Justified in universe, possibly. Good? No, they’re fucking evil on a good day. But that’s the point. Sure they’re evil, but are they the most evil? No. The entire 40K universe runs on Gray and black morality; there’s no such thing as good there.
There is such thing as good! It’s just locked up in grandfather nurgles closet being used to test the latest and greatest plagues and sicknesses before they’re welcomed upon a unprepared galaxy.
I mean there is an argument, whether you agree with it or not, for moral relativism, and in that case I certainly would say that in-universe, a moral relativist would consider the imperium the good guys.
There is an argument, but I don’t think it’s convincing. The single best way to cripple their most deadly foe (so far) is to be less evil and make everyone’s lives less shit. They could hamstring chaos by simply ceasing their eternal crusade and focusing on improving the average peon’s life. The Imperium as a state only exists because of a “well-intentioned” checks notes… galactic crusade of conquest and omnicide against any non-human. In pretty much any other media they are unambiguously the bad guys, having other bad guys to fight doesn’t change that. They are literally a characture of every evil space empire. We just get fed so much propaganda that it starts to work a little.
It is a deliberate comment on the nature of fascism. First you call the entire world your enemy, attack, and then claim oppression and justification when they defend themselves.
Oh yeah, and I’m still kinda sad about the Tau becoming mind controlling assholes and the chaos gods shifting from neutral forces of the universe toward evil deities
Justified in universe, possibly. Good? No, they’re fucking evil on a good day. But that’s the point. Sure they’re evil, but are they the most evil? No. The entire 40K universe runs on Gray and black morality; there’s no such thing as good there.
There is such thing as good! It’s just locked up in grandfather nurgles closet being used to test the latest and greatest plagues and sicknesses before they’re welcomed upon a unprepared galaxy.
Then why are those posts claiming they are good?
I mean there is an argument, whether you agree with it or not, for moral relativism, and in that case I certainly would say that in-universe, a moral relativist would consider the imperium the good guys.
There is an argument, but I don’t think it’s convincing. The single best way to cripple their most deadly foe (so far) is to be less evil and make everyone’s lives less shit. They could hamstring chaos by simply ceasing their eternal crusade and focusing on improving the average peon’s life. The Imperium as a state only exists because of a “well-intentioned” checks notes… galactic crusade of conquest and omnicide against any non-human. In pretty much any other media they are unambiguously the bad guys, having other bad guys to fight doesn’t change that. They are literally a characture of every evil space empire. We just get fed so much propaganda that it starts to work a little.
It is a deliberate comment on the nature of fascism. First you call the entire world your enemy, attack, and then claim oppression and justification when they defend themselves.
Because they’re wrong?
As is the person claiming there is no good in 40k.
There is good in 40K but imho it’s very rarely present in the power structures.
Good thing no one said a good faction then!
But they exist anyways. Elder and Votann, die mad about it, monkeighs.
Oh yeah, and I’m still kinda sad about the Tau becoming mind controlling assholes and the chaos gods shifting from neutral forces of the universe toward evil deities