result in them living hollow lives, and that ultimately, what they are doing is a breach of the moral law.
There are a number of similarities with the lives of this race (the Varn) and that of the ancient Greeks in Socrates’ time; namely, that polytheism is enforced, that they find slaves yet treat them almost as equals, and that they do not pursue philosophy. It is interesting to note that while the slaves of the Greeks were moving along the actualisation process when they were captured; to be captured by the Varn means that you are regressing; as they believe and enforce polytheism, they are still living in a state of nature, despite their technological expertise.
Thanks to the technology the Varn have at their disposal, disease is almost completely wiped out and they can – do – live for millennia as practically immortal beings. The almost sad part of this is that despite their long, easy lives, they will never become actualised, nor do they even try. It is in fact doubtful they ever heard the term, as they do not engage in philosophy. As a result, though they might think that they are happy and content with life, it is highly doubtful. As Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living”.
Another effect of having a non-philosophical society based on polytheism is that the questions of what is good or just are not pursued. The reason is of course that there is no need – what is good or just is what the Varn say is good or just. The problem with this, just as with the Greek Gods of yore, is that the individual ‘gods’ will not always agree on what is just in one occasion; they will disagree and have arguments, much like humans. This might be remedied by having one Varn act like a judge, but the Varn treat each other as equals even when other races are beneath them, so this is unlikely to happen. I may be even less just than their present system, since that Varn would be an unstudied person without the ability or experience to make truly moral decisions.
Although one does not really have a choice in joining their Dominion, when one convert to their ways of rule and begin to (at least outwardly) worship them as gods, one is very much free to live as one chooses. The Varn share their technology and wealth, so in one sense a whole new world of possibilities becomes open to everyone. Suddenly one has freedom to roam the galaxy and live wherever one wishes to, as long as one performs some kind of service that is beneficial. One such thing would perhaps be to report back if a new race is found. The problem lies in the fact that though one appears to have more freedom, the greatest and most important of freedoms is denied: that of choice. Whatever one does, one must worship the Varn, obey the Varn. As we can see from our human history, the suppressing of a people from believing what they wish to – especially when the suppressed are larger in number – is a hazardous affair that almost definitely leads to bloodshed. This fact that the Varn do not respect the choice one makes in how one wishes to conduct one’s life is unforgivable, and despite the absence of physical violence in their rule, is an immense breach of the moral laws. As sentient beings, we all have the right to choose what to believe in.
Interestingly, it is this very thing that the Varn least want to happen – ultimately what they want is a beneficial, functioning society, and believe that this can only happen when they are in charge. Have they not seen the capabilities of the other races when they first encountered them? Have they not seen how badly they take care of their worlds, their people? Better, they reason, to let them with knowledge take care of that, and those without to serve them who do. The Varn, with the knowledge that comes from their long lives and (despite the short-lived conflicts accompanied with the finding of a new race) peaceful regime, believe themselves to be better suited to take care of the worlds they take over. This is amusing when one considers that though they feel themselves to be above humans, they act very much like humans did while ‘white’ humans were widening their empires – stealing land, killing and converting people to their way of life. We can assume this is because of them still living in a state of nature as opposed to a culture. And again, as human history shows, this will eventually lead to the oppressed attempting to rise up against the oppressors.
One might well wonder how alike humans and Varn truly are; we have examples of similarities between the races, so far does this go? Are Varn, like humans, born with innate wishes to dominate, to control, like Freud says of humans? It would explain their wish to leave no race outside their Dominion, though it seems to rise out of a well-meant wish to heighten the standards of living. They certainly share their wealth and bounty, though whether this is to feel even more superior is unclear. It may be that they think that thoughts of greed, control and lust are beneath them.
In conclusion, though the Varn might think they are making lives easier and therefore better for everyone, what they are in actual fact doing is bringing the standards of life down, denying everyone their innate rights and all the possibilities of living happy, content lives free from discord.
Date: 01-02-2006
Words: 1044
Links with syllabus:
Bibliography and references:
Terinu web site: www.terinu.net
Velasquez, M. 2002 Philosophy, a text with readings. Wadsworth
