The Gorean Caste of Physicians

The Gorean Caste of Physicians
Lecturer: Snow Gryphon
January, 2015
Prerequisites: None

You can obtain an organized folder with my class notes and supporting documents by touching the Dunvegan box here beside me.  Class notes, text and textures are the sole property of the creator. They are not to be shared, sold or used to teach others without the specific permission of the instructor.  This includes local chat.
I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of my FC Lady El Macleod, in the development and presentation of this lecture and in all that I do and enjoy in SL.

Let us begin.

At Physician’s Academy we make no effort to train you for any real life medical situations. We offer general information on medical topics, by the book and others, designed to better prepare you to role play as a Second Life Gorean physician. I make no claim to authoritative interpretation of the books by John Norman; nor am I trained in medicine in real life.  These lectures are offered as a resource to role play only.
Please type an @ if you wish to ask a question or make a comment.

Today’s lecture will deal with some of the basic and not so basic aspects of the Gorean Caste of Physicians.  This lecture is intended to be interactive, so I invite your full participation.

First: What is a caste?

Answer: Caste is a form of social stratification characterized by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a lifestyle which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultural notions of purity and pollution.  Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific ethnic group, class, or social group, rejecting others on such a basis as being unsuitable for marriage or for other close personal relationships.

Yikes!!  However wrote that had too much education!  So let us simplify.
 
Question: Can anyone say this better and in a way most of us can understand?

Answer: A social structure where people form exclusive groups with a common occupation and customs and they tend to marry each other.

Question: How does this differ from a Guild?

Answer: A guild is an association of artisans or merchants who control the practice of their craft in a particular town. They were organized in a manner something between a professional association, trade union, a cartel, and a secret society.
We know John Norman is a philosophy professor and quite aware of these differences when he chose to use the word caste instead of guild. 

Question: Why do you think he used castes rather than guilds in his novels?  And what does that tell us about life on Gor as he saw it?

Now that we understand what a caste is in a theoretical sense, we will turn now to some examples and applications.  We know that a caste is far more than an occupation.  So when you don your green robes in the morning, what should it mean?

Have a look at the following quote from Fighting Slave of Gor   Book 14   Pages 209 - 211.  I have edited it considerably.

“In almost every city, for example, one knows that there will be caste brothers on whom one may depend. Charity, too, for example, is almost always associated with caste rights on Gor……..It is said on Gor that only slaves, outlaws and Priest-Kings, rumored to be the rulers of Gor, reputed to live in the remote Sardar Mountains, are without caste. This saying, however, it might be pointed out, as Goreans recognize, is not strictly true.

For example, some individuals have lost caste, or been deprived of caste; some individuals have been born outside of caste; certain occupations are not traditionally associated with caste, such as gardening, domestic service and herding; and, indeed, there are entire cultures and peoples on Gor to whom caste is unknown. Similarly, caste lines tend sometimes to be vague, and the relation between castes and subcastes. ……..

Caste rights, of course, such as the right to caste support in time of need and caste sanctuary, when in flight, which are theirs by birth, remain theirs……. Caste membership, for Goreans, is generally a simple matter of birth; it is not connected necessarily with the performance of certain skills, nor the attainment of a given level of proficiency in such skills.”

Question: What are the important points in the passage?  Are some surprising?  Give some examples.

And there is more:

“…..There are, on Gor, it might be mentioned, ways of raising and altering caste, but the Gorean seldom avails himself of these…….. To most Goreans it would be unthinkable to alter caste. He is generally too proud of his caste and it is too much a part of him for him to think in such terms…..”

Question: Do people in SL Gor tend to stay in their caste or think of Gor as a buffet to be sampled? If so, is that truly Gorean?

And here is the rest of the quote from Fighting Slave:

“..… It is, too, recognized that all, or most, of the castes perform necessary, commendable or useful functions…… Each does, however, tend to think of his own caste as something special, and, somehow, I suspect, as being perhaps a little bit preferable to the others. Most Goreans are quite content with their castes; this is probably a function of caste pride. I have little doubt but what the caste structure contributes considerably to the stability of Gorean society. Among other things it reduces competitive chaos, social and economic, and prevents the draining of intelligence and ambition into a small number of envied, prestigious occupations.

Question: Is this a better way for society to exist, compared to that which is found on earth?   Why or why not?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of this form of society?  

Also, this comes from an author of “high caste” in RL.  Had he been a garbage picker would the novels be different?  A rhetorical question perhaps, but one tends to be heavily influenced by one’s class and social position.

So summing up, Gor is a completely different economic and social model than is found in most places on earth, and you can try to incorporate these ideas in your RP on a daily basis.  Consider it carefully.  On earth, most of us try to be egalitarian (all people are equal); but would a Gorean think like that?  Likely not.

Another example might be how we show hospitality to strangers.  On Gor, we are enjoined to show hospitality to our Caste brothers and sisters.  Would you invite a traveling physician to stay with you in your home, and make them feel like a part of your family?  I hope so!  Try it sometime.

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So we know a lot about the ancillary roles of a caste, now let us look at the main function, that of producing a useful product or service. 

Question: The first question that arises is how does one learn a craft within a caste?

“Though one is commonly born into a caste one is often not permitted to practice the caste craft until a suitable apprenticeship has been served. This guarantees the quality of the caste product. It is possible, though it is seldom the case, that members of a caste are not permitted to practice specific caste skills, though they may be permitted to practice subsidiary skills.”
Fighting Slave of Gor   Book 14   Pages 209 – 211

Question: Based on this passage, how were Goreans trained and who are usually selected to be trained?

Question: What else did you learn from that passage?

And in Second Life Gor, I see a lot of women in the Green Caste and few men.  Is that normal?   Here is a quote:

“The women of a given caste, it should be noted, often do not engage in caste work. For example, a woman in the Metalworkers does not, commonly, work at the forge, nor is a woman of the Builders likely to be found supervising the construction of fortifications……

A notable exception to the generalization that women of a given caste normally do not engage in caste work is the caste of Physicians, whose women are commonly trained, as are the boys, in the practice of medicine. Even the physicians, however, normally do not admit their women to full practice until they have borne two children. The purpose of this is to retain a high level of intelligence in the caste. Professional women, it is well understood, tend not to reproduce themselves, a situation which, over time, would be likely to produce a diminution in the quality of the caste.

Concern for the future of the caste is thus evinced in this limitation by the physicians on the rights of their women to participate without delay in the caste craft. The welfare of the caste, typically, takes priority in the Gorean mind over the ambitions of specific individuals. The welfare of a larger number of individuals, as the Goreans reason, correctly or incorrectly, is more important than the welfare of a smaller number of individuals.”
Fighting Slave of Gor

Question: So we know that the Physician’s Caste is an exception to the rule.  But why?  Would not women be able to make well-designed buildings and furnishings?  What do you think?

And consider well the last sentence presented that agrees with the philosophy of “the Greater Good”, as proposed by the philosopher John Stuart Mill et al., doesn’t it?  Here is that last sentence again to read: “The welfare of a larger number of individuals, as the Goreans reason, correctly or incorrectly, is more important than the welfare of a smaller number of individuals.”
Think about what that means.  Individuals should not have complete freedom and liberty on Gor.  Their interests often must be sacrificed for the whole or society.  And Fighting Slave was published in 1980, as America was turning away from the left of center Democratic Party and Jimmy Carter to the individualistic and free market philosophies for Ronald Regan and the Replublican Party. The author seems to be coming down on the side of the minority opinion in America at the time, as he often does. One of the reasons I enjoy the Gor books are the philosophical ideas intertwined with the plots.

Here is an example of the “Greater Good” to consider (and this actually happened to me).  A man comes into your infirmary and seeks help.  He has been wounded.  As you are bandaging him he says he intends to leave the infirmary and kill everyone he can kill, men, women and children.  What should you do?  Would you heal him and send him on his way, or try to prevent him from doing what he said he would do?   Balancing the rights of individuals versus the community can be very tricky and provide some wonderful role play.

Question: What would you do if confronted with the same situation as I faced?

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All right, now please remember this context as we discuss our caste, the Caste of Physicians, Also known as the Green Caste. 

Question: BTW does anyone know why the colour green is associated with physicians?

"Colors in the Gorean high cultures, as in most cultures, have their connotations or symbolisms. Too, in the Gorean high culture, certain colors tend to be associated with certain castes, for example green with the Physicians, red, or scarlet, with the Warriors, yellow with the Builders, blue with the Scribes, white with the Initiates, and so on."
Swordsmen of Gor   Book 29   Page 146

Answer: Some nine hundred years ago a green Greek Cross emblem was used by the Hospitallers of St. Lazarus. Centuries later Islam adopted green as a symbol of nature and life; a common understanding, irrespective of religion.

However, since it is a special colour for Muslims, green crosses are now rarely seen in a Christian context, even in places like Ireland, where green is very much a national colour and Catholicism is the predominant denomination.

So red crosses were originally green..smiles.

Back to our topic;

In Gor a person’s caste is extremely important, coming only after one’s Home Stone, but the tension between loyalty to one’s Home Stone and Caste can oft times lead to some interesting RP’s.  Have a look at these quotes.
"Commonality of Home Stone extends beyond concepts with which you are familiar, such as shared citizenship, for example. It is more like brotherhood, but not so much in the attenuated, cheap, abstract sense in which those of Earth commonly speak glibly, so loosely, of brotherhood. It is more analogous to brotherhood in the sense of jealously guarded membership in a proud, ancient family, one that has endured through centuries, a family bound together by fidelity, honor, history and tradition."
Prize of Gor     Book 27     Pages 117 - 118

“Caste is important to the Gorean in ways that are difficult to make clear to one whose social structures do not include the relationships of caste.”
Fighting Slave of Gor   Book 14   Pages 209 – 211

So you can see from these two quotes that Gorean societies are portrayed as being made up of tightly-knit sub-societies based on Home Stone and Caste.

Question: If there was a conflict between your Home Stone and Caste, which would you choose?  How about if loyalty to your Home Stone meant betraying your Caste Codes?  What would you do?

Consider this quote:
“I knew well the name of Iskander of Turia. I smiled. He remembered well the city that had exiled him, keeping still its name as part of his own. It had been many years since he had seen its lofty walls. He had, in the course of his practice in Turia, once given treatment outside of its walls to a young Tuchuk warrior, whose name was Kamchak. For this aid given to an enemy, he had been exiled. He had come, like many, to Port Kar. He had risen in the city, and had been for years the private physician to Sullius Maximus, who had been one of the five Ubars, presiding in Port Kar prior to the assumption of power by the Council of Captains.”
Marauders of Gor  pages  17-19

So in this case, Iskander chose adherence to his caste codes over loyalty to his Home Stone, and paid the price of exile.  Would all Gorean physicians have done that?  Maybe not.  We must not make the mistake of  generalizing based on an example.   Not all Gorean physicians behaved the same.


Question: What exactly is the role of the Physician’s Caste on Gor?

Here is a quote;

"No," I said. "They, too, are not rich enough. I gather their pleasure is in their healings, and not in their fees. They are too devoted to their work to their research, serums, and medicines, and distributing the benefits of their administrations and learnings indiscriminately, denying such to no one."
Conspirators of Gor   Book 31   Page 25 – 26

Answer: There are many examples of specific treatments, but in general the Caste is responsible for medical healing and maintaining health on Gor

Question: But what else does this quote tell you about our Caste and what about these caste codes mentioned?  What are they?

Answer:  I have not been able to find a quote with the caste codes spelled out, but there are several versions online and most are derived from the Hippocratic Oath http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath found on earth.  The discussion of our caste codes is worth a class on its own.

 We know that the Physician’s Caste is one of the high castes.  But why?

"I was also instructed in the Double Knowledge - that is, I was instructed in what the people, on the whole, believed, and then I was instructed in what the intellectuals were expected to know. Sometimes there was a surprising discrepancy between the two. …….On the other hand, the High Castes, specifically the Warriors, Builders, Scribes, Initiates and Physicians, were told the truth in such matters, perhaps because it was thought they would eventually determine it for themselves,…….
Tarnsman of Gor, pages 39 – 40

So the high castes were given “Double Knowledge”.  And why?  Because the priest kings thought we would eventually figure it out for ourselves anyway.  With that cynical statement that foreshadows many plots in the books, we bring this lecture to a close.

In next week’s class we be on Role Playing the Gorean Physician.  Thank you for attending.