Do you believe the Forerunners were right to subjugate lesser species? Those species were still allowed to advance, though no doubt under Forerunner supervision, and could even wage war and even conquer each other, though likely within rigidly enforced guidelines. It seems likely that species that were displeased by this were biologically reduced as well as a further measure against possible uprising.
They arguably weren’t wrong. Follow the rules and you can advance as far as you like. Okay, that’s not a big deal, really.
What is your opinion on the Forerunner way of doing things and what way would you use or want humanity to use to uphold the Mantle of Responsibility for All Things?
The problem is that the Forerunners took it too far. They originally set out to allow any conflict so long as it cultivated biodiversity and reasonable advancement. Their intended purpose was slowly warped over the millenia to the point where they viewed advancement of lesser species to be a threat to their dominance over the Mantle of Responsibility and the galaxy at large. True holders of the Mantle would understood when their time had come to pass it along, but the Forerunners tried to keep a stranglehold on the Mantle instead of abdicating the throne when the time came. The greatest irony of the Halo universe is the fact that the Forerunners eventually became the greatest threat to the Mantle they held so dear.
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> The problem is that the Forerunners took it too far. They originally set out to allow any conflict so long as it cultivated biodiversity and reasonable advancement. Their intended purpose was slowly warped over the millenia to the point where they viewed advancement of lesser species to be a threat to their dominance over the Mantle of Responsibility and the galaxy at large. True holders of the Mantle would understood when their time had come to pass it along, but the Forerunners tried to keep a stranglehold on the Mantle instead of abdicating the throne when the time came. The greatest irony of the Halo universe is the fact that the Forerunners eventually became the greatest threat to the Mantle they held so dear.
^^^ Pretty much that.
There’s a subtle progression from patriotism, to nationalism, to supremacy. What started as a well-intentioned attitude of, “Because we are so much more developed than everyone else, we have a moral responsibility to take care of everyone else”, slowly and pridefully evolved into “Because we are so superior to everyone else, we have a divine right to rule over them” and then squash any potential opposition that might dethrone us.
Imperialism always comes in shades of grey. You don’t become the most powerful empire in the galaxy, by being nice to people.
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> Their intended purpose was slowly warped over the millenia to the point where they viewed advancement of lesser species to be a threat to their dominance over the Mantle of Responsibility and the galaxy at large.
Would you say that the ancient humans would have likely fallen into the same flaw? From what I’ve read, it seems the ancient humans and Forerunners mainly differed in that the humans lived life like the rest of the species whereas the Forerunners held themselves aloof an apart from living. They’re existence was highly sterile whereas humanity lived, fought, grew, and so on like every other species right there in the mix with all the rest. Would this have helped us keep perspective in upholding the Mantle or would we have become jaded and aloof and eventually oppressive and strangling?
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> There’s a subtle progression from patriotism, to nationalism, to supremacy. What started as a well-intentioned attitude of, “Because we are so much more developed than everyone else, we have a moral responsibility to take care of everyone else”, slowly and pridefully evolved into “Because we are so superior to everyone else, we have a divine right to rule over them” and then squash any potential opposition that might dethrone us.
Do you think the Forerunner’s caste system and government process contributed to this? There didn’t seem to be any form of political or cultural checks and balances. In many modern nations, you get called out when you go against the cultural core tenets of a society and hammered down. In Forerunner society, their leaders were the ones who defined those tenets.
The role of the race that holds the Mantle, as given by the Precursors, was to safeguard the opportunity of each race to reach its maximum potential. Stealing other races’ technology, biology, culture, and even their home worlds, denies the other races the chance to reach their maximum potential. By incorporating copious amounts of DNA from other races into their own, the Forerunners fundamentally changed their nature from what the Precursors designed them to be. But even through all of this, the Precursors still allowed the Forerunners to reach their full potential (which they did in Halo Silentium just before they were forced to fire the Halo Array).
In-universe, the Forerunners were wrong to subjugate the other races because it violates the rules their creators gave them.
By real-world-standards, the Forerunners were wrong to subjugate the other races because their acts are wicked in their own wright.
ex:
Stealing planets, relocating entire species onto the doorsteps of other races on the far side of the galaxy.
Stealing technology and biology, Incorporating the genetic traits they liked from other races into their own biology, then stealing their technology and reducing them to genetically and culturally primitive states.
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> > 2533274961806222;3:
> > There’s a subtle progression from patriotism, to nationalism, to supremacy. What started as a well-intentioned attitude of, “Because we are so much more developed than everyone else, we have a moral responsibility to take care of everyone else”, slowly and pridefully evolved into “Because we are so superior to everyone else, we have a divine right to rule over them” and then squash any potential opposition that might dethrone us.
>
> Do you think the Forerunner’s caste system and government process contributed to this? There didn’t seem to be any form of political or cultural checks and balances. In many modern nations, you get called out when you go against the cultural core tenets of a society and hammered down. In Forerunner society, their leaders were the ones who defined those tenets.
Please don’t post multiple time in a row. If you need to add more information or quote other users, you can edit your last post. Thanks
I think they saw things as a science experiment. I think they wanted to see what would happen if you put this with that, or pit these against those. I think its just wrong having so many species capable of being so much more but held back because the Forerunners were always in control of progress. Interesting, I know to watch a new civilization grow with your prodding (I mean, you could tell them that you’re God and that you made them and they must follow you or die or something) but I don’t think its fair to those on the receiving end of the Forerunners’ policies
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> Please don’t post multiple time in a row. If you need to add more information or quote other users, you can edit your last post. Thanks
Okay, I didn’t think of that and feel stupid. I did it in another thread, though, and I don’t now how to delete a post.
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> > Their intended purpose was slowly warped over the millenia to the point where they viewed advancement of lesser species to be a threat to their dominance over the Mantle of Responsibility and the galaxy at large.
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> Would you say that the ancient humans would have likely fallen into the same flaw? From what I’ve read, it seems the ancient humans and Forerunners mainly differed in that the humans lived life like the rest of the species whereas the Forerunners held themselves aloof an apart from living. They’re existence was highly sterile whereas humanity lived, fought, grew, and so on like every other species right there in the mix with all the rest. Would this have helped us keep perspective in upholding the Mantle or would we have become jaded and aloof and eventually oppressive and strangling?
Personally I think the Mantle of Responsibility is a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts. Anyone who holds the mantle will inevitably be corrupted by it. So I’d imagine if Ancient Humanity was in the same position, they would likely have done similar things.
Not to mention, the Mantle of Responsibility conflicts with the Forerunner belief in Living Time. If the Universe is alive in some way and makes it’s own decisions about how things should go, the Forerunners assuming some level of responsibility for life would get in the Universe’s way. Any way you slice it, anyone who is given (or takes) that level of responsibility over the galaxy will be doomed to failure.