Enclave vs. Empire, the REAL Difference Between Dream Valley and Equestria · 11:53am Jul 16th, 2017
When it was still relevant, I had commented on multiple occasions D G D Davidson's depiction of G1 in his story, A Mighty Demon Slayer Grooms Some Ponies, was dull and insulting. Along with having slogged through the story itself, I had read many of his blogs about his thought process in creating it. One such blog probably explains the linchpin behind why he made Dream Valley such a depressing place.
It was the one on ethical philosophy. https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/154065/worldbuilding-appendix-the-ethical-philosophy-of-ponyland
The summary is the G1 ponies have a Humean view of ethical philosophy while Friendship is Magic's ethical philosophy come from Aristotelian roots. In terms we understand, the G1 ponies emphasize feelings in their ethical philosophy while the FiM ponies emphasize virtues. Somehow, an emphasis on feelings leads to the philosophy of Hume that facts don't lead to obligations. I will admit I am not much for philosophy. However, this seems to be quite a leap. It even contradicts parts of the show Davidson conveniently ignored in his essay.
Even so, Hume's theory is based on humanity being naturally good. We don't do what we do out of obligation, but because we by nature feel it is the right thing to do. This clashes with Davidson's view that humanity (and by extension colorful little ponies) is naturally evil and must be forced to do the right thing. Though, again, this argument is actually rendered moot as we will get into later.
As for Friendship is Magic and the ponies of Equestria, Davidson says they practice virtue ethics. This can be seen in the Elements of Harmony and their structure. Five virtues surrounding one ideal. That ideal being Friendship.
This leads to his conclusion of comparing the two. The G1 ponies are a small enclave on the edge of the wilderness in constant anger out of their control, pursuing their own appetites and being generally lazy because they haven't taken over the world yet. Meanwhile the G4 ponies rule the empire. Conclusion, the G1 ponies need to shape up and start taking over the world.
Davidson, in his obsession with philosophy, has missed the practical difference between the two generations: population size. Equestria's population at least numbers in the tens of millions. Compared that to the perhaps a hundred adult ponies of Dream Valley. It doesn't matter how virtuous or dedicated you are, a hundred individuals is not going to rule an empire. Not unless they found an existing empire, overthrew its leadership, and installed themselves as its head (something I doubt Hasbro would want to have their HEROES do).
This reminds me of Harry Turtledove's Videssos stories starting with a Roman legion of 1,500 soldiers being transported to another planet. Being cut off from their Empire, they do not go out and make themselves the rulers of this one. They cannot. Instead, they must become mercenaries of the local superpower and tie their fates to it. It's not until their Tribune manages to gain enough political clout that he can at least get them land of their own to live on.
So, the fact the G1 ponies are a small enclave on the edge of the wilderness is due to them being small in number. Not because of them being lazy.
The G1 group is also so small, ethical philosophy breaks down. Ethical philosophy, politics, and much of the intellectual aspects that form a society are there to convey a common set of ideals across a population where some can operate completely out of sight of another. Since it is impossible to tell everyone in person, and we all know what happens when ideas are relayed, a uniting message of what is right is needed. However, when everyone knows everyone else, ethics can be kept in more practical terms.
The G1 ponies have more of a code of honor known and understood by all. They are based on the facts of 1.) they are few in number and limited by the resources of Dream Castle/Paradise Estate 2.) they are alone with no guaranteed help coming and 3.) the lives of the innocent are precious. This has led to the understood obligation that every pony is to protect the group and everyone pony is to be protected by the group. "One for all and all for one" to barrow from The Three Musketeers. They are a small group on the edge of the wilderness and in constant danger. However, that is a fact are in no position to take control of (that is what makes their situation compelling). They can only hang together and try to ride out the storms that come their way.
So, the G1 ponies also practice virtue ethics. The virtues being bravery, loyalty, and particularly compassion (Davidson called them feelings). These lead to the ideal of mutual protection for themselves and the allies they do have.
We see this in practice in "The Glass Princess" where Shady is beside herself when she learns the three ponies she had just left had been kidnapped. She had violated their code. Even if there was nothing she could do, she was obligated by their code to do whatever she could to prevent their capture. Similarly in "The Return of Tambelon", even facing an overwhelming army and Grogar's incredible magic, the ever dwindling population of free ponies were dedicated to freeing their friends by any means possible. Escape was never considered an option. So, to say facts did not create obligations for the G1 ponies is patently false.
Though, these were in times of crisis. In times of peace, the G1 ponies are disorganized and pursuing their appetites as he put it. (I really don't want to get political and religious here, but he makes it extremely hard.) That may be the case, but we're again talking about a small group. The "appetites" of the ponies are all important contributions to their whole. Posey is a gardener. Applejack and Cherries Jubilee harvest their respective fruits. Cupcake, Sweet Stuff, and Gingerbread cook their meals. Paradise is their storyteller and historian. Others are less defined, but that is because of the shortness of the series. Besides, everyone has their foibles (they are the spice of life after all), and they are more evident in a smaller group living in close quarters than in greater society spread over a large geographic area.
And there are obligations even during times of peace. In "The Revolt of Paradise Estate", when Paradise is shirking her responsibilities of repairing the estate, Cherries Jubilee goes right into her for it. Later, when the repairs aren't going well, Sweet Stuff shows shame for them not being able to fulfill their duty.
The writer's guide also explained to perspective writers another obligation for the Dream Valley ponies. They will never purposefully initiate a conflict. They can inadvertently start one (like Wind Whistler and company knocking over the frazzit barrel in "Mish Mash Melee"), but they will never going up to the Volcano of Gloom and beat up the witches just because they feel like it to give an example. This goes back into their ideal of mutual protection. Trouble has an easy enough time finding them, there are too few of them to seek it out on purpose.
As for the emphasis on feelings Davidson perceives in the G1 ponies, I think he neglected to understand the two ponies really going into Wind Whistler (Gusty and Truly) are two very emotionally driven ponies. They are individuals, not necessarily representations of the whole. They were also the two ponies who fell victim to Crunch due to their emotional reactions. It was Wind Whistler's reliance on logic and reason that won the day.
Also, "feelings" and "heart" were used as "kid friendly" alternatives to a soul. Crunch's story clearly parallels that of the golem, a clay robot animated through magic, but being a construct of man instead of God, has no soul. Like Crunch, the golem is given a directive by its creator to protect them, but the golem, having no compassion or morality of a soul, takes the directive to its logical conclusion and starts destroying everything that could possibly be a threat which is everything. Crunch has emotions like anger and sarcasm, but he doesn't really feel for himself. He only has his directive which drives him. He hates things soft because they are possible threats to the Heart Stone, not because of any opinion he formed on his own. Obviously, they could not use religious terms in this show, and it would be rather dark for the ponies to suggest Wind Whistler doesn't have a soul.
Again, the G1 ponies see bravery, loyalty, and especially compassion as important virtues, not just feelings. In "Baby It's Cold Outside", King Charlatan's absolute dismissal of other kinds of life was seen as appalling. Especially when he tried to justify freezing his own son, something even his own previously cold-hearted troops were disturbed by. There argument was based on having compassion for others being an important virtue while his xenophobia and megalomania were a cancer on not just the world but on himself as well. This brought him in touch with his compassion causing him to feel remorse which melted his freezing affect on his son. In "Woe is Me", there is open debate among the ponies as their compassion for Woebegone is approaching the limits where it is no longer serving their ideal of mutual protection as his mere presence was destroying their home.
If anything, despite what the theme songs says, "Letting your heart be your guide" is a good way to get into trouble. As I said, the more emotionally charged Gusty and Truly were turned to stone by Crunch. Baby Heart Throb got her and her friends' shadows taken because of her blind idolization of Knight Shade. Posey's emotional bias towards plants let the flories recover. Baby Lickety-Split's little tantrum led to a drought that almost killed them all. Paradise's laziness got them kicked out of Paradise Estate by their own furniture. North Star's curiosity got them up to their muzzles in misfit myths. No good came of the ponies following their feelings without thinking things through.
And Wind Whistler, the pony Davidson thoroughly destroyed and drove his message over the literal dead body of, best exemplifies these qualities. She is brave, loyal, and compassionate even if she keeps her emotions reserved. She believes even the life of a single bushwooly is worth saving. She is also humble in her intelligence, seeing it as an asset to benefit the whole rather than a sign of her personal superiority.
On the Equestria side, Davidson praised them for emphasizing virtues and that they subordinate inclinations with reason, doing the right thing even when it is unpopular and difficult. He concluded by saying they rule an empire.
These are things the G1 ponies did constantly as well if he had been actually watching the show (maybe not unpopular since it was such a small sample size and there was the honor code). If he was also watching Friendship is Magic, he would know the Mane 6 exceptional ponies within Equestria. The average Equestrian is a coward, an idiot, and a fool. They greet afflictions to others with barred doors and shuttered windows, something that would disgust their G1 counterparts. They do not rule an empire, they live in an empire ruled by demigods. They don't even has so much as a vote to direct the fortunes of Equestria, and would probably squander such power on shortsightedness. Take a hundred Equestrian ponies and drop them in Paradise Estate, and they would be lucky to be doing half as well as the G1 ponies did.
So ends my rant. Have a nice day.
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I know what you mean.
Whoever that person is, sounds like he's just a rabid gen elitist who is bent on seeing nothing of value in anything but what he likes.
Whatever happened to no one's perfect? And it's just a damn kid's show?
Can NONE of these people sit down and watch a simple kid's cartoon anymore without analyzing and crapping on it, out of a false sense of superiority? Geeze!
I see the problem I have with your use of guide. It is that you are using it to refer to dictate actions when the song is referring to it to point out the right path. Which means that Wind Whistler and Sweet Stuff are closer to being ponies that let her respective heart by her respective guide than Gusty and Truly are whom are dictated by their emotions.
The villain whom best represents the type that ignores his heart is King Lavan. And the villain whom best represents the type that lets their heart dictate all his actions is Dr. Caballeron.
I was going by Davidson’s twisted definition of the line.
Yes, Wind Whistler and Sweet Stuff are probably the most in touch with their core being.