Draft:The I.F.'s perfect order in Ender's Game
[gL.edu] This article gathers contributions being developed by Samuel Liam Scholz, within the context of the Conceptual clarifications about "Utopias and the Information Society", under the supervisión of J.M. Díaz Nafría.
Teacher's Comments: This article requires the corrections indicated below:
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The novel
Overview
"Ender's Game" is a military science fiction novel written by Orson Scott Card. The universe it takes place in envisions a future where humanity is threatened by an insect-like alien species - "the buggers." The story is centred around a young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin and his journey to become a commander within the Earth's prestigious military force - to prepare and train for a potential third bugger-invasion. Throughout the course of the book, Ender becomes more and more militarily proficient such as by partaking in advanced war games (including several zero-gravity battles).
"Ender's Game" was originally first released as a short story in 1977[1] and the novel was then officially published in 1985, leading to several sequels and adaptations. Today, it has an international cult following and many recognise it for its insightful exploration of military strategy[2] and leadership, winning the novel prestigious awards like the Nebula[3] and Hugo[4]. Additionally, movies and other forms of media have been created, drawing from the universe first conceptualised by Card.
Synopsis and Plot of Ender’s Game
As previously aforementioned, Ender's Game is set in a future where humanity is at war with an alien species known as the Formics (or more colloquially – buggers). In this future, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, is chosen for Battle School, a military training program in space largely in thanks to his exceptional (not entirely natural) talent. Ender, unique for his blend of empathy and ruthlessness (described as a 50/50 DNA split of his two older siblings), excels in strategic warfare simulations, outperforming older and more experienced peers. During his time at the battle school he is put through extreme stressors and widespread isolation in order to better foster independence and leadership; at least in the eyes of his I.F. commander peers. Here, the protagonist is mentored by the war hero Mazer Rackham who is, at least to Ender's best knowledge at the time, preparing him for a final test to prove his "war-readiness" in the fight against the Formics. What Ender doesn't know is that this test is in fact a real battle against the Formics, which leads to their annihilation. Ender is devastated upon learning he has committed genocide and with his trust being entirely broken and him being haunted by guilt and disillusionment, he ends up refusing to return to earth. Instead he turns to exile with his sister Valentine. It is there where he discovers an unborn Formic queen egg on a former colony and decides to make it his mission to find the now for all sense and purpose "extinct" colony a new home, kind of as a form of atonement. Ender's story, shared through his book "Speaker for the Dead," alters humanity's perception of the war and himself, painting a complex picture of a child soldier turned into a reluctant hero, grappling with the moral implications of his actions and the cost of survival.
The International Fleet (I. F.)
Overview
The International Fleet (I.F.) is the Earth's supreme military organisation as outlined within Card's novel. It can be seen as some form of conglomerate or coalition of Earth's many governments - somewhat of a task force - that was created in response to the imminent threat from the Formic aliens. The I.F., despite being somewhat less technologically proficient than the Formic foe, employs cutting edge technological innovations in the context of space crafts, weapons and other relevant fields. This is both for warfare and for training, much like the previously mentioned Battle school where most of the novel plays out. It is here where the most gifted children, much like Andrew Wiggin himself, are trained from a young age in a wide variety of military proficiency; such as strategy, communication, leadership and many more. There are a number of notable characters among the I.F. commanders, most importantly the following three - these could be, while not publicly stated by card, influenced by historical military commanders:
- Colonel Hyrum Graff: He was a demanding but strategically insightful administrator who plays a meaningful role in Ender's military development. This colonel could be based on General George Patton or Admiral Chester Nimitz, two military commanders who were renown for the military ability, however also noted to have significant character flaws when it came to emotional intelligence and empathy towards their constituents.
- Major Anderson: He oversaw the battle simulations and trainings, however he also latter expresses his moral reservations about the treatment of children within the I.F. This major could find inspiration in a very well known military figure; General Omar Bradley. This general was known as the "soldiers general" for his awareness of the moral and ethical implications of war, as well as his approach to seeing people more than just an expendable resource.
- Mazer Rackham: This character is more of an idolised figure in Ender's eyes - Mazer Rackham being the war hero from the previous, second Formic war. He becomes Ender's mentor within the Battle Station, being a morally ambiguous figure; following the altruistic goal of "saving humanity", however at the cost of large scale manipulation, as seen by the story of the protagonist. This character could be influenced by stories of the legendary commanders of the past such as Alexander the Great or Sun Tzu; both having an ambiguous entry in history.
These characters all share an important narrative purpose; they showcase a certain duality that is central to the development of the plot - and therefore to the development of Andrew Wiggin as a person. It shows the difficult situation the military has been placed into; it has been pushed into a corner where the commanders believe they must manipulate their constituents in order to achieve their desired results - in this case these results being the survival of humanity. The entire narrative development is underlined by the ethical issues with running a utilitarian "microcosm" of a society - the I.-F. military operation. It raises the question of the weight of the needs of many, versus the needs of a few - in this case the needs of children.
Roots in other works of utopian and dystopian writing
Centralised Control and Uniformity
The I.F. shares similarities with utopian works like Thomas More's "Utopia" or Plato's Republic, where a centralised authority seeks to create a perfect society through strict control and uniformity. This can be seen in numerous occasions; most notably the standardised training system.
Technological Advancement for Ideal Society
The I.F. uses advanced technology to create a sort of "perfect defence system" against the imminent Formic threat. This type of techno-utopia reflects the International Fleet's belief that science and technology can solve all of humanity's problems.
Control and the Loss of Individuality
If we consider some of the more dystopian aspects found in Ender's Game, we needn't look further than the explored concepts of surveillance, manipulation and mass indoctrination. These can be compared with similar narrative tropes seen in other works such as George Orwell's "1984" or Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World." The idea here is that through the stripping of individuals rights and freedoms in the pursuit of a "greater good", it can often lead to the dystopian mirrored trope of dehumanisation and control of a select "Elite Society".
A (failed) attempt at a Utopia of perfect social order:
Creating Elite Guardians
The International Fleet's central objective to remove a selection of gifted and talented children to pursue their overarching goal of saving humanity can be seen as a very similar narrative trope as found in Plato's Republic[5], a collection of work that notably encapsulates Plato's Allegory of the cave. In Republic and the works within, Plato explores the idea of so-called "guardians" or "philosopher kings". These aforementioned guardians are also children who are taken from a young age and undergo a strict philosophical education in order to prepare them to become wise and strong leaders - capable of ruling the city-state justly and effectively. These children are put through a rigorous training system that is designed to instil in them the virtues necessary for governance; wisdom, courage, and temperance[6].
Similarly, the protagonist is selected at the age of 6 to become a military commander. This immediately sends Ender off to the Battle Station and leads to him leaving his normal life, friends and family behind. This recruitment system as used by the I.F. is analogous to the concept outlined in Plato's Republic. The training these children undergo go beyond the classical military or philosophical tactics, strategies and texts; especially in the I.F.'s case it involves psychological conditioning and ethical decision-making under pressure.
The children in Plato's Republic, much like Andrew Wiggin, become forcibly separated from their friends and family. Subsequently, they are subjected to a curriculum designed to progressively test and expand their leadership qualities and military prowess. The underlying belief that governs this system, is that through the extreme control of the environment and experiences of these children the I.F. can cultivate the ideal qualities of a leader; decisiveness, strategy and foresight - ultimately becoming effective in striking down the potential Formic threat.
Despite the perhaps altruistic or seemingly well-intentioned goals of the I.F., this approach raises some serious ethical questions. The child-guardians are often unaware of the full extent of their manipulation through the ruling power; extending to the inability to process the consequences of their actions or the deliberate ambiguity and blurred line between training and warfare as drawn by the I.F. in Ender's Game. Plato's "philosopher-kings" in training also fall prey to this ethical dilemma, when they are shaped by a controlled education to serve the state's needs, potentially at the cost of their personal autonomy and well-being.
Ender's Game uses this "guardian-creation program" to explore the philosophical and ethical implications of a utilitarian society, regardless of the greater moral goal pursued as an overarching goal. It explores whether the ends justify the means; especially in respect to the impact on individuals lives, children, who are manipulated to serve as key figures in a war that they cannot yet fully grasp. These children will eventually bear the responsibility of their actions when they grow up, after being able to pierce the veil of manipulation and manufactured knowledge they have been fed all of their childhood and adolescence. In the ends the question remains; does using and sacrificing young lives for the supposed good of society have any ethical basis in the face of leadership and protection?[7]
Rationalised Structure and Order
Efficiency and order are central elements in the microcosm of the International Fleet's military system and is shown through the training and governance as previously outlined. These elements can also be found in other works of dystopian and utopian literature. In the I.F.'s system each person's role is precisely calibrated for their maximum societal impact - and it becomes very easy to see glaring issues with a sorting process like this. The idea of a perfect social order doesn't necessarily have a negative connotation, however all concepts of a "perfect order system" have led to the infringement of personal freedoms of it's constituents - all the way to mass surveillance and suppression of free speech; leaving behind the altruistic vision it may have once encapsulated. The individuals within the I.F. are assessed and placed according to their potential contributions to the war effort, ensuring that every talent is harnessed effectively in the fight against the Formic threat.
The International Fleet's strips away individual autonomy for the sake of humanity's survival. This system echoes the structured, predestined roles found in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" where a society uses advanced scientific methods to determine the societal role of each individual from birth, creating a stratified but stable social order. In the case of Andrew Wiggins, his DNA is spliced before birth, monitored throughout infancy and selected by the I.F. for his innate and desired abilities - subsequently placed into Battle School where his development is further controlled in his predetermined path as a military leader.[8]
This can also be compared to Lois Lowry's "The Giver"[9]. In this work, the author lays out a society that maintains itself by assigning individuals to roles that fit the community's needs. This assignment-principle overrides the desires and wishes of individuals to preserve a harmonious social order. In both "The Giver" as well as "Ender's Game," the protagonist challenges the established order. Throughout both respective works the Authors use their protagonists to question the morality of sacrificing individual welfare for the perceived collective good. While not being inherently evil, the I.F.'s system has a certain dystopian feel to it - thanks in part to the system's potential for dehumanisation and ethical compromising. It shows an evident duality between an efficient society and the cost to the freedom of individuals that inhabit it.
Dystopian Elements of Control and Dehumanisation
Previously, a large portion of the discussion centred around the utopian elements and aspirations of the International Fleet, however throughout the novel it becomes clear that the I.F. also incorporates elements of oppressive regimes as found in other dystopian literature. There is a clear comparison with George Orwell's "1984" in the use of intensive surveillance and other methods of totalitarian control. The state in Orwell's 1984 exercises absolut authority over its constituents, using surveillance to enforce conformity and loyalty. Similarly, the I.F. monitors and controls it's young soon-to-be commanders to ensure their development to formidable warriors, capable of defending the Earth from the alien threat. The methods the I.F. uses range from simple manipulation and manufactured knowledge through to psychological conditioning and isolation.
One could also draw parallels between Ender's Game and Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451." In his novel, Bradbury describes a government that seeks to suppress individual thought and increase conformity/loyalty by banning books and controlling information. Very similar to how the I.F. controls every piece of information that the cadets at the Battle School have access to. Look no further than Ender, who is unbeknownst of the wider implications of his actions for the vast majority of the novel; information is used as power and the I.F. wants to limit the available power to strictly further its own military cause and agenda.
Both novels, "1984" and "Fahrenheit 451" , explore the (ethical) ramifications of dehumanising control by an elite power in place. This theme resonates with Card's novel; especially with the I.F.'s methodological system in place to create the "perfect" military commanders. The stripping away of personal freedoms and individuality in the name of a greater good raises profound ethical questions. It highlights the potential cost of a truly "perfect social order".
(Loss of) Trust in the name of Security
Security at the Cost of Individuality
Moving onto a different element of information societies - the trust of the society and its members in the power at play. In order to have a utopian, trustful society it is necessary for the citizens of such a society to have full trust in the governing power to handle in the goodwill of the (majority of) people. Within such a society, the alignment of individual and collective goals is assumed. In turn, the governing power is expected to act rationally and driven by the will of the people. However, this can often be extremely ambiguous and hard to translate into a meaningful concept - as the assessment of goals can be entirely subjective. In Ender's Game the I.F. represents this kind of deviation from the utopian ideal of a trustful society. The International Fleet prioritises the overarching need for security over the individual freedoms and moral agency of its citizens — in this case, the child trainees.
The I.F. implements many security measures in order to have a tighter grip of control on the development of it's military personal from the extremely early and impressionable age they start the training at. This creates a microcosm of a society where trust is not placed in the individual's capacity for ethical decision-making or personal growth, but rather in the system's capacity to create security and order. This leads to a loss of value of individuality and autonomy - rather it values their utility within the security framework. They are expected to trust the system implicitly and follow its directives without question; embodying the role of cogs within a larger security machine.
This dynamic of security versus trust reflects a tension in the utopia of an information society. In theory, the accumulation and application of data are intended to create a safer, more predictable environment. However the reality looks much more complicated and morally ambiguous; at what point does the sacrifice of individual liberties and trust for the sake of security begin to undermine the very utopian ideals it seeks to protect? While the I.F. is perhaps not as strong of a dystopian example as some other works in this space, it showcases a very interesting cross-section of a society. A society that is perhaps moving towards a fully dystopian reality, where the concentration of trust in a fallible and potentially oppressive system poses risks to individual identity and freedom.
In "Ender's Game," this tension is further illustrated by the manipulation of Ender's experiences and the withholding of critical information from him. This emphasises the extent to which the I.F. disregards individual trust and consent to fulfil its security objectives. What is left is a paradoxical situation: a society striving for a utopian level of security through methods that instil a dystopian level of control and dehumanisation. Control that challenges the notion of what it truly means to live in a trustful society.
Surveillance and Control
In Ender's Game it becomes apparent that the ethos of security overrides the value of trust placed in the individual citizens of the society. Through the use of widespread surveillance and stringent control mechanisms, the I.F. exerts its control on the cadets and commanders in training at the Battle Station. This is particularly characterised by the I.F.'s preference for a regimented, predictable development of its soldiers. Something that is obviously best achieved through comprehensive monitoring and the deliberate shaping of actions and experiences.
The International Fleet does not want to cultivate trust in the innate capabilities or decision-making of the trainees. More-so, it wants to create a foolproof system where every variable, including human behaviour, can be controlled and manipulated. And such showcases the potential dark facets of an information society, where once utopian ideals or approaches can be twisted into a much more self-serving and dystopian tool of control. Personal data transcends its use as a resource and becomes a mean of exercising this control and power. The I.F.'s reliance on constant surveillance represents a utilitarian philosophy that the potential benefits of securing humanity's future justify the invasive means.
The I.F. exercises this control over Ender in a number of different manners; dictating the flow of information available to him, manipulating his perception of his training and the true nature of his enemy. By doing this, they inherently dismiss the notion that their society could be both safe and trustful. In the eyes of the I.F. the only way they can ensure security is through total control of any available parameters. Again it is important to refer to George Orwell's "1984," where the state uses surveillance not just to prevent dissent but to ensure the orthodoxy of thought.
Through their actions, the I.F. showcases the inherent risk of an information society that prioritises data acquisition and surveillance over the cultivation of individual autonomy and trust. Through this "one-size-fits-all" system the individual potential of constituents is subsumed and moulded under the guise of safety and security and the vision of a "greater good". This paradoxical relationship between security and freedom forms a core theme in Ender's Game. It demonstrates the complex interplay between the beneficial and oppressive potentials of a society driven by information and control.
Ethical Dilemmas of Security Measures
The ethical issues embodied by the I.F. serve as critique of the controlling nature of dystopian information societies. This picks up on the implications arising from the suppression of individual liberties to the perceived needs of collective safety. In the narrative climax of this novel Ender makes a shocking discovery; while he was led to believe that he was simply partaking in the final test for him to become a full fledged military commander, he had instead committed a very real genocide of the Formic species. This discovery sets an internal conflict of unbelievable magnitude into action. A young Ender is suddenly confronted with the reality of him being the the sole reason an entire species has gone extinct.
The I.F. placed their overarching goal of "saving humanity" over the autonomy and well-being of an individual. This raises questions about the costs of a trustful information society. What checks and balances are in place to regulate when a governing power can decide which information they can and cannot withhold. When is a lack of transparency really needed (for the safety of the citizens) and when is it an overreach if power and abused to control the wide masses of a society. This is most definitely a theme that resonates with contemporary debates about the trade-offs between privacy and safety in our own information-laden societies.
It is important to note; Andrew Wiggin did not give his consent to becoming a "guardian". This is a decision that goes hand-in-hand with extreme psychological and emotional strains - something that cannot be fully rationalised by a six year old child. The I.F. is evidently an institution governed by a utilitarian philosophy that justifies morally questionable actions if they result in a greater benefit for the majority. This utilitarian calculus is at the heart of many ethical dilemmas in information societies today. With data aggregation and utilisation for security purposes being commonplace and exponentially increasing over the past years, it shows a need for heightened discussions surrounding principles of individual rights and ethical governance.
In that sense, Ender's Game can be seen as a cautionary tale about the potential for the abuse of power under the guise of protecting society.
Key Take-Aways
The International Fleet in Ender's Game is a complex military entity. It showcases the very thin line an information society can balance on between utopian and dystopian elements. It highlights the tension between utopian ideals of security and the dystopian realities of achieving such through strict regimentation and control. The rigorous training programs and the methodological warfare system in place perfectly encapsulate the ethical dilemmas inherent in prioritising collective survival over individual rights. The novel's portrayal of the I.F. reflects themes from classical utopian works, like the structured society of More's "Utopia," yet simultaneously invokes the oppressive atmospheres of Orwell's "1984" and Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451." These works all share in elements of dehumanising control that a select few exercise over the broad masses of society. Ender's Game serves as a cautionary exploration of the balance between a society's security and the ethical treatment of its individuals, particularly within the context of an information-driven age.
References
Disclaimer: all unnamed references and information are taken from the Novel: "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card.
- ↑ Card, O. S. (n.d.). Ender’s Game. Short stories by Orson Scott Card - Ender’s Game. http://www.hatrack.com/osc/stories/enders-game.shtml
- ↑ Research guides home. Commandant’s Professional Reading List - official site. primary level - enlisted. Primary Level - Enlisted - Commandant’s Professional Reading List - Official Site - Research Guides Home at Library of the Marine Corps. (n.d.). https://web.archive.org/web/20170110015130/http://guides.grc.usmcu.edu/content.php?pid=408059&sid=5775651
- ↑ 1985 Award Winners & Nominees. Worlds Without End. (n.d.). https://web.archive.org/web/20181106215604/http://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_year_index.asp?year=1985
- ↑ 1986 Award Winners & Nominees. Worlds Without End. (n.d.-b). https://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_year_index.asp?navi=&Year=1986
- ↑ Decker, K. S., & Ewing, J. (2013). Xenocide‘s Paradox. In Ender’s Game and philosophy the Logic Gate is down (pp. 32–40). essay, Wiley Blackwell.
- ↑ Plato. (2017). The republic. Cambridge University Press.
- ↑ Cooke, E. F. (1999). The moral and intellectual development of the philosopher in Plato’s Republic. Ancient Philosophy, 19(1), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.5840/ancientphil19991912
- ↑ Lohnes, K. (2023). Brave new world. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Brave-New-World
- ↑ Lowry, L. (2011). The giver. Ember.