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ORIGINAL: OrionTheWolf

Greetings Zeph,

If there is a lesson in the series that you can apply to your life to make it better, or better understand your life, then you have probably found a philosophical part. An example, in Raiders Tarl begs to be enslaved rather than be eaten by a critter. This shows that there are exceptions to a code, and that it is fluid. Then as he morphs through his various names and personas, he realizes that he adopted the Warriors code, an external thing, without truly understanding it. He then goes on to further create his own code, and follow it.

There are just so many things, and the above is something that has always stood out to me because of some personal significance.

Live well,
Orion

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ORIGINAL: Musicmystery

Hi zepher,

I think what Orion may be getting at is rather than focus on the "what happened" aspect of the books, look more at "why did it happen," and "what does it say about human experience that it happened," along with "what are the implications if that's the case."

I agree that it should be a deep and ongoing personal examination of oneself and motives.

Live well,

Tim

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ORIGINAL: Trevelyan

Zeph,

Don't worry about being philosophy deficient. You can read the Gor books and understand the Gorean philosophy without having read a word of Plato or Nietzche, or knowing the difference between metaphysics and epistimology. Norman does a great job of explaining the Gorean philosophy in the books.

"Philosophy" had a number of different definitions. The one that is useful for me as it pertains to the Gor books is: "a system of values by which one lives."

As you read the books, see if you can identify the system of values by which Goreans live.

For example, the first philosophical discussion in the books is in the second chapter of Tarnsmen, when Tarl's father is talking with him about Home Stones. The first values he mentions are sovereignty and territory. Goreans value sovereignty within their territory very, very highly.

Keep your eyes open and your brain turned on, and you will get it.

Trevelyan

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ORIGINAL: Naturallurker

I don't think for one moment that you personally didn't want to see it was there or you wouldn't have asked the question. Perhaps I should have signposted my use of the word you was in the broad sense.  I suspect you underestimate what your child self took from Hansel and Gretel, such is the power of morality tales and fairy stories that while children cannot articulate what it is they receive from reading or hearing such tales it does filter through to them, along with all the other lessons life delivers in child friendly form.

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don't think you did quite understand me correctly, in order to embrace any philosophy you must recognise it as your own, come to it on your own. To embrace any philosophy(including the Gorean philosophy you must understand it. Whether you (broad you again) do that on a cognitive level or on an instinctual or subliminal level (IE The Hansel and Gretel level) is (as an adult) a  choice. In order to make an informed choice about which if any form of philosophy one wishes to follow or incorporate into one's life one must know that philosophy. IE win that truth for your self. In order to make an informed choice you must choose to start walking the path of exploration. It is particularly pertinent to the Gorean philosophy because of the ideas the Gorean Philosophy holds to be truths.

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My view is that we are all capable of doing that, the choice to do so or not to do so lies within the individual.

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For example, person A might say, Gorean Philosophy is primal and visceral, it appeals to the primitive in us. If they are parroting that idea from another source then it has not yet become their truth, if however they have done the work on themselves and the philosophy and still reached that conclusion they have won it for themselves. Person B, might have taken the clues they saw in the texts and rationalised that the Gorean Philosophy was an aesthetic philosophy, based on further studies and comparison between various philosophers. Given sufficient time, and the tools to argue using a philosophical methodology both A and B might well be able to each prove the case for their won truths, while appearing to disagree with one another.

Person C might have read the populist view point and not bothered with the books beyond a quick skim reading and go on superficially to argue every tenet and virtue contained with in in the books, they might even be able to toss terms like master morality and slave morality about with gusto. Meanwhile Person D reads, internalises and proceeds to live. That is not to say that person D, cannot honestly accept the sound and valid arguments he has recognised and repeats. While that may sound contradictory it is merely a way of saying acceptance and embracing do not have parity. E.G. A child accepts that lying to mum n dad is wrong, absorbing via a multitude of sources that idea to be true, an adult who embraces that lying is wrong has asked himself why, what if, on what authority etc etc and reached the conclusion himself that to lie is wrong for him.

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While those with a love of philosophy in general happily argue and explore and make comment at times, being Gorean, or following a Gorean Philosophy isn't a contest. You, and this time I do mean you, do not need anyone to tell you what you understand, you don't need anyone to tell you what you internalise, you either win your own truths or you don't. How you do so is up to you, I just happen to think that too many people sell themselves short and understand a lot more than they can articulate, while  a good few articulate a lot more than they understand .

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Philosophy on the whole tends to appear clear as mud I hope I have been a little clearer this time.
A good primer on how to read philosophical works can be found here 

I don't even think it's THAT clear, lol. In college I had a friend taking Philosophy and he tried to get me to understand it. He failed spectacularly as my brain stubbornly refused to absorb it. He ended up frustrated and I ended up with a migraine. Thanks for the link, I'll take a look later. Right now it's time for supper

I wish you well,

Zeph

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ORIGINAL: Cherylmazana

Hi Zeph,

One of the simplest ways to understand the philosophy in the books is to start with a simple subject, as most people are able to get Tarnsman from second hand book stores cheaply I tend to find most people have at least that book.

So what do you think about Nar the spider? What is his point in being in the book if any?

It’s a simple place to start, but it can open doors.

Cheryl