User:Sol Pacificus

Sol Pacificus
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About me

I am an avid fan of Assassin's Creed, and it is my all-time favorite franchise.

This is because coincidentally, the ideology of the Assassins perfectly and exactly reflect my own philosophical beliefs.

No other franchise has ever done this so perfectly.

I would like to stress, however, that I am strongly opposed to applying personal biases and perspectives to these articles, in lieu with the Wikipedia principle of maintaining a neutral point of view. As such, I will not edit Assassin articles with a zealous favoritism nor will I seek to degrade Templar-related articles with fervent condemnations and the like. Rather, I adamantly believe in adopting an open-mind of non-absolutism, as is in fact, expounded by the Assassin maxim "nothing is true, everything is permitted." In other words, my work on this wiki will not be influenced by my alignment towards the Assassins. Moreover, I do not believe that Assassins are the "perfect good" or that Templars are the "perfect evil." Far from it, to be an Assassin is to understand that the world is not white vs. black and to understand that the world is so complex such that good resides in evil and evil resides in good.

Beyond that, I hope to thoroughly explain the complexities of the Assassins' philosophy here on this page when I have time, and to elicit just how deep the themes of Assassin's Creed are.

Quotations and Analysis

The following are a list of significant quotes I wish to use to perhaps improve articles on this wiki.

This first quote I will elaborate on later. For now, I shall only say that it is not only what I believe to be one of the most heartwarming of quotes ever in Assassin's Creed but also the one that invites the most misinterpretation and can be sufficient cause for Templars to believe that Assassins are anarchists, extremists at freedom, when they are not. Rather it exemplifies the Assassin's faith in humanity, diversity, and tolerance.

"Silenzio. Silenzio. Twenty-two years ago, I stood where I stand now – and watched my loved ones die, betrayed by those I had called friends. Vengeance clouded my mind. It would have consumed me, were it not for the wisdom of a few strangers, who taught me to look past my instincts. They never preached answers, but guided me to learn from myself. We don't need anyone to tell us what to do; not Savonarola, not the Medici. We are free to follow our own path. There are those who will take that freedom from us, and too many of you gladly give it. But it is our ability to choose – whatever you think is true – that makes us human... There is no book or teacher to give you the answers, to show you the path. Choose your own way! Do not follow me, or anyone else."

―Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Here below, Malik Al-Sayf perfectly sums up the Assassin's creed.

"You cannot know anything. Only suspect. You must expect to be wrong, to have overlooked something."

―Malik Al-Sayf to Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad

How many have missed that Juno's words, beyond a reference to the inferiority of human beings, is also an echo of the observation undertaken by the Assassins?

"A hundred years I might speak and still you would not know us. You with five senses. Us with six. The one we kept from you. To be safe. Now, you can never know. Only try. Grasp. You can SEE. SMELL. TASTE. TOUCH. HEAR. Knowledge has been locked away."

―Juno

Below, one of my favorite quotes in Assassin's Creed. It is my sincere belief that though the Assassins, as I do, perceive that there is no Truth in this world, that if there were one, it would be dangerous to make that assumption... yet, to be a non-absolutist, means also to refrain from being an absolutist at non-absolutism, or lest a paradox is produced... therefore, the principle of uncertainty remains, and as we are uncertain, so we wonder whether the observation is incorrect, and if it were, what is the Truth? To me, the Truth, or at least the most likely candidate for the Truth if we allowed room for the assumption that "nothing is true" to be wrong, would be love. Love for people, of cultures, of humanity, of the world. And to me, that is why liberalism and human rights exist. Why people fight to preserve them. And to me, this is main contrast between Assassins and the Templars. Love means to be cautious of the infliction of pain at all times, and to acknowledge that to harm another is never the Truth. But one must also understand when such infliction of pain is unavoidable, for in some circumstances, to refrain from acting means to surrender to the peril of indifference.

"Love binds our order together. Love of people, of cultures, of the world. Fight to preserve that which inspires hope, and you will win back your people."

―Ezio Auditore da Firenze

An ironic moment in Assassin's Creed III occurs when Benjamin Church lectures Ratonhnhaké:ton on what is essentially, unbeknownst to both of them, the core idea of the Assassins:

"It's all a matter of perspective. There is no single path through life that's right and fair and does no harm. Do you truly think the Crown has no cause? No right to feel betrayed? You should know better than this, dedicated as you are to fighting Templars – who themselves see their work as just. Think on that the next time you insist your work alone befits the greater good. Your enemy would beg to differ – and would not be without cause."

―Benjamin Church

"What follows are the three great ironies of the Assassin Order: (1) Here we seek to promote peace, but murder is our means. (2) Here we seek to open the minds of men, but require obedience to a master and set of rules. (3) Here we seek to reveal the danger of blind faith, yet we are practitioners ourselves.
I have no satisfactory answer to these charges, only possibilities... Do we bend the rules in service to a greater good? And if we do, what does it say of us? That we are liars? That we are frauds? That we are weak? Every moment is spent wrestling with these contradictions and in spite of all the years I've had to reflect, still I can find no suitable answer... And I fear that one may not exist.
Nothing is true. Everything is permitted. Does our creed provide the answer, then? That one may be two things – opposite in every way – simultaneously? And why not? Am I not proof? We of noble intentions, possessed of barbaric means? We who celebrate the sanctity of life and then promptly take it from those we deem our enemies?"

―Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad

"Why do our instincts insist on violence? I have studied the interactions between different species. The innate desire to survive seems to demand the death of the other. Why can they not stand hand in hand? So many believe the world was created by the hand of a divine power – but I see only the designs of a madman, bent on celebrating destruction and desperation. Our origins seem chaotic. Unintended. Purpose and being instilled solely by the passage of time. Imposed first by nature – and later men..."

―Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad

"Over time, any sentence uttered long and loud enough becomes fixed. Becomes a truth. Provided, of course, you can outlast the dissent and silence your opponents. But should you succeed – and remove all challengers – then what remains is, by default, now true.
Is it truth in some objective sense? No. But how does one ever achieve an objective point of view? The answer is you don't. It is literally, physically impossible. There are too many variables. Too many fields and formulae to consider. We can try, of course. We can inch closer and closer to a revelation. But we'll never reach it. Not ever...
And so I have realized, that so long as The Templars exist, they will attempt to bend reality to their will. They recognize there is no such thing as an absolute truth – or if there is – we are hopelessly under-equipped to recognize it. And so in its place, they seek to create their own explanation. It is the guiding principle of their so-named "New World Order"; To reshape existence in their own image. It is not about artifacts. Not about men. These are merely tools. It's about concepts. Clever of them. For how does one wage war against a concept?
It is the perfect weapon. It lacks a physical form yet can alter the world around us in numerous, often violent ways. You cannot kill a creed. Even if you kill all of its adherents, destroy all of its writings – these are a reprieve at best. Some one, some day, will rediscover it. Reinvent it. I believe that even we, the Assassins, have simply re-discovered an Order that predates the Old Man himself..."

―Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad

Far from reveling in murder, an Assassin does not even desire it, the following two quotes explain why they do so nonetheless.

"Man seeks dominion over all that he encounters. I suppose it is a natural tendency for us to aspire towards mastery of our surroundings. But this should not include other human beings. Every day more and more are pressed into service – by deception or by force. Others, though not so firmly imprisoned, are made to feel as if their lives are worthless. I have seen the ways in which men persecute women. Heard the cruel words hurled at those who come here from other lands. Watched as those who believe or act differently are made to suffer...
We discuss such things often – watching as we do from the spires of Masyaf. What can be done to stop this? To encourage tolerance and equality? Some days we speak of education, believing that knowledge will free us from immorality. But as I walk the streets and see slaves sent off to auction – my heart grows cold. When I see the husband hurl abuses and stones at his wife, insisting she exists only to serve him – my fists clench. And when I see children torn from their parents so that another man might profit – sent off to suffer beneath the desert sun and die...

...On these days, I do not think that dialogue will make a difference. On these days, I can think only of how the perpetrators need to die."

―Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad

"Look, it's not ideal. And taking a life is never easy. But sometimes there's no other way. Sometimes, Desmond, people have to die for things to change."

―Rebecca Crane

This quote, I think, is essential to understanding the Assassins, to really walk in their moccasins.

"The life of an Assassin is pain, Jun. You suffer it. You inflict it. You watch it happen in the hope that you can help it disappear in time."

―Ezio Auditore da Firenze

"For my part, so much of my youth was spent in training, there was little time left to reflect upon the separation. And so when they were finally lost to me, it seemed no different than the passing of two strangers. Al Mualim had been as my father, and his was a weak and dishonest love, though at the time it seem enough – better, even. Or so I thought.

Someday I will have a child – such is the way of our Order. And I will not make the same mistake. Nor any who call themselves an Assassin. We shall be allowed to love our children – and, in turn, to be loved. Al Mualim believed such attachments would weaken us – cause us to falter when our lives were on the line. But if we truly fight for what is just, does love not make such sacrifice simpler – knowing that we do so for their gain?"

―Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad

Sofia: And the mandate for menacing hoods... was that his idea as well? You mentioned a Creed before. What is it?
Ezio: Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
Sofia: That is rather cynical.
Ezio: It would be if it were doctrine. But it is merely an observation of the nature of reality. To say that nothing is true, is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile, and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization. To say that everything is permitted, is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.

—Sophia Sartor and Ezio Auditore in Masyaf, 1512

The dying words of Jubair al Hakim presents a charge of hypocrisy against the Assassins, but this alone does not ascertain that such a charge is true. Though Altaïr at this point lacked an appropriate answer, there is one, one that I will explain later. Jubair: Why? Why have you done this?
Altaïr: Men must be free to do what they believe. It is not our right to punish one for thinking what they do, no matter how much we disagree.
Jubair: Then what?
Altaïr: You of all people should know the answer. Educate them. Teach them right from wrong. It must be knowledge that frees them, not force.
Jubair: They do not learn, fixed in their ways as they are. You are naive to think otherwise. It's an illness, for which there is but one cure.
Altaïr: You're wrong. And that's why you must be put to rest.
Jubair: Am I not unlike those precious books you seek to save? A source of knowledge with which you disagree? Yet you're rather quick to steal my life.
Altaïr: A small sacrifice to save many. It is necessary.
Jubair: Is it not ancient scrolls that inspire the Crusaders? That fill Salahadin and his men with a sense of righteous fury? Their texts endanger others, bring death in their wake. I too, was making a small sacrifice. It matters little now. Your deed is done, and so am I.

—Jubair al Hakim's last words upon his assassination at the hands of Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad; Damascus, Ayyubid Sultanate, 1191

Accusations of close-mindedness is always rampant in the contention between two opposing factions. However, open-mindedness and liberalism are the founding ideas of the Assassin Order: to believe in the acknowledgment of diversity in perspectives and respect them. Talal, being a Templar does not understand this to be the guiding principle of the Assassins, but his charge is an honest one and perhaps in this situation not so inappropriate. Talal: Beggars, whores, addicts, lepers. Do they strike you as proper slaves? Unfit for even the most menial tasks? No. I took them not to sell, but to save! And yet you'd kill us all, for no other reason than it was asked of you. Altaïr: No, you profit from the war, from lives lost and broken. Talal: Yes, you would think that, ignorant as you are. Wall off your mind, eh? They say it's what your kind do best. Do you see the irony in all this? No, not yet it seems. But you will.

—Talal's dying words to Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad; Jerusalem, Ayyubid Sultanate, 1191

Machiavelli: Relying on the people is like building on the sand.
Ezio: You are wrong. Our belief in humanity rests at the heart of the Assassin Brotherhood.

—Niccolò Machiavelli and Ezio Auditore; Rome

In my honest perspective, the Connor that we witness in Assassin's Creed III does not elicit much wisdom or insight. This has the unfortunate impact of driving many fans to favor Haytham Kenway, whose arguments are in a sense, well articulated. Why was Connor so blindly affiliated with the Patriots? This was the most disappointing factor in the game, that Connor was pro-Patriot rather than adopting a neutral and open-minded stance in the conflict. Haytham wields this to his advantage, his arguments against Connor are correct in regards to the United States government, and yet they do not so much as scratch the Assassin Order, for simply put, the Assassins do not equal to to the Patriots. I believe that Connor's favoritism towards the Patriots lent to the perception that Haytham's arguments against the Assassins were compelling. He is correct after all: the people did choose nothing, the rebellion was led by the people in power seeking only to enrich themselves (that being a position I incline towards in regards to the American Revolution), but this has no bearing against the Assassin themselves. The Assassins are not the Patriots, what is true for the Patriots are not true for the Assassins, and it is only Connor's unfortunate delusion in forming this association that lends Haytham a score.

Haytham: The people chose nothing. It was done by a group of privileged cowards seeking only to enrich themselves. They convened in private and made a decision that would benefit THEM. Oh, they might have dressed it up with pretty words, but that does not make it true. The only difference, Connor – the ONLY difference between myself and those you aid – is that I do not feign affection!
[Later, during their final duel]
Haytham: The people never have the power. Only the illusion of it. And here’s the real secret: they don’t want it. The responsibility is too great to bear. It’s why they’re so quick to fall in line as soon as someone takes charge. They WANT to be told what to do. They YEARN for it. Little wonder, that, since all mankind was BUILT to SERVE.
Connor: So because we are inclined by nature to be controlled, who better than the Templars? It is a poor offer.
Haytham: It is truth! Principle and practice are two very different beasts.
Connor: No, father... You have given up - and would have us all do the same.

—Haytham Kenway and Ratonhnhaké:ton.

I for the most part cut out the references to the Patriots in the arguments between Haytham and Connor, and my primary focus is instead on Connor's final words to Haytham before the cannonball that wounds them. Because here Connor finally reveals a spark of wisdom when he tells Haytham like it is, that he has given up. And that to me sums up the Templars in their entirety: they have given up on humanity. They do not believe in humanity's capacity for progress. This is the "only" difference between the Assassins and Templars. That the former, as illustrated by Ezio's words directly above, have faith in humanity, the latter does not. The latter believe that humanity is naturally inclined towards corruption, and thus to "solve" this corruption, they seek a solution that is oversimplified, an artificially-crafted rule or law that stands against the reality of nature: that "nothing is true, and everything is permitted" which paraphrased only means that there is no True answer, solution, to anything that cane be generalized to apply to all circumstances equitably, and that everything is possible (permitted) not ethically, but naturally. The Assassins accept reality, the Templars seek to impose (their own) "reality." The Assassins understand that their own methods are not ideal (refer back to Rebecca's quote), but they accept it as a reality, they accept and as well do their best to mitigate their own corruption. They know that they are imperfect. They know that they are wrong but understand that sometimes the only options one has is either wrong or more wrong. They understand that the world is in shades of grey, neither black and white nor an absolute grey. But the Templars do not acknowledge their own corruption. They tell the world as though it were white and black (Templars and Assassins) and promote actions that they advocate are good.

"Corruption is no different than cancer. Cut out the tumors, but fail to treat the source and... well, you're buying time at best. There's no true change to be had without comprehensive, systemic intervention."

―Warren Vidic

Refer back to the paragraph just above which discusses the Templar's "solution" for corruption. Vidic's argument would be compelling, and indeed it embellishes the Templars' "justification" in a simple analogy, if it were not for the fact that the Templars' methods is tantamount to "treating cancer with cancer."