Trevelyan
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Joined: 6/12/2006
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NorthernGent
Most of your questions deal with something Norman calls "the Gorean Morality."
Here is the quote from the books which most succinctly addresses the Gorean Morality:
quote:
The morality of Earth, from the Gorean point of view, is a
morality which would be viewed as more appropriate to slaves
than free men. It would be seen in terms of the envy and
resentment of inferiors for their superiors. It lays great stress
on equalities and being humble and being pleasant and
avoiding friction and being ingratiating and small. It is a
morality in the best interest of slaves, who would be only too
eager to be regarded as the equals of others. We are all the
same. That is the hope of slaves; that is what it is in their
interest to convince others of. The Gorean morality on the
other hand is more one of inequalities, based on the
assumption that individuals are not the same, but quite
different in many ways. It might be said to be, though this is
oversimple, a morality of masters. Guilt is almost unknown in
Gorean morality, though shame and anger are not. Many
Earth moralities encourage resignation and accommodation;
Gorean morality is bent more toward conquest and defiance;
many Earth moralities encourage tenderness, pity and
gentleness, sweetness; Gorean morality encourages honor,
courage, hardness and strength. To Gorean morality many
Earth moralities might ask, "Why so hard?" To these Earth
moralities, the Gorean ethos might ask, "Why so soft?"
I have sometimes thought that the Goreans might do well
to learn something of tenderness, and, perhaps, that those of
Earth might do well to learn something of hardness. But I do
Marauders of Gor [Gor Series Book 9]
by John Norman
18
not know how to live. I have sought the answers, but I have
not found them. The morality of slaves says, "You are equal
to me; we are both the same"; the morality of masters says,
"We are not equal; we are not the same; become equal to
me; then we will be the same." The morality of slaves
reduces all to bondage; the morality of masters encourages
all to attain, if they can, the heights of freedom. I know of no
prouder, more self-reliant, more magnificent creature than
the free Gorean, male or female; they are often touchy, and
viciously tempered, but they are seldom petty or small;
moreover they do not hate and fear their bodies or their
instincts; when they restrain themselves it is a victory over
titanic forces; not the consequence of a slow metabolism; but
sometimes they do not restrain themselves; they do not
assume that their instincts and blood are enemies and spies,
saboteurs, in the house of themselves; they know them and
welcome them as part of their persons; they are as little
suspicious of them as the cat of its cruelty, or the lion of its
hunger; their desire for vengeance, their will to speak out and
defend themselves, their lust, they regard as intrinsically and
gloriously a portion of themselves as their hearing or their
thinking. Many Earth moralities make people little; the object
of Gorean morality, for all its faults, is to make people free
and great. These objectives are quite different it is clear to
see. Accordingly, one would expect that the implementing
moralities would, also, be considerably different.
Regarding your specific questions:
1) What makes one inferior or superior according to Gorean philosophy ?
Demonstration. A person is not equal because they say they are, or because they are male or female or whatever. They are equal because they demonstrate that they are.
Here are some characteristics of a free Gorean:
- They are sovereign in their personal territory
- They identify with, love and are allegiant to their community
- They identify with and take pride in the work that they do; and perform that work ethically and excellently.
- They subscribe to a particular notion of right and wrong:
* they assume that people are not equal, not the same, but quite different in many ways.
* they are bent toward conquest and defiance
* they strive to exhibit honor, courage, hardness and strength
* they agree with the statement "We are not equal; we are not the same; become equal to me; then we will be the same."
* they also agree with the statement "Be strong, and do as you will. The swords of others will set your limits."
If a Gorean in the books demonstrated these characteristics, other free Goreans would consider him to be an "equal" - a free Gorean.
If he (or she) did not demonstrate these characteristics, other free Goreans would consider him to be "inferior" - either an outlaw or a slave.
2) It would be useful too were someone to describe what exactly is the 'natural order' (it's not clear from the author in the link).
Good question! The phrase 'natural order' does not occur once in any of the 27 Gor novels. I think that MarcusofAr (a "Gorean" here on Earth) coined the phrase. He had a specific meaning for it, but the "Telephone Game" nature of Gorean websites and chat rooms have caused it to mean anything or nothing.
I think Luther is using it to mean the general idea of living in accordance with the truth of how humans actually are, instead of in accordance with politically correct fictions of how some people think they should be; or perhaps he is using it to mean the same thing Norman does when he refers to "the order of nature" (which I discussed in the thread you moved your post from.)
Trevelyan
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"In short the differences between the men of Earth and those of Gor were almost certain to be primarily cultural, and not physiological."
Mercenaries of Gor
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I've nothing to add here (so far, anyway) except that it's a good thread! 
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