Philosophical Analysis of Vivec's 36 Lessons in Morrowind: Postmodern Heroism and Existentialism
Summary:
This video delves into the philosophical underpinnings of Vivec's 36 Lessons from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, framing Vivec as a figure representing postmodern heroism and existentialism. The video introduces Vivec, depicted visually as a half-golden, half-blue deity, setting the stage for his complex nature.
- Vivec's Paradoxical Divinity: Vivec is presented as a "born god," contrasting sharply with classical and Christian transcendent deities, and even with traditional pagan gods who gain immortality through myth. His nature is a blend of warrior, poet, god, liar, lover, and murderer.
- Rejection of Established Truths: Vivec challenges the classical philosophical pursuit of eternal forms and inherent goodness (Plato, Aristotle). He views existing gods as "liars" and "lost roots," asserting his own will as the source of truth, aligning with Nietzsche's "will to power" and Sartrean existentialism.
- Self-Creation and Moral Ambiguity: Vivec promotes transcending traditional moral distinctions, creating a realm where actions like deceit and murder can be justified as "good poetry." He positions himself as the arbiter of meaning and the context for reality.
- Concealed Messages and Human Agency: The video reveals hidden messages within Vivec's sermons, such as "Foul Murder," admitting his non-divine birth and his violent ascent to godhood through free will. This underscores the idea that identity is a self-told story, discoverable and created by individual will, rather than being passively received.
Introduction to Vivec and his Paradoxical Nature [1:26] [1:08]
- The video frames Vivec from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind as a figure embodying postmodern heroism. [1:26]
- Vivec is described as a warrior-poet, god-king, liar, lover, murderer, and potentially a midwife to his own mother, representing a figure that defies sane cosmology. [1:45]
- His esoteric and poetic ramblings, however, lead to philosophical conclusions similar to secular postmodern existentialists in our world. [1:31]
- The discussion will analyze selected themes from Vivec's 36 Sermons, rather than a deep dive into each one, to pull out overarching philosophical ideas. [2:07]
Vivec's Break from Classical and Christian Theologies [2:54]
- Lesson 1: The Born God [2:54]
- Vivec's birth is presented as a paradox, highlighting that he is not a transcendent, eternal God like the "I Am That I Am" of Christian tradition. [3:00]
- This breaks from the classical mind, which directs worship and understanding towards eternal, unchanging forms (Plato) or an unmoved mover (Aristotle). [3:40]
- Plato believed in a God (the great craftsman) who implemented perfect forms onto chaotic matter, and humans, with rational souls, should strive towards these eternal forms. [3:50]
- Aristotle conceived of an unmoved mover, a God who supplies the world with motion, with the cosmos eternally imitating this divine goodness. [4:30]
- Vivec also differs from classical paganism, where even born gods participate in the timelessness of myth, gaining a semblance of eternal reality. [5:13]
- Vivec, conversely, is an "evolutionary, Darwinian God" or a "Sartrean God" who emerges from the chaos of temporality. [5:42]
- His divinity is advanced by seizing the heart of Lorkhan, representing a Promethean attempt to usurp divine power. [5:59]
- This can be seen as a Nietzschean/Zarathustrian attempt to transcend supposed artificial limitations and become one's own God, moving beyond traditional categories of good and evil. [6:12]
The Postmodern Heroism of Vivec [6:45]
- Moral Ambiguity and Self-Creation [6:45]
- Vivec operates in a realm of moral ambiguity, above the "limiting distinctions of petty mortals," which allows for various actions like deceit, betrayal, and murder, as long as they serve "good poetry." [6:55]
- Lesson 31: Rejecting Equilibrium and Embracing Will [7:06]
- Vivec states he learned to control himself and submit to the will of others, but also dared to take on the "sacred fire" and realized there was no equilibrium with the Et'Ada (original spirits/gods), whom he calls "liars" and "lost roots." [7:08]
- He seeks to subvert or circumvent the Et'Ada to achieve unity within himself (the Monad), essentially placing himself at the center of reality. [7:54]
- He presents himself as an "interpreter into the rational," a bridge to or manifestation of truth, but eventually implies the people need him to "sit on the Mercy Seat and pass judgment," connecting to Old Testament imagery but positioning himself as a singular, ultimate authority. [8:11]
- Vivec's philosophy transcends categories of good/evil and rationality/irrationality. [9:26]
- He identifies as a hermaphrodite, transcending gender distinctions, claiming to be "all things at all times." [11:04]
- His declaration that "Truth is like my husband, instructed to smash" reflects a Nietzschean "will to power," where truth is what he wills it to be, used to strike down those who impede his quest for divinity. [11:53]
- He states that his divinity comes from his will, reflecting a concept where the individual's will is the ultimate source of truth and power. [12:15]
- Vivec states he learned to control himself and submit to the will of others, but also dared to take on the "sacred fire" and realized there was no equilibrium with the Et'Ada (original spirits/gods), whom he calls "liars" and "lost roots." [7:08]
- Lesson 35: The Death of Old Ideas and The Empty Throne [14:24]
- Vivec claims "All the other symbols of absolute reality are ancient ideas, ready for their graves," echoing Nietzsche's pronouncement that "God is dead." [14:24]
- This creates an opportunity for individuals to seize divinity, as "the throne of God is empty," and one only needs the "strength of will" to take it. [14:48]
- It's about being the one who offers rather than passively receives, aligning with the concept of the Übermensch (Overman/Superman) who rises above the mediocre and creates their own values. [15:15]
Concealed Truths and the Ultimate Lesson [15:54]
- Lesson 36 and the "Foul Murder" Revelation [15:54]
- Lesson 36 recounts Nerevar's journey, who maintained "traditional virtue" (ethos) by using his axe, eventually slaying Dumac and discovering the Heart of Lorkhan. [15:57]
- Vivec subtly hints that Nerevar, as a "weaker vessel" clinging to conventional morality, "had it coming" for being unable to take the leading role. [17:15]
- By reading the first letter of each paragraph in Sermon 36, a hidden message is revealed: "Foul Murder." [21:14]
- Further ciphers in Sermon 29 admit that Vivec "was not born of a God," and that his "destiny did not lead him to this crime; he chose this path of his own free will. He stole the Godhood and murdered the Hortator." [21:20]
- This directly contradicts Vivec's public narrative, revealing his divinity as a result of "will to power" rather than inherent godhood. [21:51]
- Lesson 36 recounts Nerevar's journey, who maintained "traditional virtue" (ethos) by using his axe, eventually slaying Dumac and discovering the Heart of Lorkhan. [15:57]
- Concluding Philosophical Insights [22:04]
- Vivec, in his own admission, was never a God but a "would-be Promethean usurper" who emerged from the chaos of dust and ash, and that is all he leaves as his legacy. [22:10]
- The ultimate lesson is that the divine is not found in certainty but in the courage to be questioned. [20:00]
- Vivec, like Nietzsche's Zarathustra, forces us to ask if what is presented as divine is weak or deceitful, and if we are, in fact, the gods, or at least the potential gods. [20:31]
- This self-creation, described by Kierkegaard as "purity of heart is to will one thing," means to discover and create our own truths, becoming our own parents in a postmodern, existential sense. [19:12]