EDIT: Changed a few words and phrasing of a few sentences. Changes were made only to this version, not the downloadable. The subject matter and feeling of the work is the same either way, the changes were purely aesthetic.
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An Inquiry into the Nature of Existence
An Essay on Slavery
By Ra’Vasa
It has always been a philosophy of mine that there are two very fine lines that define who you are as a being. One line exists between a machine and a man. The other line lies between a man and a monster. A machine is an object lacking a conscience entirely, a device used to perform menial tasks without objection or thought, nor the capability of either. No living, breathing being, in my eyes, can posses the traits of a machine. Even the most mundane and conformist of beings carry with them a soul, a conscience and a set of moral codes. Machines depend on men, and men depend only on themselves and their morality, and therein lies the key difference between a man and a machine.
But what, then, defines a man from a monster? Monsters, as men, are living, breathing beings. Have they not a soul? Certainly they do! And certainly monsters also have a conscience with a set of moral codes, no? Of course! They must, it is a law of nature that they must! Animals even contain within them a spirit, and so too must monsters, they must, they must!
The similarities between a monster and a man are striking. Shocking. Appalling! Even so, would a man willingly commit atrocities against his fellow men, mer, so-called beastmen, or otherwise? Most certainly not! Even animals have a conscience I say, animals! No, men certainly would become too disgusted with their acts of cruelty towards their kin, and their consciences would break them down into a state of bitter regret over their terrible deeds.
Herein rests the primary difference between a man and a monster. A monster’s conscience – which does exist somewhere in their soul, I affirm in you this fact – is so terribly dilute, and irreparibly contorted, that they even have the ability to willingly, and quite consciously, be malevolent towards beings that they may have otherwise come to call their equals, their friends and their brothers.
Which delivers me precisely to my purpose. The existing slavers of Tamriel – namely those of Morrowind, but also hidden in every province, even here in Hammerfell – are not men. No, not men at all! Quite the contrary, quite the contrary! Slavers are man’s vile and disgusting counterpart. Slavers have no regard for the life of any being, least of all those of fellow men, and mer and so-called beastmen! Slavers are nothing more than blighted, pitiful monsters.
Another philosophy of mine is that men themselves create the aforementioned monsters. Not only men, but mer as well! Even my own Khajiiti kin, my friends and family, play a role in the creation of these abominations of society. Society, yes, that is exactly where the root of all evils can be dug up! Men of society never fail to create monsters. And, as it has become known to me, it is in the nature of every monster to destroy their creator, who I dare say may even be you yourself, the reader of this very essay.
It has been seen time and time again. A small trace of monster is to be found within us all. Yet, the tiniest hole in the seem of a sheet may become a terrible, gaping tear if the sower becomes too negligent. The people of Tamriel have been too negligent, and now the rip in our cloth is so inconceivably vast, I fear it may even be too late to mend or patch the hole.
It has been seen over and over. Monster killing creator. Creator becoming monster. Monster becoming creator of yet another monster, and so on. It’s a disease, I say, a disease! A sickness, a plague, a virus reaching out and touching society in all its extremities! And what is the best way to treat a disease? To let it slowly work its way out of the system? To occasionally administer medicine to the outermost, smallest outbreaks? To think so is an outrage! Of course, the only way to effectively treat such a cancerous pandemic is to create a cure for the masses! Administer medicine directly to the source of the disease, and continue to administer it until the symptoms are gone, entirely without a trace!
The disease of which I speak is the slavery of not only my own kin, but also men and mer around Tamriel, and around Nirn. The disease of which I speak is bigotry, negligence, immorality and ignorance combined. We cannot sweep this dirt under the carpet any longer, my dear people, we cannot allow this great hole to widen, we cannot fall prey to a vicious and merciless monster.
You, the readers, are not machines. I have proved so myself! You are not under any control other than that of your own morality. Is my cause not one of moral justification? Do you not posses the free will to help me in my cause? Waiting for Tamriel to grow out of the traditions of its adolescence is not the solution to the malignant cyst that is slavery today. If there is one lesson I have learned from my time on Nirn, it is that no manner of freedom can be expected by anyone. No manner of freedom is ever given without a cost. No, freedom is something you have to take on your own. Freedom is something you have to fight for.
