Manifest Destiny and the Relativeness of Evil

from Stardock Forums
Looking at the events, both the ones in the game and the library, I have noted that the concept of good and evil is very much that of the late 20th century Western values. One can view the as a form of chavinism as one is judging according to the values of our current culture. According to the game all major Western nations of the19th Century would be considered evil for their treatment of the various indigenous people and the environment. All the US founding fathers are evil by GC standards.

Yet other than a few people on the fringe of society woul've considered their societies as evil. Rather they saw it as their manifest destiny to 'tame the land and civilize the savages. Both were considered good.

Essentially if it benefitted their people and society it was good, otherwise it is evil. Now looking at the history of our species I can see a reversion to that attitiude by the time we ever get out there. Fast forward to a time when Earth's population is several time what it is now, our resorces depleated, our survival at stake. Do you think we are going to be nice to some 17th century indigs who happen to be on some real estate we desperately need, especially if they look really different? And if the Altarians consider us part of the axis of evil, well bring em on!

I do play according to 19th Century values....
137 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
Your Earth was colonised aprox 26,000 years ago, the colonists were illegal, they were sent here under false information, they colonised all the high altitude areas, were regarded as 'gods'(olumpus, asgard etc), they taught the egyptians math, cotton weaving etc, they taught cretes / greeks sea trading, they have influnced things throughout history, it is the descendants of those colonists that have screwed up your planet. Check the history books, its all there.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
My beef with this is that I think alien cultures would be amoral by our standards as I am doubtful that given a different evolutionary path, a culture would develop the same concepts.

~SDC~
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
umm, the white man on your planet IS the alien culture you speak of ;) and yes evil , totally. I wont say anymore but look at the third world countries, who left them in that state ??? :HOT:
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Fast forward to a time when Earth's population is several time what it is now, our resources depleated, our survival at stake. Do you think we are going to be nice to some 17th century indigs who happen to be on some real estate we desperately need, especially if they look really different?
End of quote



I would hope we would be nice to some 17th century indigs. I do not think the ablity to fill my gas tank with cheap gas or not paying for limited natural resources equates to survival.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
a cultural relativist... at least when it comes to the Yor
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Wot - you are related to the Yor ???? ;)


Alex


~SDC~