Democracy in the Elder Scrolls

[theconquistidor]

Edit: my pinky slipped while typing causing only some of the post to appear first go around. Sorry.

 

Okay, so a theory that's been kicking around in my head. This isn't a question of whether or not Bethesda would put this in an Elder Scroll game but whether the universe of the TES could eventually become like this. So someone theorized the idea that if you kill the Emperor in the dark brotherhood quest and Motierre, the Elder council might move into something more of a democratic parliament. From this Cyrodiil would become something more akin to the government of Great Britain with a parliamentary self-government with the Emperor bring just a figure head. They also argued that if the Stormcloaks win, High Rock would most likely succeed not wanting to be part of a two province Empire. The Empire seeing that it's mighty reign over all of Tamriel over would move into this position of a parliament. The terrible but still slightly democratic process of how the moot chooses the high king in Skyrim might catch on, and as time goes on the world evolves from its feudalism and into the modern governments we have of democracies, republics, confederacies, and parliaments.

 

So what do you guys think. Could something like this happen in TES Universe (not in a game but who knows)or is it doomed to be eternally stuck in the dark ages of feudalism.

Edited August 10, 2014 by theconquistidor

[Lachdonin]

I think it's highly unlikely. The Elder Council had existed since the time of Alessia, and has persisted through 4 dynasties and numerous 'pretenders'. Never in its nearly 4000 year history has it made such a move, and it seems unlikely that they would now, part icularly since the Dark Brotherhood gives the impression that the Elder Council is increasingly divided.

 

I also think it's risky to dub things like Dark Ages without far more context. Frnankly, Democracy sucks, and it barely, BARELY, works with a population that's 90% literate. It would be totally dysfunctional in a world like Tamriel, even more so than it is in ours.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Lachdonin

[notmyhome]

Frnankly, Democracy sucks, and it barely, BARELY, works with a population that's 90% literate. It would be totally dysfunctional in a world like Tamriel, even more so than it is in ours.

 

I agree with the second part of your statement. Democracy requires a population that is in fact able to make informed decisions. For this you either need a small territory that is governed democratically (as the ancient Greek city-states) or means of rapid mass-communication. Furthermore, people must have the time to inform themselves about the topics they decide about. With a level of technology such as displayed in ES, most people would have to work in the fields all day to produce enough food. The Greek states solved this issue via slavery and demanding tribute, which has been all but abandoned by the fourth era in Tamriel.

The Dwemer, however, had all that at their disposal. Higher education was the standard (all them Tonal Engineers need to come from somewhere, aye?), machines tended to all worldly needs and they could apparently use an inborn telepathic ability to communicate over large distances (even though this was hardly needed, as their states were hardly bigger than the Greek's). And still they preferred their Monarchy.

 

Question: Do we have any info on how much Dumac was a real sovereign? And how many Dwemer states supported him?

[Lachdonin]

We know Dumac ruled as sovereign of Resdayn, which contained at least a dozen Dwemer city-states, including the massive capital at Red Mountain. The Skyrim states seem to have been independent, as they were constantly fighting amongst each other while Dumac's kingdom was in a golden age. There is also the clan in Hammerfell, who left because the Chimer were untrustworthy dicks and they wanted no part of the First Council...

[notmyhome]

Hm. Interesting. So we can pretty surely conclude that not all Dwemer were privy to Kagrenac's experiments? And still got sucked into the same void that swallowed the Morrowind Dwemer?

[Lachdonin]

Yeah, whatever happened (well, we know what happened, just not why) it affected them all. Every last Dwemer on Nirn. Yagrum only escaped because he was in Oblivion at the time.

[theconquistidor]

Interesting. I guess that would be the case and I do agree democracy sucks, I'm more a fascist myself and favor Republics and Empires. I guess the TES world is doomed to be stuck in its permanent state. As another question who do you think would succeed the Emperor after you kill him in the DB quest line.

[Lachdonin]

Again, I rather doubt it. When you encounter him, Mede is calm, and clearly not worried about the line ofSuccession. This is a man who was willing to make some extremely tough and unpopular decisions to preserve the Empire, and his attitude on the Kateriah indicate he's not worried about its continuation. The LDB also has no claim to the Ruby Thron, because the Covenant is over.

 

Something to bear in mind about the seemingly constant state of Tamriel is Akatosh. He is one fascet of the Aka-tusk, one concept of time. Auri'el was the past, Akatosh is the present/maintenance, Alkosh is the future and Alduin is the end.

 

Because Akatosh was created, and has reigned ascendant since the middle Dawn, he has locked the world in a sort of sociopolitical stability, because maintaining the status quo is his whole jam.