Seems Like Someone's Rooting for the Wrong Side

[Raynor]

Because obviously I don't think people will act immorally just because they like a bad guy!

However, my point is that one doesn't have to act on a certain desire/intention to be immoral. One cannot say that he delights in evil and still claim complete morality.

And how many people who play act at loving Orcs are actually thieves or vandals?

Please specify what you mean by playing an orc; if it is a mere name, or if it actually implies replicating, to whatever extent, destructive acts of the orcs.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Perhaps language is tripping us up here.

Please specify what you mean by playing an orc; if it is a mere name, or if it actually implies replicating, to whatever extent, destructive acts of the orcs.

Surely everyone would agree that if someone imitates an orc and, as part of this "play acting", consciously commit destructive acts in the "real world", then this is not moral behavior. Conversely, if I write for an orc in an RPG (which I presently do) and use it to explore certain questions of psychology or faerie and my "real" behavior does not become orclike, I would not call such an situation immoral or negative in any way or sense.

Would the 'destructive' orc have been a destructive person in real life even if they had never taken on the persona of one of Tolkien's monstors? ...probably so. The basic problem undoubtedly lies within....the orc facade is one of many outer trappings they might have used to express something within that is basically wrong, but they could easily have used another persona, and the end results would be the same.

[Raynor]

if I write for an orc in an RPG (which I presently do) and use it to explore certain questions of psychology or faerie and my "real" behavior does not become orclike, I would not call such an situation immoral or negative in any way or sense.

I agree; this would be the utilitarian aspect of art I reffered to previously. However, I would have my doubts about this case, if the person in question would start derailing the RPG thread intentionally (I have no idea how, I am close to clueless how these thigns work), or if he intentionally uses overly strong imagery in order to negatively affect the others.

This is why I think attempting a moral evalutaion of the reader based on their emotional response to the events of the story is a dead end.

However, being impressed by a certain display of power does not justify developing a liking for the evil. If such a situation is developed, then morality is called into question; simply because we have a 'natural' tendency doesn't put us outside good and evil. Upholding morality actually requires us in such situations to reject evil and choose good, even when it is not useful, pleasant or satisfying. If one realises he actually develops a liking for evil, then one has the obligation to exert at least. self-examination, if he is to claim moral standing. Natural does not make it right.