Concepts of Morality in Horus Rising: the Seeds of Heresy Are Sown
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0 Quentin Davis CONCEPTS OF MORALITY IN HORUS RISING: THE SEEDS OF HERESY ARE SOWN Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences Master’s Thesis November 2019 ABSTRACT Quentin Davis: Concepts of Morality in Horus Rising: The seeds of heresy are sown Master’s Thesis Tampere University Master's Programme in English Language and Literature November 2019 In this Master’s Thesis, I am exploring Concepts of Morality in Horus Rising: The seeds of heresy are sown by Dan Abnett. The text is the opening book of The Horus Heresy series of science fantasy novels set in the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe. The thesis opens with an introduction and background knowledge of Warhammer 40,000. The discussion then leads on to the concepts of morality relevant to this thesis and how they are applicable and interpreted within the text. Horus Rising: The seeds of heresy are sown is an exemplary text for examining the concepts of morality as it blends realism, history and a hypothetical future set in the Milky Way Galaxy. By exploring the moral dilemmas raised in the text and cross-referencing them with examples taken from real-life, it is possible to broaden the reader’s understanding of the nuances of morality and its various applications. The fundamental principles of morality are approached in this thesis with the assumption that there is some form of objective good and evil that people subscribe to in order to function morally admissibly. The examples given highlight the importance of subjective experience in determining whether particular actions are considered morally just in certain scenarios. This thesis aims to shorten the gap between a person’s subjective moral experience and their inherent, objective understanding of morality. The protagonists in Horus Rising: The seeds of heresy are sown come from varying backgrounds and as a result, have differing interpretations of what is moral and what is not. Coming from the same organisation binds them by some fundamental moral values but their subjective experiences and upbringing lead to conflicting interpretations of major events that occur in the text. This thesis discovers the extent that deontic ethics may be used to interpret and identify the basic principles underlying perceptions of morality. Furthermore, superstition and its role in maintaining societal moral fabric is explored using narrative frameworks, the musings of Eckhart Tolle and the influence of tribalism on moral belief systems. Individual and collective moral understanding is also explored in the text and the notion is analysed using examples presented throughout the thesis. The main focus is on the effects the ego, social distance and group affiliation have on the formation of both individual and collective moralities. Warfare is analysed from the perspective that it is dynamic and that there is no clear method of assigning moral accountability for resorting to war and to some extent, conduct during war. The contemporary evolution of medical ethics highlights uncertainty in a period of rapid developments in the fields of genetics and augmentation. The aesthetic presentation of physical augmentation may affect perceptions of morality, especially if grotesque and disparate features are included for literary effect. The conclusions drawn from this thesis are that morality may be defined and regulated by society and the law but the application of moral behaviour in practice is both contextual and subjective. Keywords: Astartes, doctrine, dystopia, Emperor of Mankind, Horus, Imperial Truth, Imperium of Man, Loken, militarism, morality, reasoning, the Great Crusade, the Horus Heresy, Warhammer 40,000. The originality of this thesis has been checked using the Turnitin OriginalityCheck service. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background: Warhammer 40,000 ..................................................................................... 4 1.2. Features of Horus Rising................................................................................................... 9 2. Moral Reasoning ............................................................................................................................ 10 2.1. The First Principle of Deontic Reasoning ....................................................................... 12 2.2. The Second Principle of Deontic Reasoning .................................................................. 13 2.3. The Third Principle of Deontic Reasoning ..................................................................... 16 2.4. The Fourth Principle of Deontic Reasoning ................................................................... 17 3. Superstition .................................................................................................................................... 19 4. Individual and Collective Morality ................................................................................................ 25 5. Just War Theory ............................................................................................................................. 37 6. Bioethics......................................................................................................................................... 43 7. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 52 Works Cited ....................................................................................................................................... 56 1 1. Introduction The aim of this thesis is to explore concepts of morality in Dan Abnett’s Horus Rising: The seeds of heresy are sown and highlight the challenges that they pose to our understanding of morality. Horus Rising is the first book in The Horus Heresy series of novels. The events of the novel take place during what is known as the Horus Heresy; a momentous civil war which takes place 10,000 years prior to the Warhammer 40,000 setting of the tabletop miniatures wargame on which the literary canon is based. The events of The Horus Heresy play an imperative role in forming Warhammer 40,000 lore. The Heresy is ultimately caused by a Chaos plot to avert the Emperor of Mankind’s ambition of reuniting dispersed human colonies throughout the universe by provoking disillusioned Space Marine Legions into starting an internecine civil war during the height of the Great Crusade. This thesis uses various theories, case-studies and comparisons between real-life and Horus Rising: The seeds of heresy are sown by Dan Abnett. For the purposes of this thesis, morality can be defined as a set of archetypal principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour. Morality is broken down and analysed from distinct, theoretical standpoints. These standpoints are moral reasoning, superstition, individual and collective morality, just war theory and bioethics. Moral reasoning is analysed via the lens of deontology in this thesis and is amply supplemented with sections on the principles of deontic ethics. The notion of superstition explores the role belief systems play in forming moral frameworks. The section on superstition is supported by the musings of Eckhart Tolle and discussion on the influences tribalism and hierarchies have on forming a moral basis. The concepts of the ego and hubris are central tenets of both individual and collective morality. Individual morality entails moral evaluations made by individuals and collective morality governs the role group affiliation plays in shaping individual morality. Just war theory is analysed using principles of traditional and revisionist just war theory. Both traditional and revisionist just war theories examine the causes for war, how wars are conducted and in some cases, post-conflict actions. The differences between the two theoretical 2 approaches relate to how they ascribe accountability for war. Bioethics is explored using current discourse on bioethical, medical developments. These topics are discussed using examples from current medical developments in the field of biotechnology and their hypothetical applications in the future. The section on bioethics is complemented with textual illustrations examined using the notions of grotesque incongruence and disharmony. I have chosen these approaches to morality as they each have an important role to play in our society. Moral reasoning is essential for understanding the world around us and how our decisions may have a far-reaching impact on our lives and the lives of others. Without any basic framework of moral reasoning to work within, it is difficult for us to lead our lives in a correct and benevolent manner. Just war theory is broken down into two distinct doctrines in this thesis; traditional just war theory and revisionist just war theory. Traditional just war theory is somewhat outdated in contemporary, real-life Western society. However, it is still relevant as it forms the basis of limiting conduct within warfare and it plays an imperative role in the Warhammer 40,000 universe in which Horus Rising is set. Revisionist just war theory is still undergoing development and is constantly changing, along with the nature of warfare. In this thesis, just war theory is mostly focussed at the systemic level but does contain elements that are relevant to individuals involved in conflict and post-conflict