No Good or Evil

JPSpideyCJ said:

I'm wondering, could I use magic that is neither good nor evil in the traditional sense. A form of magic that is a secret organization, began by demons, which tricks and corrupts human souls.

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I must say this sounds very evilesque to me. If this is where you'r going, it'd (probably) read very much like magic is an evil force.

The easy answer is that you can use any magic you want and define it as you please. There is no reason to bind your magic by the rules others have created.

As an additional point, though, I am not sure I understand your quick explanation of the non-morally aligned magic. If magic is an organization, then is it really magic anymore? Maybe I am misinterpreting what you mean by magic being an organization. I also must admit that hearing magic corrupting the souls does seem somewhat "evil", but that depends a lot on what you mean by your corruption. Corruption tends to imply a falling into "evil" (as defined by the society defining the act of corruption), but that is with our default understanding. In your world, perhaps corruption is defined a bit differently. I am not sure what that definition is from your quick explanation, but so long as it makes sense within the context of your story, you'll be fine.




-Michelle

Magic is as magic does. I'm a firm believer that magic is neither good nor evil, only the purpose its put to has that moral stigma attached to it.

In other words, magic is a tool, nothing more, and like a hammer it can be used to construct things or it can be used to kill.

The hammer itself has no moral intrinsic value placed upon it.

JPSpideyCJ said:

I'm wondering, could I use magic that is neither good nor evil in the traditional sense.

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Magic doesn't have to be good or evil any more than a hammer has to be good or evil. It can be just a tool. Whether it does good or evil can depend on the intentions of the users.

JPSpideyCJ said:

A form of magic that is a secret organization, began by demons, which tricks and corrupts human souls.

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This, however, sounds distinctly evil to me.

JPSpideyCJ said:

I'm wondering, could I use magic that is neither good nor evil in the traditional sense. A form of magic that is a secret organization, began by demons, which tricks and corrupts human souls.

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Well, just a thought: if you're writing FANTASY, then the only 'traditional' sense is the one you may be copping out on. It's a Fanrasy world, a'ight? There need not be any 'traditional sense' beyond the one you create. Shoulder the burden of responsibility and create ... or cop out and let the readers' assumptions or expectations drive your story.

If you've read THE GOLDEN COMPASS you'll see how Pullman used the word 'daemons' but didn't let existing expectations get in his way ...

(I won't comment on my dismay and contempt for his anti-theism cheap shots. Ooops, I just did. But his flaw there -- imo -- was that he KEPT his existing prejudices against existing religion rather than go further and CREATE a non-offensive "foe" of his own creation.)

He takes the reader into his own created construct of "good vs evil" I suppose (where Witches can commit murder but are still presented as ethically unsullied, merely murdering in fulfilling their own witchy personalities, jealousies, passions, etc)

I'll agree with previous comments too:

There are cultures that could see 'tricking' human souls as a divine and good thing -- just as Shiva DESTROYS in order to recreate a new soul freed from false attachments ....

I don't see how you might spin 'corrupting' human souls to be anything but 'evil' ...

I bet lots of us would be interested in hearing your p.o.v. about how 'corrupting souls' can be neutral.

The opposite of Innocence isn't 'Corruption' after all.

All the magic in my writing is based on the fact that there is no such thing as 'light magic' and 'dark magic', just raw power. It can be used to do good, evil, or neither (I have one character who enjoys using her magical powers to play tricks on the other characters, which, to me, falls squarely under 'neutral'). For a while I thought my hero's magic couldn't be used to inflict harm, but eventually it was revealed that, under the right circumstances, even that power could turn dark. The second sentence of the OP makes it sound like the magic in question is being used for less than altruistic purposes, though.

small axe said:

I don't see how you might spin 'corrupting' human souls to be anything but 'evil' ...

I bet lots of us would be interested in hearing your p.o.v. about how 'corrupting souls' can be neutral.

The opposite of Innocence isn't 'Corruption' after all.

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Interesting point about corruption. If corruption is the breakdown of an order of some kind...a rot that makes it indecypherably collapse under its own weight...then it might be a precondition for innocence.