EVE Fiction

There are a few potential problems I see here.

Firstly, I didn't learn about Post-Modernism until I was an undergraduate University student. Even then, no one in the entire University Philosophy department said a darn thing about it. I learned about it from my room-mate, who told me that Post-Modernism is 'already obsolete'.

Secondly, Post-Modern essentially means 'after Modern'. It came from the 1960s when society believed that science was infallible, technology was evolutionary, and progress is both desirable and inevitable. Post-Modernism as a philosophical and artistic stance questions that premise. Newer is not always better, nor is it always new.

Post-Modern movements such as Punk Rock were actually the first 'retro' movements, returning to the grass roots of 1950s Rock and Roll instead of the overproduced, highly commercialized 'Monster rock' of the 1970s.

The world of EVE takes place something like 10,000 years after the collapse of the wormhole leading to Earth. There was a resulting dark age where most people forgot how to make and use even simple technology. The origins of Earth are long forgotten. In fact, most people in New Eden seem to think that Earth is probably some kind of myth. Nobody would have ever heard the names of Jesus Christ, Adolph Hitler, Elvis Presley, or Socrates, nor would they understand their historical significance., so what are the chances of them knowing about Jacques Derrida or Micheal Fouceault?

Trying to apply the concept of 'post-modern' to the world of EVE presents difficulties because to us, EVE is the future. To our characters, technological change is so constant and rapid that it seems unchanging, like a river. Alvin Toffler makes reference to this in the Third Wave.

'Modern' doesn't have much meaning in New Eden because archeological relics and artifacts (such as the ones the Sleepers left behind) are often far more technologically advanced than whatever is being currently invented. Also, the Amarrians and Minmatar at the very least tend to be traditional and conservative cultures. Amarrians are still practicing slavery during a time when technology has rendered it's practicality as obsolete. Why? Well because that is their tradition. It 'says so' in their holy books.

As far as philosophy in New Eden is concerned, I generally don't get much further than considering the religions of the four factions. Arguably, religion is the grandfather of philosophy and a philosophy in itself. The Amarrian religions in themselves are quite diverse, detailed and interesting. The Minmatar have their religions as well, and so do the Caldari and Gallente. All of these is quite interesting, but some areas need development.

Also, when we consider that most people create characters in EVE for the sole purpose of killing other, what philosophical discussions are needed?

'Me good, you bad. Pew Pew. Kill mail.'

EVE has quite a range of players, from University academics all the way down to thirteen year old delinquents. Many of the people who play EVE are only interested in blowing each other up, and some still consider the word 'gay' to be an insult. Those that are even aware of what the word 'Post-Modernism' means tend to be on the thinner end and the right side of that bell curve.

Alternatively, what I might suggest is a sort of Militant Atheism. Unless it generates some kill mails, most people in New Eden have zero interest in it. You would need to come up with a kind of philosophy which would justify reasons for a war declaration.

What I have in mind is actually something like western Marxism, or specifically the Stalinist/ Maoist structure which led to so many atrocities. It's not the idea that 'Communism/ Marxism is bad', but rather the idea that the USSR and Maoist China were essentially 'modernist' states that failed.

These early socialist states were the products of the 'modern era' of the early 20th century. They were 'modernist movements', great social experiments based on science, logic, and reason, as opposed to the ages old traditions of religious superstition and individual greed. Yet in order to accomplish this utopian vision, millions of dissenters had to be arrested, imprisoned, tortured, executed, etc. Secret Police, Gulags, etc. Despite this, they still ultimately collapsed and failed.

However, the collapse of the Berlin wall wasn't so much of a collapse of Marxism as it was a collapse of the idea of modernism. Electronic music is not better than acoustic, digital is not preferable to analogue, vinyl is better than compact disks, old classics are better than the new movies, and so on.

So, I would say 'post-modernist', no, but 'rationalist', yes.

Instead of role-playing avuncular academics in tweed coats discussing philosophy over coffee in a cafe in EVE (and presumably on philosophy blogs and sites outside of EVE as well), I would suggest some sort of ideological extremist movement which resulted in fanatics on one side, and casualties on the other.

A Scientific Materialist militant Atheist movement would be a perfect foil to Amarrian religious fanaticism (or the Caldari 'Way of the Winds', whatever you like). As far as I know, nothing like this exists in EVE yet. Minmatar factional warfare role players sometimes claim to be atheists just to spite the Amarrians, but there is no 'organized Atheism'.