FILOSOFIA GOREANA – BÁSICO – AULA 1

Bem-vindos aos Seminários de Filosofia Goreana, que nós – aqui no Gorean Campus –
convencionamos de chamar de “básico”.

My name, as you can see up my head is Petrov Drusus.

I have 13 years of life in Gor and mentor of some Scribes around these years. And people say that I
am kind of a good teacher. Well, you will judge it.
Welcome to Gorean Philosophy Seminars, that we - here on Gorean Campus - agreed to call
"basic".
"As opiniões expressas nas aulas do Gorean Campus são da exclusiva responsabilidade do instrutor
do curso, e não necessariamente do Gorean Campus."
"Opinions expressed in Gorean Campus classes are solely those of the course Instructor, and not
necessarily that of Gorean Campus."
Para consistência peço que você use o símbolo "@" para fazer uma pergunta e, em seguida, espere
para ser reconhecido.
For consistency I ask that you use the symbol "@" to ask a question, then wait to be recognized.
Na verdade, a palavra “básico” não significa algo primário. Mas sim “básico” no sentido de
fundamental, basilar. Nesses Seminários, nessas próximas dez semanas, nós iremos conversar sobre
alguns assuntos que são os fundamentos da Sociedade e da Cultura Goreana.
Indeed, the word “basic” does not mean anything primer. But “basic” in the sense of fundamental,
founfing. In these seminars, in these next ten weeks, we will talk about some matters that are the
foundations of Gorean Society and Culture.
Eu não pretendo, aqui, ensinar filosofia. Porque eu acho que filosofia não se ensina. Filosofia se
discute, filosofia se debate, filosofia se adota ou não. Então, eu serei apenas um facilitador que irá
fazer com que vocês pensem Gor por um outro prisma.
I do not intend here to teach philosophy. Because I think that philosophy is not taught. Philosophy
is discussed, philosophy is debated, philosophy is adopted or not. So I will just be a facilitator that
will make you think Gor by another prism.
Nós vamos conversar sobre a Ordem Natural.
We will talk about the Natural Order.
Nós vamos conversar sobre os princípios que fundamentam a Filosofia Goreana.
Nós vamos falar bastante sobre a relação entre Mestres e escravas, do ponto de vista – sempre –
filosófico.
We'll talk about the principles that underlie the Gorean Philosophy.
E nós vamos explorar um pouco na cabeça de um homem chamado John Norman. O homem que
durante cinquenta anos escreveu os trinta e quatro livros que moldaram o mundo Goreano.
And we will explore a little the head of a man named John Norman. The man who for fifty years
has written thirty-four books that shaped the Gorean world.
Porém eu insisto. Nenhuma aula irá substituir a leitura dos Livros. E mais. Se você quer realmente
entender o mundo Goreano, não basta apenas fazer essa leitura de forma superficial, como se lê um
romance qualquer de aventuras. É necessário ler um Livro uma, duas, três vezes. Comparar
informações. Afinal, são trinta e quatro livros escritos ao longo de cinquenta anos. E não um
folhetim comercial, ou uma série de TV, de vikings, zumbis ou vampiros. Os livros – nas palavras
do próprio John Norman – têm um enorme conteúdo filosófico, sociológico, psicológico e
antropológico, que requerem uma leitura atenta e detalhada.
But I insist. No class will replace the reading of the Books. And more. If you really want to
understand the Gorean world, it is not enough to make this reading superficially, as we read an
adventure novel. It is necessary to read each book once, twice, three times. To compare information.
To study them. A work for years, not only months. After all, there are thirty-four books written over
fifty years. And they are not a commercial soap opera, or a TV series, dealing with vikings, zombies
or vampires. The Books - in the words of John Norman himself - have a huge philosophical,
sociological, philosophical and anthropological content, requiring a careful and detailed reading.
Even in the philosopher's words
Nas palavras de John Norman, “o mundo Goreano é o que ele é. Nos livros Goreanos, uma cultura
alienígena é vivenciada de dentro, não criticada de fora.” Ainda nas palavras do filósofo, ”o mundo
Goreano não existe para ter um pouquinho de cada um. Ele dificilmente poderia ter integridade
antropológica e ter um pouco de algo de alguns ao mesmo tempo.”
In the words of John Norman “the Gorean world is what it is. In the Gorean books an alien culture
is experienced from the inside, not criticized from the outside”. Yet in the philosopher's words “the
Gorean world does not exist to have a little something for everybody. It would rather have
anthropological integrity and have a good deal of something for somebody.”
O critério para a graduação neste curso é presencial. Só obterá a graduação aquela pessoa estiver
presente em setenta por cento, ou mais, dos Seminários.
The criteria for graduation on this course is the personal participation. Just get the graduation that
person that is present in seventy percent or more of the seminars.
E, como uma forma de incentivo, eu estou pensando em presentear cada aluno graduado com um
livro (SL) ilustrado contendo todos os Seminários.
And, as a form of encouragement, I am thinking of gifting each graduate student with an (SL)
illustrated book containing all seminars. It depends now only of production costs that I am
analyzing.
Isso vale, também, para aqueles que se graduaram na turma passada.
This is true also for those who graduated in the last group.
To talk about Gor, and mainly about philosophy on Gor is very, very hard. Because, I think there is
no authority about the books all around the world, except Mister John Norman.
We have, at the most, interpretations. Some are closer to the books, others not so close. And others
very, very far away from them. But, tough, they are all interpretations. The second point is: "does
really exist a matter named Gorean Philosophy?"
Now I will quote John Norman, from an interview given on 2012
"The Gor books are not mere science fiction or adventure fantasy. They are also intellectual,
philosophical, and psychological novels. They have a great deal to say, and have been willing to say
it.”
So, I think I made my point here. Yes, there is a Gorean Philosophy, expressed in the books and
more than that, the basis to understand this fantastic world named Gor.

Now we will talk about Natural Order.

Understanding the theory of Natural Order is vital to understanding the philosophy presented by
Prof. Lange (aka John Norman). This understanding is vital whether one simply reads the books at a
better than superficial level, or on the other end of the spectrum - actually seeks to apply the
philosophy to their daily lives.
Natural order may be summed up as "the male of a species evolved (or was created, for those who
deny evolution in place of creation science) to a particular status while the female of a species
evolved (was created) as the opposite status in order to meet species survival needs." (Quotation
marks used to set off the statement - not to quote a particular author.) Generally, this status
differentiation displays on a scale of dominance/submission. It can be observed in the animal
kingdom - whether one looks at canines, felines, avian or even forms of sea life.
This is central to Norman's critique of modern Western civilization. He argues that the culturally
forced breakdown of dominance/submission within human society has led to many of society's ills.
Using the fictive provided in a science fiction genre, he places many of Earth's past and present
cultures into a co-existence. He then explores the issues of male/female within each of these
societies and how they were lived out when that culture was alive and well on planet earth.
A simpler breakdown - the human male (as with most other species) evolved (was created) to be
leader, the human female to be the follower. Norman is careful to point out that the generalities do
not rule out exceptions. However, the exceptions when forced into a cultural insistence on total
equality between the genders - creates many negative spin-offs. Males are acculturated to become
more feminine and females as a result of the power vacuum become masculinized.
Norman does not end his exploration of Natural Order simply with the male/female dynamic, but
rather extends it to what he describes in terms of occupational castes and a relative ranking of them
in their relationships (inter- and intra- caste) with each other. Thus, he extends the study to include
issues of dominance/submission within the genders as well as between them. Again this can be
compared to the animal kingdom (i.e. a wolf pack always has its alpha male and alpha female). He
further explores the concept of slavery as the ultimate in submission and how for a small minority
of the human species - the need to submit to that degree exists - whether it is allowed fulfillment or
not within current earth cultures.
A reader of the novels, who seeks to understand the philosophical underpinning of Natural Order
will benefit by gaining a better appreciation of his or her surrounding human beings. An example -
some find great fulfillment in the service industry, and will remain in service despite skills and
abilities gained through personal means (example academic studies terminating in undergraduate or
graduate degrees) that could lead to higher pay in non-service industries.
As a philosopher, Norman, of course had his influences. One of them was the german philosopher
named Nietzsche. Does anyone here knows something about him?
In Nietzsche, the expression is ‘Übermensch', which might be translated variously. A common
translation today would be ‘Overman'. It might also be understood as a higher person, a superior
person, an ideal as to what a human being might be, a comprehensible ideal toward which a human
being might aspire, and such. The term is not original with Nietzsche. It occurs in Goethe, and even
in Greek, as ‘Hyperanthropos'.
And this concept permeates all Lange's writings, not only Gorean Books.