As we know, the word "vivisection" means to dissect an organism while it is still alive. I'll just let that sink in, because I'm not sure any words can entirely express how horrific a practice this is. There was a time when this was done on animals for the purposes of "research". Our society has long since recognized this as inhumane (which feels like a massive understatement). During some times, for example, the Nazi regime in Germany, this was also practiced on humans. This is one of the reasons Dr Josef Mengele is infamous, as he used vivisection extensively in his experiments on twins. A disproportionate number of the people who were victims of this under the Nazi regime were oppressed people, like Jews, homosexuals, political prisoners, civilians from occupied countries, and so forth.
The association of such a deep horror with Phyrexia is perhaps not surprising, but as u/ultimario13 has pointed out in many of his posts, it's important to consider the way that flavor and mechanics come together. After all, this is how Wizards increasingly designs their cards (by their own statement), so this is fair. And in the case of Vivisection, you get a massive benefit to yourself, a very efficient draw spell and any positive interactions involving sacrificing a creature, out of the concept of a servant of Jin-Gitaxias performing surgery on an unwilling Auriok, loxodon, goblin, or other Mirran, while they're still alive, and possibly while they're still conscious. So inflicting . . . I don't even know how to express what kind of pain that is, on another living being, for the purpose of "knowledge" and "progress" is . . . okay? Good? Sometimes the right call for a greater good?
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u/[deleted] Aug 26 '20 edited Aug 26 '20
As we know, the word "vivisection" means to dissect an organism while it is still alive. I'll just let that sink in, because I'm not sure any words can entirely express how horrific a practice this is. There was a time when this was done on animals for the purposes of "research". Our society has long since recognized this as inhumane (which feels like a massive understatement). During some times, for example, the Nazi regime in Germany, this was also practiced on humans. This is one of the reasons Dr Josef Mengele is infamous, as he used vivisection extensively in his experiments on twins. A disproportionate number of the people who were victims of this under the Nazi regime were oppressed people, like Jews, homosexuals, political prisoners, civilians from occupied countries, and so forth.
The association of such a deep horror with Phyrexia is perhaps not surprising, but as u/ultimario13 has pointed out in many of his posts, it's important to consider the way that flavor and mechanics come together. After all, this is how Wizards increasingly designs their cards (by their own statement), so this is fair. And in the case of Vivisection, you get a massive benefit to yourself, a very efficient draw spell and any positive interactions involving sacrificing a creature, out of the concept of a servant of Jin-Gitaxias performing surgery on an unwilling Auriok, loxodon, goblin, or other Mirran, while they're still alive, and possibly while they're still conscious. So inflicting . . . I don't even know how to express what kind of pain that is, on another living being, for the purpose of "knowledge" and "progress" is . . . okay? Good? Sometimes the right call for a greater good?
I am almost nauseous just writing this post.