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Inquisiton Morality


GKTELIAS

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Problem is, you don't need to defend the inquisitions actions morally, "the Emperor said so" is a perfectly good enough reason for them.

 

However, I'll try anyway. The inquisition is there to do what no other can, just like Batman. They do what is needed to protect the imperium from the dangers of an uncaring universe, without worrying about the moral issues of what they're doing.

Read the Eisenhorn series. One of the best insights into the mind of an inquisitor. One of the best lines is something along the likes of, "My patience has limits...unlike my authority."

 

Also, "Mankind must suffer so mankind can survive."

 

Morals don't apply when talking about inquisitors. The question is, how much good can they do before they die or turn. It's one or the other.

I think it would be appropriate to say Inquisitors "do what is smart, not necessarily what is right". Sure, you could let the hundreds of millions of survivors of a daemon invasion just go back to their lives, you could stop the black ships and stop thousands of rouge psykers from fearing and hating the Imperium, you can work with the xenos to stop mutual threats and share technology to help mankind instead of creating another enemy. You can do all these things and they have great potential. But that is the problem, is potential. The survivors can become traumatized and begin a cult that would eventually overthrow the planet and result in another major conflict being fought there. You can love the psyker all you want but there will be those who hate you regardless, out of misconception, falsification or truth, and he will take advantage of this vulnerability for his own ends, resulting in who knows how many dead and what tragedies to befall. The enemy of my enemy is my friend so long as that enemy exists and the xenos will have their own selfish desires that they will be more than happy to enact when we have shown friendship. The Imperium is a horrible place but it is not without reason. And so we see that the Imperium is cruel but for reason, where an impending disaster can take root but the Inquistion seizes the opportunity and stops it. They do what is necessary so one can only hope that through these actions, and that it might impress upon the people to do what is right.

 

I don't really like the comparison because Batman knows that the ideals of society are fair but, because of imperfection of some, are exploited and cause great harm. However, he knows that there are some truths that should not be broken for good reason, because then there will be no difference between him and those he hunts except in motivation. The most of the Inquisiton does not acknowledge this truth and has lead to the =I= being a threat to itself at times.

I have seen a particular quote from an Inquisitor to this effect:

We do what must be done to ensure Mankind's survival, regardless of what we think is right or wrong. Even the Emperor will never forgive us for what we have done, but Mankind will live on as a result. There never was any salvation for the Inquisitors.

 

Essentially it's a sacrificial concept. They do these things because someone has to, regardless of the fact that doing these things will cause them to be rejected by the Emperor (they believe, though the portrayal of the Emperor in the HH novels casts this into doubt). They don't do it because it is right, they don't do it because it is wrong, they do it because it is necessary. More than anyone else, the Inquisition has seen the strength of Mankind's enemies, both those out in the light and those hidden in shadow.

 

Morality is a luxury that cannot be afforded in grimdark.

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