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Emphasizing Law vs. Chaos
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<blockquote data-quote="Slapzilla" data-source="post: 3831169" data-attributes="member: 52781"><p>I also think there is a perspective thing here. We, as a society, need Law in order to exist as a society. Therefore, barbarism (chaos) represents that which destroys...evil. It is easy for us to see chaos as evil.</p><p></p><p>This, naturally assumes then that order (law) represents that which sustains...good. We have a hard time envisioning a 'chaotic' society being able to rise up and send men to the moon 66 years after learning the secrets of mechanical flight.</p><p></p><p>Fantasy fiction has the natural ability to transcend conventions. If elves (or pixies or slaad) wander the world in random numbers, directions and distances, are they a society? Define 'society'. Can Chaos produce a society? Is Law a result of or an ingredient of society?</p><p></p><p>Good and Evil are easy. I think that's why Law versus Chaos hasn't been emphasized. I've always assumed that Law and Chaos were personal anyway. Assuming you play a Good character, how would you handle a situation like...</p><p></p><p>You help break up a bar fight after someone pulls a dagger and is about to swing wildly. The Gendarmerie shows as you are defending yourself and arrests you too. How do you react to finding out that the local law is to simply arrest everybody in the room?</p><p></p><p>Accept the fact that ignorance is no excuse, or rage against the unjustness of it all?</p><p></p><p>This is important as it is the <em>personal</em> situation that shows your ethics. A chaotic individual may think that the laws are made by evil tyrants (maybe, or maybe not). I doubt a lawful character would question the situation and their part in it, trusting that with some witnesses about the guy with the dagger, their name will be cleared at the least.</p><p></p><p>Societies are by nature, lawful. Even chaotic societies have customs and norms that have penalties for transgressing. I think emphasizing Law vs. Chaos is hard because it is personal.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Slapzilla, post: 3831169, member: 52781"] I also think there is a perspective thing here. We, as a society, need Law in order to exist as a society. Therefore, barbarism (chaos) represents that which destroys...evil. It is easy for us to see chaos as evil. This, naturally assumes then that order (law) represents that which sustains...good. We have a hard time envisioning a 'chaotic' society being able to rise up and send men to the moon 66 years after learning the secrets of mechanical flight. Fantasy fiction has the natural ability to transcend conventions. If elves (or pixies or slaad) wander the world in random numbers, directions and distances, are they a society? Define 'society'. Can Chaos produce a society? Is Law a result of or an ingredient of society? Good and Evil are easy. I think that's why Law versus Chaos hasn't been emphasized. I've always assumed that Law and Chaos were personal anyway. Assuming you play a Good character, how would you handle a situation like... You help break up a bar fight after someone pulls a dagger and is about to swing wildly. The Gendarmerie shows as you are defending yourself and arrests you too. How do you react to finding out that the local law is to simply arrest everybody in the room? Accept the fact that ignorance is no excuse, or rage against the unjustness of it all? This is important as it is the [I]personal[/I] situation that shows your ethics. A chaotic individual may think that the laws are made by evil tyrants (maybe, or maybe not). I doubt a lawful character would question the situation and their part in it, trusting that with some witnesses about the guy with the dagger, their name will be cleared at the least. Societies are by nature, lawful. Even chaotic societies have customs and norms that have penalties for transgressing. I think emphasizing Law vs. Chaos is hard because it is personal. [/QUOTE]
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