Blizzard Entertainment released their latest expansion to their science fiction real-time strategy game Starcraft II about a month ago. I played through the story campaign since I am a big fan of science fiction and Blizzard’s games. I knew it would be entertaining, and the ending was a bit corny, but surprisingly the story was also thought provoking.
In the latest expansion, Legacy of the Void, you play as Artanis. Artanis is the leader of an advanced alien species on a mission to unite the splintered factions of his people against an ancient evil. He unites religious fanatics, mystical heretics, intelligent robots…and a brutally hierarchical culture where each member is enslaved to his superior and might makes right.
Artanis’ decision to welcome a culture that so flagrantly tramples on basic rights challenges pluralism by taking it to its logical conclusion. Pluralism, or coexisting with others with different cultures, beliefs, or principles means coexisting with practices I might vehemently disagree with. The idea of peaceful coexistence with a society based on slavery made me think about my own beliefs, since I believe in pluralism and oppose slavery.
On the other hand, perhaps the degree to which Artanis embraced pluralism hints at something deeper inherent in pluralism. Fighting, overthrowing, or otherwise forcing a population to reform tends to cement their beliefs in opposition to yours, actually promoting radicalization through opposition to it. Coexisting peacefully with the brutal culture probably did far more to change their beliefs than a military conflict, or even worse a genocide.
The current state of the Middle East is a good example of this. The more foreign powers kill  extremists, the more radicalized the surviving population is in their beliefs and conviction against us. If another nation started dropping bombs on my neighborhood I would probably become more radical. Another good example would how racism persists in the U.S. despite Union victory in the civil war.
What really helped promote racial equality in the U.S. was not the military defeat of a government that supported slavery, but the peaceful and inclusive civil rights movement. Thinking about the civil rights movement also made me realize that working for change out of understanding and compassion rather than violence is entirely in the spirit of pluralism, and perhaps it is the more effective method for promoting human rights.
The Thoughtful Thought 