Philosophy

[ConfusedCow]

Does anyone else ever think about the Radiant Ideals when you're trying to decide what is right and wrong in real life?  I sometimes wish Brandon would tell the rest of the ideals not out of curiosity about the books but because I genuinely wish I had some more guidance in life.   I wish I knew which order of Knight Radiants Brandon would place himself in.   I wish I knew what philosophy Brandon really believes. 

[SpinningSky he/him]

Ah, I personally think it's a path to be threaded carefully, following ideas from books that is.
They can be very inspiring sometimes (#Dalinar) but when it comes down to choosing between two real things, you're partial to the book's "opinions" because you like the stories and characters and whatever.
LOTR is a great example, for me of course, of a story which I really like and am inspired by, but I fundamentally disagree with many of its underlying concepts.

About Brandon, he's very openly religious so you can easily read about major points of the philosophy he really believes! He posted about it on his website as well.

[Rg2045]

I think Brandon got bondsmith,

and it’s more like I absorb them. I read something and then adopt the parts I feel would make myself a better person 

[Frustration]

11 hours ago, ConfusedCow said:

wish I knew what philosophy Brandon really believes. 

I can help you there.

Brandon belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and seeks to follow the teachings of God we have received.

[ConfusedCow]

A problem with religion (IMO), is that faith obscures belief. To take up any banner of ideology or religion is to surrender an element of individuality.  Brandon has clearly considered many different points of view on morality.  Characters like Szeth, Taravangian, and Jasnah express absolutism, utilitarianism, atheism, etc... so starkly and yet so humanly.  The characters who are lost and searching for morality, Dalinar, Kaladin, Shallan end up being our guides.  The authenticity and diversity of belief in Brandon's writing and the way that he centers protagonists who are not espousing morality but searching for it, sets his work apart from other epic fiction.  His books are as he would say about "the hearts and minds of men".  One does not consider morality and philosophy so deeply if one already has all the answers.   I believe Brandon wrestles with such questions himself.  To answer simply that he belongs to LDS Church and their beliefs are his, is (IMO) to gloss over the fact that he is creative, thoughful and conflicted on morality and philosophy.  I am sure he counts himself among the faithful and views philosophy through the lens of the churches teachings.   Yet, I believe his struggle and answers are unique.  

 

 

 

[Returned he/him]

I suppose I do, since the philosophy fragments we get are pretty clear against the dramatic fantasy backdrop (or the points where things are unclear are expressed well). But that same drama is also tricky, I think, since the high-fantasy setting and events can make for contexts that don't apply well to actual, everyday life.

Like, A or B might be a tough call in some real-life scenario an ordinary person might face on a given day, but in an epic fantasy series like Stormlight Archive B might necessarily lead to a genocide because of some magical connection, which is a dimension of moral reasoning that won't be at all realistic (and therefore relevant) to that same ordinary person. If the magic or the arbitrarily written conflict (or similar) are major factors in the ethical calculus then that situation becomes harder to import into my life. I like a lot of the aphorisms and such but they're also purpose-built to suit the story and can be a bit glib for reality.

I do reflect often on the struggles the characters face, where they have moral issues they have to decide but aren't sure how to resolve. Uncertainty, and the ways that the characters approach it, is definitely something I find relatable and useful in life. That's true even when it's unpleasant to think through or I'm unable to reach a strong conclusion (either in the in-book context, or by extrapolation to real life).

[Frustration]

3 hours ago, ConfusedCow said:

A problem with religion (IMO), is that faith obscures belief. To take up any banner of ideology or religion is to surrender an element of individuality.  Brandon has clearly considered many different points of view on morality.  Characters like Szeth, Taravangian, and Jasnah express absolutism, utilitarianism, atheism, etc... so starkly and yet so humanly.  The characters who are lost and searching for morality, Dalinar, Kaladin, Shallan end up being our guides.  The authenticity and diversity of belief in Brandon's writing and the way that he centers protagonists who are not espousing morality but searching for it, sets his work apart from other epic fiction.  His books are as he would say about "the hearts and minds of men".  One does not consider morality and philosophy so deeply if one already has all the answers.   I believe Brandon wrestles with such questions himself.  To answer simply that he belongs to LDS Church and their beliefs are his, is (IMO) to gloss over the fact that he is creative, thoughful and conflicted on morality and philosophy.  I am sure he counts himself among the faithful and views philosophy through the lens of the churches teachings.   Yet, I believe his struggle and answers are unique.  

 

 

 

That was an invitation to ask for more specific details not a blanket statement to explain away all of his beliefs. 

[bmcclure7]

15 hours ago, ConfusedCow said:

A problem with religion (IMO), is that faith obscures belief. To take up any banner of ideology or religion is to surrender an element of individuality.  Brandon has clearly considered many different points of view on morality.  Characters like Szeth, Taravangian, and Jasnah express absolutism, utilitarianism, atheism, etc... so starkly and yet so humanly.  The characters who are lost and searching for morality, Dalinar, Kaladin, Shallan end up being our guides.  The authenticity and diversity of belief in Brandon's writing and the way that he centers protagonists who are not espousing morality but searching for it, sets his work apart from other epic fiction.  His books are as he would say about "the hearts and minds of men".  One does not consider morality and philosophy so deeply if one already has all the answers.   I believe Brandon wrestles with such questions himself.  To answer simply that he belongs to LDS Church and their beliefs are his, is (IMO) to gloss over the fact that he is creative, thoughful and conflicted on morality and philosophy.  I am sure he counts himself among the faithful and views philosophy through the lens of the churches teachings.   Yet, I believe his struggle and answers are unique.  

 

 

 

Were are more then just individuals so a certain amount of our individuality we always have to be sacrificed. This is not a bad thing.