boldilocks wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 9:29 am
Also, it would be speciesm. And as I recall, the Loroi do in fact possess a sense of superiority over other species, and my understanding is that this doesn't necessarily stem from their telepathy, but from them having a perceived heritage of a respected precursor species.
If you're from a telepathic species and you find someone who looks like your species but he's discolored and will have a shorter lifespan and has as much telepathic ability as a rock, your first thought is probably going to be "oh no, this one was born mentally retarded". If they didn't have the other human corpses to compare to he'd obviously have stunted ears and a severe blood disease of some sort.
Isn't the "heritage from a respected precursor species" a source for contention among the Loroi and some of their closest allies? The Loroi, Barsam, and Neridi, are biologically Soia-liron. "In particular, Barsam missionaries are devoted to uplifting their Nibiren brothers," which are not Soia-liron.
The Nibiren is a pre-industrial, Stone Age hunter-gatherer culture, which the Barsam resembles although they are not at all genetically related. The Loroi do not consider the Nibiren sophisticated enough for self-governance, and they are technically classified as an occupied population.
https://well-of-souls.com/outsider/union_races.html
I don't know much about the Barsam religion, but to me it seems like they take a special interest in the precursor race which the Soia Empire used as templates for new designed species. They refers to the Neridi as their brothers. To me it's unsure if they would refer to any intelligent life form as "brother" but Rigai Mozin, captain of Prophet's Reason, did refer to Alex as "little brother".
While we might be concerned about what would seem like speciesism by our standard, there seems to be some conflict in the alliance regarding how to view precursor species vis-à-vis the genetically more closely related Soia-liron. The Loroi seems to judge a species on their level of sophistication, technological advancement, and capacity to project influence. The Barsam seem to make judgements based on their religious doctrines.
When Rigai Mozin called the Loroi liars (page 65), I interpret that to relate to to the fact that the Barsam have a clear similarity to the Nibiren, while the Loroi have up to that point not seem to have a corresponding precursor. So what is the "lie" which the Loroi have been spouting? Maybe that they are a completely original creation, possibly direct descendant from the Soia-empire? Maybe the Loroi claim that they therefor is set above other species; or at least that they set above primitive precursors which to the Barsams view are "brothers".
Maybe Loroi view the Barsams as speciesists, while the Barsam in turn view the Loroi as speciesists?