Mendolus
Aurelius Federation
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Posted - 2008.05.16 17:19:00 -
[1]
Edited by: Mendolus on 16/05/2008 17:25:11
Being a philosopher, (I even have the lil' slip of paper to prove it, yay) I find myself very eager to reply to a thread concerning the subtle underpinnings of mirrored society in an MMO I have only been playing now for five weeks. BUT, that being said, I will reserve my judgement until I actually experience (for more than a short five minutes) low sec space and interactions with pirates.
I can say, however, that there is a substantial difference between what is ethical and what is moral.
A criminal enterprise, in EVE, be it large or persistent enough over time, represents a society of ethical values and premises which though they may be opposite of our own, are no more ethical than say, the ethical right an Anti-Pirate enterprise feels it has to pod ANY pirate it finds in low sec without due process or a burden of proof that the pirate has committed real crimes.
A moral enterprise, is the moral fiber of all beings, what is moral to one must be moral to all, or else the system breaks down. Say for instance, if it were moral for anyone to steal from anyone else. Imagine a world where every person stole from the one next to them. Suddenly no one can hold onto any tangible or material wealth because for every thing they steal another is stolen from them in return. The system fails.
So if you are asking, do criminal enterprises in EVE constitute a failed ethical practice? Of course not. Ethically they are just as successful as any other culture or society. They make their own ethical laws and rules, and if they as a people follow those rules by majority then they are successful as a society.
If instead you are asking, do criminal enterprises in EVE constitute a failed moral practice? Of course not. The world of Eve continues to grow, prosper, develop, and persist. If criminal enterprises were to not have any moral fiber whatsoever, you would quickly find the system and underpinnings of society within EVE failing apart beyond repair. There would be NO low sec traveling other than pirates as there would be little reason to do so as someone pointed out earlier. If all pirates followed no moral code, there would be no profit to venturing into low sec in order to make money or pursue interests.
SO, that's all I got, hope your eyes didn't bleed too much. 
{...and they will respect a line drawn in the sand more than forgiveness} |