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Good/Evil vs. Law/Chaos
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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 4632414" data-attributes="member: 4937"><p>There has never been a single clear definition of law or chaos, and as a result there has rarely been a clear definition of good or evil either. For example, in 1st edition, it seemed to be implied that 'lawful good' was more good than 'good', and 'chaotic evil' was more evil than 'evil'. Ironically, 4e seems to have returned to using 'law' and 'chaos' as mere descriptive modifiers describing the degree of goodness or evilness.</p><p></p><p>The following is therefore my own opinion, and not any official description. </p><p></p><p>Generally speaking, if the character has a code of ethics which is shared by a large group (which may be said to form a society of some sorts), and if that code is one that is knowable and the actions of the character may be reviewed and judged under that code, then the character is lawful.</p><p></p><p>Note particularly, that a character may be operating under some sort of code of ethics, but if that code is personal and perhaps even unique to the character, and in particular if that code is unknowable and the actions of the character holding the code can be reviewed and judged only by the character, then the character is chaotic. For example, the fairy of folk lore appears to operate under some sort of code of honor they feel bound to uphold, but the rules of the code appear to be created by and known only to the particular fairy. We can never really know whether the fairy has broken his own rules. Similarly, the psychotic villain of Hollywood films and pulp fiction seems to have some sort of internal logic that only he understands and which he feels bound to, but only he can really judge whether he's acting in the way he deems honorable.</p><p></p><p>As a corollary to the above, lawful characters tend to think meaning is externally imposed on them and the world. Chaotic characters tend to think all meaning is internally created. Reviewing their own beliefs, a lawful character would tend to say that they believe as they do because it is truth, because it is right, or because one ought to believe this way. Reviewing the same beliefs, a chaotic would tend to say that the lawful group has consensually created a shared meaning, but that that meaning was wholly arbitrary and did not exist outside of the group. </p><p></p><p>And it follows from all that that lawfuls tend to see sharing the truth as a basic good, whereas chaotics would describe it as imposing their beliefs on others and a basic evil. Indeed, from a pure chaotic perspective, imposing your beliefs on others may be one of the few things that are truly immoral, as they would believe that 'good' and 'evil' are simply other consensual delusions.</p><p></p><p>Similarly, it should be obvious that lawfuls would tend to have greater respect for the rules of external institions, but that respect for any particular external institution is by no means an essential part of being lawful. Conversely, chaotics would tend to see external laws as being a necessary evil at best, but disrespect for any particular external institution is by no means an essential part of being chaotic. It's not neccessary for a Lawful character to be law abiding, as long as he has some externally imposed code and obligation. It's not necessary for a chaotic character to be actively undermining the law, so long as they do not hold some external code to be of greater authority than their own conscious.</p><p></p><p>And of course, probably the vast majority of people hold some intermediate position - that we can live morally only by balancing in some fashion the dictates of ones consciousness with some external guidance obligation and that when we follow one to the exclusion of the other we risk folly.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 4632414, member: 4937"] There has never been a single clear definition of law or chaos, and as a result there has rarely been a clear definition of good or evil either. For example, in 1st edition, it seemed to be implied that 'lawful good' was more good than 'good', and 'chaotic evil' was more evil than 'evil'. Ironically, 4e seems to have returned to using 'law' and 'chaos' as mere descriptive modifiers describing the degree of goodness or evilness. The following is therefore my own opinion, and not any official description. Generally speaking, if the character has a code of ethics which is shared by a large group (which may be said to form a society of some sorts), and if that code is one that is knowable and the actions of the character may be reviewed and judged under that code, then the character is lawful. Note particularly, that a character may be operating under some sort of code of ethics, but if that code is personal and perhaps even unique to the character, and in particular if that code is unknowable and the actions of the character holding the code can be reviewed and judged only by the character, then the character is chaotic. For example, the fairy of folk lore appears to operate under some sort of code of honor they feel bound to uphold, but the rules of the code appear to be created by and known only to the particular fairy. We can never really know whether the fairy has broken his own rules. Similarly, the psychotic villain of Hollywood films and pulp fiction seems to have some sort of internal logic that only he understands and which he feels bound to, but only he can really judge whether he's acting in the way he deems honorable. As a corollary to the above, lawful characters tend to think meaning is externally imposed on them and the world. Chaotic characters tend to think all meaning is internally created. Reviewing their own beliefs, a lawful character would tend to say that they believe as they do because it is truth, because it is right, or because one ought to believe this way. Reviewing the same beliefs, a chaotic would tend to say that the lawful group has consensually created a shared meaning, but that that meaning was wholly arbitrary and did not exist outside of the group. And it follows from all that that lawfuls tend to see sharing the truth as a basic good, whereas chaotics would describe it as imposing their beliefs on others and a basic evil. Indeed, from a pure chaotic perspective, imposing your beliefs on others may be one of the few things that are truly immoral, as they would believe that 'good' and 'evil' are simply other consensual delusions. Similarly, it should be obvious that lawfuls would tend to have greater respect for the rules of external institions, but that respect for any particular external institution is by no means an essential part of being lawful. Conversely, chaotics would tend to see external laws as being a necessary evil at best, but disrespect for any particular external institution is by no means an essential part of being chaotic. It's not neccessary for a Lawful character to be law abiding, as long as he has some externally imposed code and obligation. It's not necessary for a chaotic character to be actively undermining the law, so long as they do not hold some external code to be of greater authority than their own conscious. And of course, probably the vast majority of people hold some intermediate position - that we can live morally only by balancing in some fashion the dictates of ones consciousness with some external guidance obligation and that when we follow one to the exclusion of the other we risk folly. [/QUOTE]
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