I think it is important to distinguish honor and morality. They are two very different things. Honor can be amoral. Most of Kaladin's internal conflict is less about what he thinks is moral and more about keeping his word. He would put everybody and everything at risk to keep his word. We in fact see him do this multiple times. For example when he gets all the other bridge crews and Sadeas's army massacred to save his crew. Or when he leads Adolin, Azure, and Shallen in a hopeless mission across shadesmar and very nearly gets them all killed because he promised to protect Dalinar and he thinks he is in trouble. He experiences a lot of internal conflict any time his oaths/promises come into conflict. He wants to protect people but a big part of his arc is also realizing he can't protect everybody. Right before Syl leaves/"dies" in WoR they have a whole conversation about why their bond is weakening. The main thing seems to be that he made conflicting promises. He promised to protect Dalinar and his family. Then he promised Moash to help assasinate the King. He ultimately decides not to be complicit in the assassination of Elhokar not because he thinks Elhokar is a good person or because of the morality of it, he decides "If I kill a man, I'm going to do it in the sunlight, and I'm going to do it only because there is no other way." It is a very honorable idea. He criticizes Moash for abandoning his duty. You also see Kals focus on keeping promises every time his people die. He promised to protect is brother, the men under his command, etc. He is super effected when he is not able to keep his word. You can also see his sense of honor in combat with the fused in RoW where they develop standards of fair individual combat amidst a war. Justice and Unity are also amoral. The same can be said about all the orders of the knights radiant. We still don't know a ton about the other orders but the lightweavers seem to exemplify art and beauty. Morality has beauty standards as well. If you kill a cockroach nobody cares but if you kill a butterfly you will probably be seen as a sociopath. Hence why Shalash the herald of beauty and art is the leader of the lightweavers. The morality only emerges out of the confluence of all these different schools of thought. Even with their moral failings, the emphasis on oaths sort of makes the windrunners the natural leaders of the knights radiant being as they all pledge ideals. Hence why Jezrien the herald of kings and leadership is a windrunner.
Starting to read Way of Kings, 2 years after reading Mistborn 1, it's very interesting how (to me at least) The magic sustem is linked with Plato's philosophies
This was awesome ty! I just recently dove into Stormlight Archive, completely blind, and burned through all the books currently out. LOVED it, but I was confused about some things, and this really helped me make sense of stuff
INCREDIBLE video! I've been a fan of the Cosmere for a while now, and have been able to intuit a lot of this, but this video has really helped me fully understand the whole thing and I've drawn a couple new connections because of it! All without having to risk being spoiled by the 17th Shard / Coppermind (my curiosity has gotten the better of me once or twice. Wish I could just have all the books now and finish them in one afternoon, though I know I'd just be left hungry for more Cosmere).
This is a really excellent video, I would love to see your analysis of how the Edgedancers fit into all of this. They don't share a surge, but they absolutely do have oaths relating to remembering the little guy in a way that no one except maybe Windrunners understand.
Am now 10 chapters into the Way of Kings, which I started immediately after finishing the era 1 Mistborn trilogy. This video was not only fantastic for helping me contextualize the unique peculiarities of Roshar, but it also helped me re-contextualize the lore of Scadriel! Like, for example, the fractures in a person's soul allowing for Investiture to seep in and grant the person power explains why in Mistborn, the characters have to experience intense trauma and "snap" before they can use Allomancy. There are so many other little connections like that I was able to make, too. Thanks a ton for this!! So excited to keep falling down the Sanderson rabbit hole :D
Great video!!! I wish you had talked about Identity, though. I'm not sure if it's just a form of connection to an object (planet) or if it's its own thing.
It’s amazing how Sanderson created an overarching system of basically supernatural science… to the point where magic in the cosmere isn’t really magic at all but a different set of physical and meta-physical laws that only seem like magic to us because our laws of physics are very different.
Not a bad thing but ur voice reminds me of the babysitter from the incredibles and you like SA and it’s been 3 years just know everything is okay, time isn’t real and book 5 comes out this year!!
Hey there! Yes, I am doing okay, thank you for asking. I have hand problems which have put an end to my video making for the foreseeable future, but other than that life is going pretty well. It makes me very happy that people continue to find and get use out of this though--I put a lot of work into it I stand by my research and most of my writing! I hope you enjoy book five when it comes out later this year. Thanks for saying hi!
One of the biggest issues when people are talking about the Skybreakers (especially so when they're arguing against them) is that the only real notions we have about them come from the time after the recreance that which Nale is leading them. If a Herald who, like all the other ones, has shifted into a state where he's the antithesis of who he once was is leading an Order of Radiants, I'm not so certain that it sets the best precedent. Given how wishy-washy the Oaths are and just how strange the bonding process is, I'm not entirely certain that the Skybreakers are following their oaths correctly. Every other Order we've seen has established a bond at the first oath rather than the third and it just seems like the modern Skybreakers are filling in forgotten and false oaths with squirehood to get past it.
I haven't read the books, just watched 2 videos, this one included, and I already have a theory :)) well, actually more like a question or a theory which could be easily debunked if false: is it established that the god was really killed, like for good? If this isn't clearly or strongly stated, then he might reform out of the shards or something at some point, or maybe he is very much alive in some sense and controls the universe throughout the series.
Awesome video. Love how articulate and in depth it is while not being overwhelming. Also your visual representations are rad. Appreciate the effort it must of taken you!
Unfortunately I have acquired health problems, so at least in the near future more videos aren't in the cards. But I do want to do video again at some point. We will just have to see see if health ever allows it.
SPIRITUAL REALM IS A FREAKING SINGULARITY-WORMHOLE OF THE COSMERE!!!!! Crazy shit. There was this one thing about represent a concept of wormhole in a better way then "bent paper and a pencil" - this he video will be quiet the contender. And Sanderson of course, as the author of the cosmere. But just how cool is that?!
Me: So... the shards in Roshar react to wavelenght/sound... right? Friend: Basically, yes. Me: Me: I want a musical. Friend: What? Me: I. Want. A. Musical. Friend: That's not how it... Me: And everyone is singing to activate their power! Friend: ...
Nasty repetitive strain injury stuff which I'm currently getting help fixing. If I ever fully get better I may return, but right now writing scripts and editing video is a cool fast track to pain.
