1) THE THREE ESSENTIAL GOREAN VIRTUES

Their names, and more importantly, their correct Gorean definitions:

Strength:

The state, property, or quality of being strong. Capacity or potential for effective action.

Integrity:

The state of being unimpaired. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

Vigor:

Enthusiasm or intensity. Capacity for natural growth and survival.

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2) THE FIRST UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE OF GOREAN PERCEPTION

“The Acknowledgement of Difference”:

The understanding and acceptance that all human beings are not inherently identical in form or function, nor is it logical that they be expected to be so.

 

3) THE GOREAN ARGUMENT

3a) Men and women are not identical. In fact, the two sexes are almost completely different in every way. They look different, think different, act different, feel different, and respond to two completely different emotional response-systems. Each sex has its own preprogrammed agenda, its own requirements for personal fulfillment, and its own methods of communicating. This difference between the two sexes has its roots in the basic biology of the human race, a biology which has been shaped through evolution to predispose each sex toward certain behavior and emotional conditions. According to Norman (and medical science), no single cell of a male’s body is identical to any single cell of a female’s body (except for small quantities of clear serum).

3b) Human males are biologically predisposed toward physical dominance over human females, who are, on the average, physically smaller and less strong than their male counterparts.

3c) The process of evolution has naturally selected for strong, competitive males and females who were both desirable to such men, and who were in turn attracted to such men.

3d) The vestiges of countless millenia of this selection process still exist within each of us, and we are all therefore subject to emotional needs and instinctive drives which our present society does not provide for.

3e) Since males and females all seem to be subject to certain drives and needs which were bred into them during a period of time when women were effectively within the physical power of men, doesn’t it make sense that if that situation were recreated somehow, then the two sexes might attain a specific degree of fulfillment which would otherwise be denied to them? Wouldn’t they then be accepting a part of their own inherent nature rather than denying it?

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4) THE TEN IRREFUTABLE DICTA OF THE GOREAN PHILOSOPHY

The following is a list of the ten primary dicta, or explanatory statements, of the “Gorean Philosophy,” as I see it. You will note there is no reference to the practice of slavery among them. That is because the practice of slavery is not a primary pillar of the Gorean philosophy; rather it is a social practice which has come into being on Gor as a result of specific technological limitations, Gorean economic imperatives, and the persistent adherence of Goreans to the basic concepts explained below.

Nor is the word “honor” used. That is because honor is also a concept and practice which has developed among the Goreans as a result of the application of the dicta below, notably the fifth and sixth dictums.

I add that, to the typical inhabitant of the world of Gor, the concepts expressed below would be so self-evident they wouldn’t even bother to name or define them at all. They would simply practice them, as the Gor books tell us they do. The “Ten Dicta” below have been compiled purely for the benefit of the inhabitants of Earth, who, bereft of the supporting mechanism of Gorean society, are left to fumble through the murky landscape of Earth, attempting to find such rules and concepts to use as guideposts as they attempt to glean the truths of Gorean existence for themselves.

Please note that accepting these dicta do not automatically make one “Gorean.” There are, undoubtedly, quite a few people out there who do accept these concepts in some way, shape or form, who have never even heard of “Gor” and who have no idea that the Gorean Philosophy even exists. Also, one might embrace these dicta while refusing to acknowledge the other elements which combine to comprise the Gorean Philosophy in its entirety, in which case, again, one is not getting the whole picture. However, in my opinion, the refusal to accept and embrace the dicta listed below DO make a person absolutely NOT Gorean.

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So, if one wishes to be Gorean, or to understand what it means to be Gorean, one might do well to examine the ideas expressed below and decide whether or not one agrees with them.

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All of the concepts below, with the exception of the tenth, are distilled almost directly from the words of Tarl Cabot, in his description of the manner in which Goreans think. The tenth one is simply and categorically self-evident.

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The First Dictum

We are all creatures formed from nature, and are therefore subject to the truths of what it has made of us. This cannot be denied.

The Second Dictum

We are all part of our world, and the natural forces which made it. We are not apart from it, nor are we above it, nor can we deny its power over us. It is folly to attempt to change what cannot be changed, or to refuse to acknowledge the power which nature has over us. This cannot be denied.

The Third Dictum

The two sexes, male and female, are equal parts of the same great whole which is the human race. Equal, but separate, each bound to perform the function which it has evolved into through the course of time. This cannot be denied.

The Fourth Dictum

The greatest division which exists between human beings is the division of sex. Race, creed, nationality… all pale to insignificance when compared to the difference between the two sexes. This cannot be denied.

The Fifth Dictum

The highest devotion is the devotion to truth. The most beneficial acceptance is the acceptance of what is true. The most foolish and damaging act one can perform is the denial of what is true. Such denial is the wellspring from which the ravages of discontent emerge. This cannot be denied.

The Sixth Dictum

Conflict, argument, and clannishness are all fundamental parts of our human nature. Left to their own devices, such things result in stagnation and destruction. But when understood and harnessed in the service of the greater good, they can be a positive force for personal growth and development. This cannot be denied.

The Seventh Dictum

In matters of physical strength, the human male is naturally equipped by nature to function at a higher level of efficiency than the human female. In matters of emotional sensitivity and the innate desire to care for and nurture those she loves, the human female is naturally equipped by nature to function at a higher level of efficiency than the human male. The human male is programmed to protect and direct his female counterparts. The human female is programmed to aid and care for her male counterparts. The members of each sex are more fulfilled when they accept their own nature, rather than denying it. This cannot be denied.

The Eighth Dictum

All creatures will naturally behave according to their inherent nature. To do otherwise is the first step toward emotional and biological suicide. This cannot be denied.

The Ninth Dictum

Human society, like the natural order, will naturally structure itself along certain lines of precedence. The stronger and more able elements of human society will naturally rise to a position of superiority over the less dominant elements of society. The protectors and providers will naturally protect and provide, and the nurturers and care givers will naturally nurture and give care. Any artificial manipulation of the natural structure of a society, which is not according to its natural propensities, will eventually result in a society which is far less efficient and fulfilling than its natural counterpart. This cannot be denied.

The Tenth Dictum

The Gorean societal model is based upon specific guidelines set forth by John Norman in the books which he authored regarding the fictional planet Gor. Unless it conforms to, or agrees with, those basic guidelines, a thing cannot be considered “Gorean” in any sense of the word. This cannot be denied.

 

5) THE GOREAN THEORY

The Gorean Theory is the belief that modern Homo Sapiens has inherited certain genetic propensities from the ancestral past, and that these genetic propensities still actively manifest themselves in numerous areas of human behavior, often in direct opposition to cultural restrictions and behavioral management systems which fail to take them into account. These propensities translate into behaviors which result in a certain measurable cause and effect relationship in regards to many elements of human interaction, notably male/male competition behaviors and both male and female sexual reproductive strategies.

Ergo, by gaining a greater understanding of those genetic propensities and by acting, where possible, in a manner through which those propensities are fulfilled rather than repressed, one might reasonably expect to reduce stress-causing confusion issues in one’s life and live in a more fulfilled and personally satisfactory manner.

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6) THE GOREAN PHILOSOPHY

The Gor books are an excellent source work which details a rather broad philosophical spectrum, but despite vehement debates regarding what it comprises, the message inherent in those books still seems to me to be a rather basic one. It might be broken down to the following statement:

Know who you are, be what you are, and do not be afraid to acknowledge what makes you tick. Strive to work with nature, rather than against it. Be proud of your accomplishments, work to improve yourself and to serve the citizens of your polis, and live boldly, with no regrets and as little guilt and insecurity as possible. And above all, acknowledge your weaknesses as well as your strengths, whether those weaknesses are based on either a physical or emotional plane. In other words, admit what you are, and simply be it to the best of your ability.

This basic philosophy is repeatedly hammered home, throughout the Gor series, through Norman’s descriptions of how Goreans think, how they behave, and their justification for their actions. Their very society, with its included caste system, seems structured to support this series of core beliefs. Even their many proverbs and aphorisms, such as “A man in his heart yearns for freedom, a woman in her belly yearns for love” and “Be strong and do as you will. The swords of others will set you your limits” extoll the virtues of a deeper understanding of one’s own natural place in the scheme of things, while encouraging boldness of action. The Goreans also believe that “A man is not a man who cannot think. But neither is he who can only think.” Goreans think for themselves, yet they do not confine themselves to mere mental pursuits: they act upon what they know. Goreans display their emotions openly and with the simple phrase “I did it because it pleased me to do so” they disdain the need for guilty excuses. Such Gorean behaviors, and a thousand others like them, reinforce their insistence upon the acceptance of one’s internal nature in microcosm, and the acknowledgement of the dictates of external nature in macrocosm.

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Gorean Philosophy also proposes the following behaviors as being inherently correct beneath its aegis:

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.

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 responsibilty to things other than themselves and their service.

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 natural propensity of the male, who is genetically predisposed for physical dominance, to control certain 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 Gorean 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 occurance throughout Gor, such behavior among Gorean women is a wise practice to say the least.

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.

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.

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.

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 honor 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.

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 ingrained sexual selection behaviors, 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.

 

7) IDEAL QUALITIES IN A GOREAN MALE

Below are a few which immediately come to mind.

You will note that the intricacies of “morality” are left entirely out of the picture, as well they should be. “Morality” is dependent upon cultural rules and religious beliefs, whereas the ideal character of the consummate Gorean male seems to be found across all Gorean cultures and walks of life.

Therefore, according to the list below, both Tarl Cabot (hero to millions) and Surbus (nasty murdering pirate from book 6) fit the bill of the consummate Gorean male archtype equally.

Which seems to me to be an indication that one does not have to be “a nice guy” to be Gorean. In fact, one can even be a total brute, hated and despised by others. Whether or not one is a pleasant fellow to hang out with is something that is determined after the fact; one qualifies for Gorean male FIRST, before any such decision is rendered.

Here is my personal list, in no particular order:

Strength, both physical and mental.

Intelligence.

Adaptibility.

Tenaciousness.

Courage.

Honesty.

Endurance, both physical and mental.

Understanding of the natural order of things, as he sees it.

Willingness to maintain the natural order of things, as he sees it.

Self-sacrifice in order to maintain the natural order of things, as he sees it.

Suspicion towards what is alien; replaced over time with devotion to what has proved itself worthy to be included within his lexicon and world view.

Pragmatism, and willingness to accept the truth despite his personal agenda.

An overall love of life, and willingness to rush headlong into the living of it, draining each moment to its dregs, making no excuses and being the consummate male in all respects.

The refusal to bow before anyone or anything which is weaker than he.

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