h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Darakats 30th Rant - Topic - Specail Editions

Now we all know that there are somethings that darakat loathes and like and thanks to 30 rants you all know a little more about what he thinks about the world. However to mark the momentous occasion of his 30th rant darakat, he will rant about something very useful. No, its not the local politics of the election, an issue which I have sworn to keep off (no really). But I today will rant about Oaths, Promises and Pledges.

Now a better man than me (there are none since all men are equal in my mind but thats beside the point and not consistent with narrative practice) would say that a Oath is a Pledge, and a promise is a promise. But they be wrong. You see since ancient times and Oath has always been very different to a pledge and a promise is not very secure at all. So let us define them all:

A oath: An oath is a list of the people you take a oath upon, including any deities you wish to include, what you think you should do to keep the oath and what punishment should you fail. However an oath to another person should never cause your death, or exile. An oath that takes into it the punishment of exile or death is in fact a pledge. The pledge of elegance for example, is a oath not a pledge. However if you do not take it upon yourself to list the consequences the oath to whom you make it choses your fate, you must do as they wish, and there is no reason they can't choose exile or death as a punishment. However you may break a oath if otherwise harm would come to you or another person. Nice example ( http://classics.mit.edu/Hippocrates/hippooath.html )

A pledge: A pledge is stronger than a oath. you must die or be placed in exile if you break a pledge. However you may break a pledge if death or exile would have happened anyway. There are no real modern day examples, the pledge of allegiance does not consequence in death or exile and thus is not a pledge by definition. Marriage is a combination of both and oath and a pledge, you breaking it can indeed sometimes result in death or exile or when some harm would come of it.

A promise: A lot weaker than both a pledge and a oath, this includes a Guarantee, and most election promises. In theory a promise should be kept as long you wish to keep a friendship. You should in theory end a friendship if a promise is broken. However you can forgive a break of one if you feel the excuse is good enough or it is done in circumstances whereby the promise breaker had little choice.

Now why am I ranting about this? Well people always get it wrong! They think a promise is an oath or a pledge is a promise or worse! STOP IT! GET IT RIGHT! Say the words after me, I do solely swear...

I try to avoid either at most costs.

Me too, I promise!

Well, I swear it!

hehe, I was sure this was what was going to happen.

Smart boy.

Thanks!

Yeah, yeah.

Exactly.

And thats when they all died, the end

It's the end of the world as we know it...

and with a click of his fingers before ye all that was was never again

Didn't catch the song.

I like bread

I like Clydesdales.

I think there is a whole list of like we could make

I think there is a lot of truth in that.

it would be rather long as well

Aren't the most powerful truths the simplest, however?

no, there just the ones that are the first against the wall when the revolution comes