The Moral Equivalent of War

From: ANDOVER_at_delphi.com
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 1995 11:01:23 -0500 (EST)


Martin Crim and David Dunham are touching upon one of the basic problems of human interaction, best expressed by William James in that wonderful phrase "the moral equivalent of war." Liberal politicians are always trying to invoke that moral equivalent, because they imagine, at the least, that it would bring the kind of solidarity and all-for-oneness that they are looking for. The problem is that there is NO moral equivalent of war. Now role-players, like liberals, are looking for something non-violent that will engage their players as fully as the risk of life and limb. My guess is that the quest is equally futile.
I can't tell you how many carefully crafted scenarios with all kinds of engaging details
ail to engage a group of players the way the one hack-and- slash incident (even a random encounter) along the way does. Other forms of competition (the role-playing equivalent of sports) come closer than anything else, of course.
But there is a reason that the vast majority of RPG scenarios involve violence; it works, and it engages the players. Pious speeches about "better ways" seem to be a required commonplace for discussions, and have about as much effect on reality as a Jimmy Carter speech. Jim Chapin

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