A (SAMPLE) GOREAN MASTER’S CREED by _Marcus_ of Ar

Above all else a Gorean Master values his slave and understands the vulnerability of her position upon his chain. Knowing that she has assumed her correct place in the Gorean social system he is bound to compel her to behave as what she is, and to correct her as she strives to achieve the utmost fulfilment of her natural needs.

– A Gorean Master is demanding and takes full advantage of the power he wields, but accepts the responsibility which comes with his Mastery. He takes pride in the achievements of his slaves, and rewards their devoted service by administering pleasure as he sees fit.

– A Gorean Master is first and foremost Master of himself. Until he can Master himself, how can he Master others?

– A Gorean Master holds the power to compel his slave to weep real tears, but is wise and compassionate enough to do so only in the best interests of his Mastery and to ensure that she grows in her slavery. A Gorean Master will reward his slave generously as he sees fit, also to compel obedience and to promote growth in her slavery. Whether he is punishing or comforting, he never forgets that he is the Master.

– A Gorean Master’s role is never dictated merely by time or location. He will remember that the feelings and emotions of his slave are a vital part of his relationship with her, and will not hesitate to comfort or offer solace to his slave, should it seem good to him.

– To be a Gorean Master a man must be strong enough to command his slave’s respect and her trust, so that she may serve him willingly in the knowledge that he will allow nothing less. A Gorean Master will strive at all times to guide and to teach a slave the truths of her position in Gorean society, and upon his chain.

– A Gorean Master is not afraid to demonstrate his humor, his kindness, and his warmth. A Gorean Master in not an uncaring machine, though often he may behave as one. The slave understands this and appreciates his softer qualities when they manifest.

– A Gorean Master should, through his deeds and actions, demonstrate to his slave that he is worthy of her service to him. He must be strong enough to maintain her under the strictest discipline even in an informal setting. He must prove himself inflexible when the situation requires it, and be wise enough to allow some leeway when it, too, is necessary.

– A Gorean Master will be strong enough to defend what is his, when it becomes necessary. He will protect his slave from the consequences of his own folly, and see to it that she is suitably corrected when she errs. He is a pillar of strength which she may lean on in times of duress, and his slave may take heart in knowing that he is there to Master her and maintain her in her slavery.

– When it comes time to instruct his slave and to compel her obedience, he is a strong and unyielding teacher. A Gorean Master will accept no flaw in his slave’s performance in regards to her actions, and will make certain that those actions please persons who are free. His slave is always under his eye, even when serving another free Gorean.

– A Gorean Master may punish his slave at any time, for any reason. When he does so, however, it is always to serve a purpose, and to maintain his Mastery according to his position in Gorean society.—A Gorean Master will always pay the strictest attention to the feelings and emotional needs of his slave, fulfilling them when he deems it appropriate.

– A Gorean Master will utilize whatever means he feels is necessary to compel his slave to accept and maintain her position in Gorean society.

– A Gorean Master seeks to learn more of himself from his slave, and is wise enough to know that he is not always correct. He expects his slave to allow him to discover these things for himself, as he is free.

– A Gorean Master understands that each partner gains most from fulfilling the other’s needs, be they the need to serve or the need to command.

– And a Gorean Master knows that should he be too weak to Master his slave, she will not be his slave for long.

I wish you well,

_Marcus_

Copyright © 2006, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, _Marcus_ of Ar. All rights reserved.

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BEING GOREAN ON EARTH by _Marcus_ of Ar

Tal, all!

Not long ago I was asked:

“What does it mean to be Gorean on Earth? How do we reconcile our beliefs with the reality of living in a society where our practice of those beliefs is constricted?”

My beliefs are not constricted at all. I can believe anything I want to.

What I can try to do, also, is adapt the customs of Gorean culture into my personal lifestyle to as great an extent as possible.

As to how far one can take it, it simply never struck me as much of a problem, or even a valid question.

Why?

Well… how many Goreans, after the entrance into Ar by the Cosian occupation force, told the Cosians to stick their new rules up their collective asses and went right on doing things as they had before?

Not too many. Most of those who did probably wound up playing the part of the olive, to the big martini-skewer one might call “an impaling spear.”

Goreans are bold, and terrible in their wrath. But they are not inordinately stupid.

So what did they do?

They obeyed the new rules. Oh, they resisted… but when they did so, they did so carefully. They chose when and how they would resist. They kept their revolutionary fires alight within their hearts and behind the walls and doors of their houses. The Cosians ruled the streets, but the heart of Ar lived on, quietly awaiting the day when it could throw off the yoke of Cosian oppression.

What about Gorean agents of the Priest-Kings who live on Earth? Do they obey Earth’s rules and accept Earth’s social mores, in public if not, entirely, in private?

Of course they do. They are on Earth. They take slaves, and keep slaves, but while existing upon Earth they are quite cautious about how they interact in what is (for them) a hostile environment.

Living a Gorean lifestyle is like that, I feel. One must choose cautiously how one will resist the laws and strictures of his society. When in Rome, as was once said here on Earth, one must do as the Romans do, and one must render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.

We do not do what our society prohibits us from doing. We do not break the law. That would be inviting wrath down upon ourselves from our shared Earth society, as if we needed THAT to contend with. Instead we adapt our lifestyles as we see fit, and take it as far as we can. And occasionally stretch the limits of what “vanilla” society will tolerate, just to see what happens. But when we do so, we do so wisely, and carefully, within the limits of the law.

The only two modes of ACTION which exist upon Gor, which might not be tolerated here on Earth, are murder and rape.

Murder is not tolerated on Gor, typically, either. Self-defense and the right to personal combat are allowed there, however. But even on Gor, like on Earth, one must fight only within the boundaries set by society for such things.

Rape is not tolerated on Gor, either.

And everyone gasps! How can that be?

Here’s why: because one cannot “rape” a legal slave. Not on Gor. They are not technically “people” under the eyes of the law. The only one who can be “raped” is one who is legally entitled to say “no.” In other words, a Free Woman.

What one must do, upon Earth, is simply revise the Gorean view that slaves are not people under the law, and accept that upon Earth, slaves ARE people under the law. Which the obviously are. The law has nothing to do with their bellies or their biological propensities, not here on Earth. Here, they are slaves by choice and circumstance, not under any legality which makes them so.

Therefore, we consider them to be protected under the legal blanket which protects “free women” here on Earth. We use the dictates of common sense and implied or confirmed consent to allow us carte blanche in our treatment of them, and only halt ourselves at the place where the law stops us.

I was also told, recently, the following:

“If rape of a slave on Gor is legal, and of course it is, then so is murder for the same reason. In fact, this is made clear in the books.”

This is a statement which bears further consideration. It is not that I do not agree with it; but there are other valid points to consider.

First of all, the difference between the legal crime of “rape” as we define it here on Earth versus the concept of “slave rape” as it exists upon Gor.

Upon Gor, in a strictly legal sense (as in, how Gorean Law treats such matters) the crime of “rape” (as a crime, and not as the simple usage of an owned property) does exist, and there are laws which address it. We are told by Norman that when a Free Woman is “raped” she has legal recourse (not to mention a bevy of brothers and other male relatives who might enact their own vengeance against the perpetrator of such an act).

Slaves are not protected under this point of Gorean Law, however. The rights to their usage fall under different legal structures, and are more in line with “usage of someone else’s property without due process and the obtainment of permission.” Therefore, the laws which protect slaves (as owned property) are a bit different as they pertain to the usage of a slave, whereas the laws which protect legal citizens from such an action are much more stringent.

Consent seems to be a very important part of this. A Free Woman, by consenting to such an action, opens the door to usage as if she were, indeed, a slave, or an owned property. The Gorean Laws which cover this are quite detailed, and thoroughly explore the concept of “conduct indicating suitability for enslavement.”

Upon Gor, that is.

Here on Earth, the laws which pertain to such activity are different. First of all, the state of “legal slavery” is not recognized under the law. Therefore, one must look to the laws of our shared Earth society to make judgments about what is, and is not, appropriate behavior, and one must adjust his own behavior accordingly. This seems to me to be a simple point of common sense and responsibility to the legalities under which one lives.

The Gorean laws which adjudicate “murder” are similar. They are not the same as the laws which exist upon Earth… then again, they are not that different. Upon Gor, for instance, if one draws a weapon and attacks the other, it is considered prudent for the attacked to defend himself to the fullest extent of his ability to do so. Our Earth laws agree with this. Upon Gor it is called “the right of response to a challenge.” Upon Earth it is called “self-defense.”

Again, the slaying of a legal slave, upon Gor, falls instead under property law. Here on Earth, such a thing is not in existence… people are people, under the law, and are all therefore entitled to identical protection from assault under the law.

When one understands this, and realizes that the existence of such property laws upon Gor are a result of the fact that Gor is a slave-holding culture, whereas most societies on Earth no longer support such a convention, then the actions of Goreans regarding such matters, as described in the books, begin to make sense.

Shall we therefore ignore the laws of our culture and do as the Goreans do in the books, under their own cultural laws and restrictions?

Of course not. We are not in a slave-holding culture. The legal status of slavery is no longer recognized as valid in our current society, which is not necessarily a bad thing, either, when one considers it. Earth culture has, for the most part, outgrown the legal practice of slavery, since it no longer fulfills the economic niche it once did here on Earth. Throughout most of the world it is no longer practical, due to mechanization and plentiful sources of relatively inexpensive labor in our modern milieu.

It has been suggested to me that Gor is entirely fictional, and is therefore an invented society which could never actually exist.

Not entirely true. Yes, Gor is fictional; still, most of what is depicted in the Gor books, involving the treatment and ownership of slaves and the allowance of personal combat in one’s day-to-day existence is NOT fictional. It actually existed in our Earth cultures, in various historical contexts. Nor did it cause those societies to fall apart.

Rather, such ideas and modes of behaviour were abandoned as being no longer practical due to the technological and societal changes which have since occurred here on Earth. Slavery, as a practice, was not widely considered immoral until long after it had become unnecessary. It is true, I add, that the continual cheapening of human life does have rather unpleasant consequences within the structure of any society. The fall of the Roman Empire was an excellent example… the widespread misuse of slaves, the continued reliance on owned human beings, and their mistreatment did much to shake the morality which underscored that society, weakening it.

The same can be said of our modern society (the United States being a prime example). The cheapening of human life has grown to epidemic proportions in our present society (without slavery, even… simply due to our continual media obsession with violence); not only that, but the existence of common-sense morality in our society, no longer shored up by such “outmoded” behavioural qualifiers such as honor, basic honesty, and a shared sense of responsibility, has been consigned to the backburner. Hence the strange societal lassitude in which we find ourselves nowadays.

I was also told the following:

“My point is not only is it not possible to take all aspects of Gorean society into this society, it is morally wrong to attempt to do so.”

That would depend upon one’s particular morality, of course.

Morality, like the structure of laws under which we live, is both relative and situational. Most of us maintain a series of moral dictates within which we live our lives. Some rely upon “common-sense” morality, i.e. behaving in such a way as to defend oneself while taking no unfair advantage of others. Others subscribe to a set of moral beliefs emplaced by devotion to a particular religion. However, our moral good sense is affected by the common morals of the society around us. Our morals are therefore mutable, depending upon what we have been taught by others, and what we have learned through experience.

Morality is at best an ambiguous concept, unless it has real power behind it, in which case a particular set of moral codes can be enforced upon others. This is accomplished through the application of the law.

The way it works is this: the group morality and practicality gives rise to the law; the law then forces those under it to conform to that group morality and practicality to continue to exist within that group.

Gorean morality, while similar to modern Earth morality in many respects, does deviate from current cultural and societal norms at times, particularly in the area of slave-use and slave-treatment. Then again, since upon Earth there are no longer legal slaves (in Western culture, anyway), that makes sense. Modern Earth morality has come into being outside of the loop of slave culture, and makes no provisions for such things.

I see it thusly: in our modern Earth culture, there are no slaves. The closest thing to “legal slaves” in existence in Western culture are prison convicts, those who have been stripped of their legal rights under the law, and in many cases assigned a number in place of a name. They have been so treated because they have violated the law and have therefore surrendered their freedom under that law, and have come under the direct 24/7 control of the state.

This state of being, to the Gorean, is similar in many respects to slavery.

Therefore, would any Gorean Free Man or Free Woman actively behave in such a manner as to invite enslavement? Nope. It is antithetical to their existence. Goreans love their freedom. They love it so much, in fact, that they will even take it away from those whom they do not feel have earned it, or deserve it.

As one who practices the Gorean philosophy in his doings, I would never do anything foolish which might inadvertently result in my reduction to slavery… i.e. my loss of freedom and surrender of my legal rights to the state. Therefore, I would be quite cautious when it comes to doing anything which might result in my enslavement… i.e. my entering the penal system as a legally imbonded prisoner.

Morals, like laws, are made by the culture in which one lives. It is our responsibility to behave in such a way that we do not remove ourselves from that society. If we cannot live within the parameters of the laws of our society, we should leave that society and go elsewhere.

Morals are also rather ambiguous, as I said above, and are subject to change. My morals, were I too live upon Gor, or within ancient Greek or Roman society, might be much different. In any case, even if my personal moral codes did not match those officially recognized by the state, my behavior would be expected to conform to what is required of me by my society. Not my personal morals… but my behavior.

For any interested, my own moral codes insist that the act of enslaving a human being (I mean REALLY enslaving them, as in, capturing them and chaining them to a bench with an oar in their hand) to force them to do or to be something which they are not, is often morally wrong and therefore incorrect. The Goreans feel the same, for the most part; it is simply that they must deal with the fact that, upon Gor, the weak are often subjugated by the strong and forced into such bondage. The immorality of this practice is not an issue with them. We might as well say it is an immoral act to drive a car and pollute the environment; immoral or not, it is not something which can be halted, currently, due to practical considerations.

Now, the act of forcing another human being to be something which they ARE, without a shadow of a doubt, is much more acceptable to me. Kicking a lousy basketball player off the team, for instance. Or arresting a criminal that they might be judged. Or even recognizing that a female who is not willing to actually behave as a slave, to Free Men, is NOT worthy of being called such and kicking her ass back out into the morass of the “almosts” and “half-ways.”

And if someone proves to me, through their actions, that they are willing to walk the difficult path of voluntary slavery, simply because it is what they ARE, then it seems immoral to me to deny them that opportunity.

I feel It is good that we live in a modern society which, though it does not allow legal slavery, DOES allow for the practice of voluntary slavery provided it does not violate the law. This is a good state of affairs for any self-proclaimed slaves out there, allowing all of us to have our cake and to eat it, too.

I am not a self-proclaimed slave. But I do know several such individuals, and they actually do exist. It makes sense that they be allowed to be what they are, and what fulfills them, simply because it makes them more well-adjusted and better able to contribute to their interpersonal relationships in a manner which is more efficient and pleasant for all concerned.

Their “slavery” would be much different upon Gor… or maybe not. Gorean morality accepts the need to assimilate involuntary slaves into the slave system there, as a matter of practicality. Here upon Earth, where our society does not support this, it simply means that there are no “involuntary slaves” here, and therefore all who enter “enslavement” of their own free will do so because they have chosen to do so. And Norman repeatedly tells us that the best, most devoted, and usually the most well-treated slaves are those who find personal fulfillment in their position upon a Master’s chain.

Why anyone would ASK to be enslaved then complain vehemently when they are treated as if they are slaves, remains a mystery to me. Perhaps they are not really slaves at all, and simply crave attention?

In any case… morality varies. Responsibility to one’s society does not. Since none of us can pack our bags and move to Gor, we all must do what we can to live as fulfilled Goreans in our current (and only) society and remain within its strictures in body if not in mind.

Too easy, if you ask me.

I wish you well,

_Marcus_

Copyright © 2001, _Marcus_ of Ar. All rights reserved.

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Written by well known Gorean philosopher Marcus of AR

Tal, citizens.

We spend a lot of time saying “we hold these Gorean truths to be self-evident,” and if pressed, we fall back on “it’s all in the books.”

We’ve been accused, through the years, of failing to support our conclusions. Hell, I’ve lately even read supposedly “Gorean Essays” that are nothing less than apologetic whinge-screeds in which the author jibber-jabbers around Norman’s writing, desperately trying to explain how those ol’ Goreans really aren’t so bad, and how Norman’s comments on sex and gender issues– especially female slavery– were actually intended as a joke on the feminists of the 1970’s! Oh, John Norman, you wacky humorist, you, with your funny-ass brands and five-stranded kurts!

That’s so much bullshit, folks. Our extrapolated Gorean beliefs are based DIRECTLY AND SPECIFICALLY on John Norman’s Gor books. We added nothing to Norman’s arguments which wasn’t already there. We didn’t soften it, or try to explain away the scary parts, or any such thing. Whenever I wrote on the topic of Gorean thought or the Gorean ethos, I remained 100% pure and true to Norman’s own commentaries in the books.

People who actually refuse to believe Norman’s arguments don’t like to hear that, and would rather Norman’s comments be far more damning (in the case of his critics) or far more politically-correct (in the case of his would-be apologists).

Too, there is a lot of unnecessary smoke generated by misinterpretations, willful or not, of what Norman is saying and what it means. Especially in online circles, or among little lifestyle BDSM spin-off cliques who are desperate to alter John Norman’s message to better fit their own kinky play-parties.

But the truth is:

We never added anything to Norman’s message. We didn’t HAVE to reinterpret it. Because he spells it out absolutely and rather incontrovertibly through his writing.

What follows is an example of pure Norman, taken verbatim from my personal favorite Gor book, “Hunters of Gor”:

The Goreans do not believe, incidentally, that the human being is a simple function of the independent variables of his environment. They have never endorsed the “hollow body” theory of human beings, in which a human being is regarded as being essentially a product of externalities. They recognize the human being has a genetic endowment which may not be, scientifically, canceled out in favor of the predilection of theories developed by men incompetent in physiology. For example, it would not occur to a Gorean to speak of the “role” of a female sparrow feeding her young or the “role” of a lion in providing meat for its cubs. Goreans do not see the world in terms of metaphors taken from the artificiality of the theater. It is certain, of course, that certain genetic endowments have been selected by environmental considerations, and, in this sense, the environment is a significant factor. The teeth of the lion have had much to do with the fleetness of the antelopes.

Hunters of Gor, p.500

In Gorean thinking man and woman are natural animals, with genetic endowments shaped by thousands of generations of natural and sexual selection. Their actions and behavior, thus, though not independent of certain long-range environmental and sexual relationships, cannot be understood in terms of mere responses to the immediately present environment. The immediate environment determines what behavior will be successful, not what behavior is performed. Woman, like man, is the product of evolution, and, like man, is a complex genetic product, a product not only of natural selections but sexual selections.

Natural selections suggest that a woman who wished to belong to a man, who wished to remain with him, who wished to have children, who wished to care for them, who loved them, would have an advantage, in the long run, as far as her genetic type was concerned, of surviving, over a woman who did not care for men, who did not wish children, and so on. Female freedom, of a full sort, would not have been biologically practical.

The loving mother is a type favored by evolution. It is natural then that in modern women certain instincts should be felt. The sparrow does not feed her young because society has fooled her into playing that exploitative role. Similarly, sexual selection, as well as natural selection, is a significant dynamic of evolution, without which it is less comprehensible.

Men, being stronger, have had, generally, the option of deciding on women that please them. If women had been stronger, as in the spiders, for example, we might have a different race.

It is not unlikely that men, over the generations, have selected out for breeding, for marriage, women of certain sorts. Doubtless women are much more beautiful now than a hundred generations ago. Similarly a woman who was particularly ugly, threatening, vicious, stupid, cruel, etc., would not be a desirable mate.

No man can be blamed for not wishing to make his life miserable. Accordingly, statistically, he tends to select out women who are intelligent, loving and beautiful. Accordingly, men have, in effect, bred a certain kind of woman. Similarly, of course, in so far as choice has been theirs, women have tended to select out men who are, among other things, intelligent, energetic and strong. Few women, in their hearts, despite propaganda, really desire weak, feminine men. Such men, at any rate, are not those who figure in their sexual fantasies.

Norman tells us– “The Goreans do not believe…” and then explains precisely WHAT they do not believe. Then he tells us what they DO believe.

There is no mystery here. It is all spelled out in black and white. Norman does it paragraph after paragraph, for page after page, book after book after book.

He TELLS US WHAT THE GOREANS BELIEVE.

And we agree, and we also believe it.

Because WE’RE “the Goreans.”

Similar passages to the one above can be found to back up every single Gorean philosophical point and essay comment I’ve ever written.

How anyone could misinterpret what Norman is saying– even if they were already predisposed to do so– strikes me as being hypocritical to the point of idiocy.

It’s all in there, folks. If someone pronounces themselves Gorean but then professes a diametrically opposed point of view, or if they claim they cannot figure out what Norman is trying to say no matter how hard they try– they are either morons, or they are lying through their non-Gorean teeth.

I wish you well!

_Marcus_

Copyright © Marcus of Ar, All rights reserved.

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GOREAN FEMINISM By _Marcus_ of Ar

Written in 1996, last reviewed in 2006

As far as feminism goes… I have no problem with it.

I have no problem with anything that advocates gain or awards based on meritocracy. So long as it’s both logical, and fair.

The purpose of Gorean Philosophy is to make people free and great. So naturally I support things that do that.

I only have a problem with the way the feminist movement was hijacked by hyper-reactionary second stage gender feminists in the late 1960’s and 1970’s, until the professed public agenda of the feminist movement began to damage both the feminist cause, and to push a severely misandrist point of view.

Apparently I’m not alone. The rabid gender-feminists have lost most of their political influence in the past few decades, due no doubt to their insistence that society be deconstructed and rebuilt minus the existence of males. Or with legal controls over males so draconian that no one in their right mind would accede to them.

If one rejects the definition of “feminist” as being “one who supports militant radical feminist dogma” and instead takes the word to mean “one who is devoted to the best interests of females” then that word can even apply to Gorean females, in the correct context.

There are Gorean feminists– free Gorean women who strive ceaselessly to improve the health and well being of women within their society.

There are even Gorean slave feminists– self-enslaved Gorean women who strive ceaselessly to improve the health and well being of women in their society, whenever and however they can. In a way, having the courage to stand up to Earth-based social codes and insisting upon being allowed the choice of female service is PURELY feminist. It is a conscious attempt by a woman to throw off the yoke of societal oppression in exchange for obligations of her own choosing, in service to what she perceives as her own psychological and biological needs.

I’m a huge fan of women, frankly. I want them to succeed and grow better, stronger, smarter, and happier according to their abilities and desires.

I’m just not a fan of lies, or of lying. I don’t think some facts can be wished or ignored away. And I think any attempt to repress or damage one sex in order to enact artificial counter-measures to serve the other sex is a huge exercise in idiocy.

Marlenus can physically conquer and emotionally enslave Verna. But he loves her too much to take her freedom away.

The Gorean High Cities are full of Gorean men who similarly love their Free Companions and wouldn’t ever subject them to the bonds of slavery.

The Gorean High Cities are also full of women who have chosen, or whom circumstances have compelled, to accept a life of female service to men… and especially to the men they love.

Goreans just don’t understand the concept of a “war between the sexes.” Because they know how incredibly stupid that would be.

I feel the same. Let women be great and magnificent and fantastic. Let them be the best women they can naturally be.

Just so long as I’m not forced to accept a load of pretence about what is automatically owed to anyone.

Nothing is automatically owed to anyone. Everything should be earned, or deserved.

That’s a Gorean truism.

How does this all fit into the Gorean ethos?

Well… most girls can’t beat me at armwrestling.

Trust me: they can’t. I bench press close to three hundred pounds. That’s not a brag; just a fact. And I’m no power lifter.

So, if they were to tell me that I must pretend I am weaker than them… I refuse to buy into it.

If they accuse me of being a male chauvinist pig because I will not allow them to beat me at armwrestling– I still won’t.

If they lobby Congress and pass a law that says I must allow them to beat me at armwrestling or else go to jail– I’m going to jail.

Because for me to do otherwise would be a lie. Period. And such lies are the antithesis of Gorean existence.

We live in a patriarchal society because all recorded societies since the advent of written records have been patriarchal. Because patriarchal societies are those based upon rule and social maintenance by a warrior upper class. There have been societies in which women ran things– but always with the cooperation of, and according to the strict acceptance of, the males. Societies wherein the warrior males were not happy with females in positions of authority did not have females in those positions for long.

But men will do a lot of things for women. Because we like women. We love our mothers, typically, very much. We don’t usually want bad things to happen to our sisters, either.

Gorean men are no different.

They KILL men who come from other cities to injure and abduct their women. Instantly, and without hesitation.

But the direct control that women have over their position in society is directly based upon how much control they are allowed to have, by the men of their society. Laws to protect and defend women are passed by a 90% male Congress only with the support and final vote of the majority males in that body– in ALL such bodies. Those laws are then enforced by a police force that is comprised of 90% men. In a society where the active, on-the-ground fighting military is– you guessed it– overwhelmingly made up of men.

If there were a war between the sexes, women would not win.

In order to coexist effectively with the men in this world, the women in this world must gain the confidence, the support, and the affection of their men. Or to put it in Gorean terminology– they must be pleasing.

Men are quite willing to take part in this process, I add. Because at its heart, human sexual selection is still based upon female choice at the involuntary biological level. Women choose men, and men compete for women.

None of this is a mystery. Nor can it be reasonably denied.

So if someone tells me that I’ve got it all wrong– that there is some invisible power in the sky, or whatever, that wishes for me to pretend that there is actually no difference between men and women, and that I must subscribe to a farcical belief in universal “identicality”– I refuse to do so.

Because Goreans don’t buy into that. All of the TV commercials and Public Service Announcements and oddly-skewed procedural laws and ordinances in the world can’t force me to believe what I know to be false.

Sorry, gender-feminists. I won’t step into that cage. And you can’t make me.

But there’s a lot of misinterpretation of Gorean Philosophy going on out there. Some people just can’t get past the whips and chains, I suppose. I wonder how any of them ever managed to sit through an episode of the HBO series “Rome” without fainting dead away.

The Gorean Ethos is NOT about “abusing” someone, or “misusing” someone.

It’s about people and things being put to their PROPER use. Fulfilling their ultimate potential.

The object of Gorean Philosophy isn’t to enable weak men to step on the necks of their women and crush them into the dirt.

The object of Gorean Philosophy is to allow strong men to be just as powerful and capable as they can be, without artificial limitations, so that their women will willingly and joyfully serve and help them, and exult in being the unrestrained focus of their love.

Don’t our critics pay attention to the endings of the various Gor books at all?

When the self-submitted slave at the end of a Gor book expresses the depths of her love for her paramour, and he threatens to free her– why does she refuse? Well… why would she WANT to be let go, or have his hold on her lessened or diminished?

Other such girls ARE given freedom, and happily accept it, because it is a necessary ingredient for them to be who and what THEY are in relation to their Man.

Others are held in the strictest love bondage, so they might flourish in their own best way.

This is the freedom of the heart– the ultimate expression of ones innermost sexual and biological yearnings. It is love and devotion between the male and the female taken to the point of ownership.

That’s what Gor is all about. Men being allowed to be what they are, and women being given the same opportunity, unfettered by artificial conventions or counter-instinctual dogmas.

I wish you well,

Marcus

Copyright © 2006, 2002, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, _Marcus_ of Ar. All rights reserved.

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Written by Marcus of Ar in 1996

by _Marcus_ of Ar

WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF GOR?

That is a difficult question to answer; there are as many philosophies upon Gor as there are people to embrace them. Rather than ask what is the philosophy of Gor, perhaps it is better to examine ALL of the philosophies of Gor, and try to discover the unifying factors which they have in common. These, then, are the basic tenets upon which Gorean philosophy is based.

Throughout the 25 books which make up the chronicles of the Counter-Earth, certain principles and beliefs are often repeated, which the narrator proclaims are widely held by Goreans in general.

I have selected several of these, the principles which in my opinion seem to be the foundation for the basic Gorean system of ethics:

1) Be WHAT you are: Similar in many respects to a tenet set forth by the Earth philosopher Marcus Aurelius; namely that each thing which exists possesses its own unique singularity. When a thing attempts to be something it is not, problems arise. A man is a man; a woman is a woman; a tree is a tree; a flower is a flower. To the Gorean mind, it is foolish for anything to assume the properties of another thing.Therefore, each person is required to understand his or her basic nature, and to abide by it. According to such a tenet, therefore, it is assumed that there are needs, desires and activities which are specifically masculine, and those which are specifically feminine. Though the lines may blur at times, when all things are reduced to their basic forms, each thing is appreciated and celebrated for its own uniqueness, and is not forced to assume properties of another, different, thing.

2) Be WHO you are: This tenet applies in regard to a person’s existence in society and the caste structure. It takes into account the fact that everyone possesses certain talents and abilities from birth, regardless of their familial caste. Therefore, upon Gor a person is free to alter or raise his or her caste on the basis of ability, though it is rarely done, since most Goreans value their familial caste as a badge of their clan identity. But the above principle also applies in regard to freedom and slavery. To the Gorean mindset, each person is born with a desire for freedom, and an innate slave nature. A person’s proper place in society is dependant upon how these two factors are balanced within the personality of that particular Gorean. Most Goreans believe that anyone who has within them a burning desire to exist free of strictures will not suffer slavery, dying rather than submitting to bonditude. A person who has within them a strong slave nature, the desire to be controlled and commanded, will eventually succumb to their inner need to serve others, free of all responsibility to things other than themselves and their service.

3) Obey the Natural Order of things: This tenet applies to the way Goreans view the world around them. They feel it is futile to attempt to disregard the effect of hundreds of generations of evolution. If a creature is naturally genetically equipped to fulfill a specific function in relation to another, then it is considered fitting and proper that such a creature be allowed to do so, even when such natural predisposition might result in stratification. In regards to human beings, it is understood that stronger, more intelligent, and more ambitious human beings will naturally assume a higher social strata in regards to their interaction with the less strong, less intelligent, and less ambitious. In regard to male/female sexual relations, it is therefore the right of the male, who is genetically predisposed for physical dominance, to control the physical aspects of his relationship to the female. In return, he is expected to behave as the hunter/provider, seeing to the protection of the female to insure the propagation of the race. Females, meanwhile, who tend to be smaller and less physically powerful, are expected to respect the biological truths of their lesser physical stature, while making the most of their genetic predisposition to serve and aid the male, and utilizing their superior emotional empathy and long-term endurance to do so while surviving and advancing the species. Not all women, therefore, are slaves, though the female sex is often referred to by males as “the slave sex.” Gorean females are simply expected to respect and understand that they are less able in areas requiring raw physical strength than their male counterparts, and adjust their behavior accordingly. When one considers the fact that personal combat to the death is a daily occurrence throughout Gor, such behavior among Gorean women is a wise practice to say the least.

4) Advancement of the Strong: This tenet is similar to that described above; it simply refers to the common Gorean belief that strength, whether it is physical strength, mental strength, or strength of will, should be celebrated and set forth as an example. In this way the Gorean feels he advances the human race, adding to its chances for survival and continued existence.

5) Diminishment of the Causes of Weakness: This principle acts as the inverse to the tenet described above. In order that the human species may grow stronger, it is necessary that the weaker and lesser adaptive elements of Gorean society be carefully controlled and encouraged to grow in strength and adaptability. Anti-social elements are to be excised from society through restriction of citizenship, or confined and rehabilitated. Warfare and enforced captivity are two methods by which this last end is accomplished upon the surface of the planet Gor.

6) Do what you will: This is one of the key principles to Gorean philosophy; basically, it means that every Gorean is expected to strive within the limits of his or her existence to achieve self-fulfillment and lasting happiness. A Warrior may draw his sword and lead an army to conquer a city, if he is strong enough and fit enough to do so. A free woman may attempt to contract a profitable companionship or to build a financial empire, if she is strong enough and clever enough. Even a slave is expected to seek her deepest self-fulfillment within the bonds of her Master’s chains. In such a manner, each Gorean is expected to strive and achieve something for the collective Gorean society, and struggle to attain perfection within the structure of that society. To the Gorean mind, there are always possibilities for advancement no matter what the situation.

7) Responsibility for One’s Actions: This tenet is based upon the Gorean concept of basic “cause and effect.” It is through the practice of this principle that the rest of the tenets listed above make sense, and function. This is the belief that everyone, no matter how great or humble, chooses the course of his or her destiny. When a warrior draws his sword, he can expect to suffer the consequences. When a Gorean submits to the bonds of slavery, he or she is expected to acknowledge and accept what occurs afterward. In such a way every choice made by every single Gorean is inextricably bound together with the choices of his or her fellow Goreans in a great interlinking web of cause and effect, a massive net of fate which moves the race forward into the future like an unstoppable juggernaut. Do whatever you want to, but expect it to effect you, either for good or ill. You are responsible for yourself.

Excuses are futile and no one wants to hear them anyway. If you screw up, take your medicine, deal with the situation and move on to the next thing. The basic rules and maxims of the various caste codes and the fundamental principles of Gorean interaction seem to be based mostly upon this concept; this, in effect, is the explanation for Gorean “cruelty.” Goreans are not cruel, they are practical. “That which does not kill them makes them stronger,” to paraphrase from Nietzsche.

If you wear the collar of a slave, look like a slave, act like a slave, and do not either fight your way to freedom or die in the attempt, then you must really be one. In any case, you most probably were free at one point… so what happened? You either needed to be a slave, were too weak to stay free, or screwed up really badly somewhere along the way. Whatever the case, deal with it. Life is not fair, and most Goreans are far to practical to try to make it so. Life sucks. If you get hit on the head, don’t waste time crying about it… accept it and next time wear a helmet.

8) Stratification by Natural Process: Superior strength– be it strength of will, strength of body, or strength of mind– will tend naturally to manifest itself among ordered human groupings. Even particulars such as sexual gender do not universally define how matters of strength are involved in the stratification process. Anyone who is stronger will naturally assume a position of dominance, be it mental or physical, over those weaker or less willing to match themselves in human dominance struggles. Therefore, it is categorically incorrect to assign presumed dominance or blanket superiority over anyone, or any one grouping, within the human condition, since these matters tend to be somewhat situational. While human beings are defined to a great extent by their sex, there is no “dominance gene” nor is there any “submission gene.” There are only combinations of heritable genes, each of which will render the individual more prone to certain behaviors than others. These genetic leanings can be circumvented, though typically the act of doing so is costly, both to the individual involved and to the system in which he or she functions.

The final tenet, listed above, has only one interpretation: if anyone, be they male or female, possesses the ability to dominate others, he or she will naturally tend to do so when the opportunity presents itself, even against his or her preexistent genetic propensities. It is when the dominance factor clashes with the biologically engrained sexual selection pressures, and circumvents preprogrammed sexual-based survival behaviors, that the human being becomes, to paraphrase Norman, “a mass of conflicting drives and emotions, more prone to heightened mental stress, physical illness, psychological disease and a substantially shortened lifespan.”

Gorean philosophy is, in many cases, a zero-sum equation. A Gorean must look within himself for the strength to contain his emotions, so that he may see with objectivity what is needed and required to bolster the Gorean philosophies and maintain his honor through positive action.

This, then, is my perception of basic Gorean philosophy. It may not seem fair to you, or perhaps even make much sense from your particular point of view, but I doubt most Goreans care. They have little time for debate, as they are too busy living.

To paraphrase the words of a well known Gorean author: An Earthling might very well examine the principles of Gorean philosophy and ask the question: “Why so hard?”

A Gorean would probably shrug, examine the principles of modern Earth philosophy, and answer with the question: “Why so soft?”

Of course, that’s just an opinion. I could be wrong.

_Marcus_

Original copyright © 1996, Marcus of Ar. All Rights Reserved.

Revised, copyright © 2002, Marcus of Ar. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.silkandsteel.com/3k/marcphil.htm

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