Good and evil not LAWFUL and CHAOS

"Lawful" (order) and "chaos" (chaotic) are concepts used in many role-playing games and literary works as indicators of character and moral stance. These concepts are often understood along a different axis than good and evil.

• Lawful (orderly)
  • Fundamental Characteristics: Emphasis on order, respect for rule, tradition, and law.
  • Interpretation in certain role-playing games: characters value respect for the law, personal oaths and social rules, and the maintenance of order. Apart from issues of right and wrong, they place value on maintaining order and the law.
• Chaos
  • Fundamental characteristic: Emphasizes individual liberty and is not bound by rules or traditions.
  • Interpretation in certain role-playing games: characters who value personal freedom and spontaneity (improvisation) and may ignore or defy social rules and laws. They value the pursuit of freedom apart from issues of right and wrong.

Unlike the moral axis of good and evil, "Lawful" and "Chaos" are solely about the methodology of "how to act. For example, a "Lawful Good" character (pursuing goodness while following order) is often portrayed as one who does justice while respecting the rules of society. On the other hand, a "Chaotic Good" character (pursuing good while respecting chaos) is often portrayed as a being who tries to accomplish good even if it means breaking the rules.

For this reason, there exists a way of thinking that does not necessarily view chaos as "evil". Chaotic characters can also pursue good, they just differ from orderly characters in their means and mindset. Likewise, an orderly character can also act for evil.

• A little supplementation is needed here.
  • The character of chaos can take both good and evil actions, it is you who decides what to do and what is good
  • The character of the order can only take actions that are good. What they do and what is good is determined by a higher being than themselves.
  • So a character of chaos can consider an action that a character of order is doing as good to be evil.

In short, the concept of order and chaos should be understood as indicating a methodology of action or philosophy separate from the moral values of the character.

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