The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy_ I Link Therefore I Am - Luke Cuddy [33]
The quest of every philosopher who wishes to know the meaning to life is first to start questing for the meaning of death—or more accurately, for an understanding of what death is. Because unless you know what happens after, how can you ever determine the point of life? Many biologists will quickly tell you that the purpose of life is simple: to pass on our genetic material. But that answer isn’t satisfactory—plus it’s boring.
Of course you could devote your life to finding this meaning, and that would probably provide you a clear purpose. But why not instead explore those possibilities in the space of a forty-hour game, whose fictional world encapsulates varied philosophical ideas about death? Where there’s even a place for the human plight: in that of the bosses.
The Kingdom Goes On, and On, and On …
There is one philosophical school of thought that has no apparent place in the Legend of Zelda series, that of dualism. This concept was favoured by the likes of Plato and many of his contemporaries: the notion of the immortal soul trapped in the mortal body. Dualism is one of the earliest answers to the question “What is death?” but it has suffered somewhat of a fall from grace since Nietzsche. During the nineteenth century, Nietzsche’s philosophy fuelled a growing skepticism against the traditionally held beliefs in faith and religion. The nihilistic philosophy Nietzsche became particularly known for in his later life was at loggerheads with the notion of an immortal soul. Today the major religions still hold fast to their ideas about death and the afterlife, but the popularity of these notions has never returned to its pre-Nietzschean dominance.
But dualism does have a role in The Legend of Zelda. Unlike other concepts that can be seen in each individual Zelda game, this one arches over the whole series. For, as is clearly stated in the opening sequence of Wind Waker, there is always a Link born to fight the evil Ganon, lending credence to the dualist notion of an immortal soul. The heroic archetype of Link is perpetuated throughout the centuries, in the form of a new boy each generation who has to grow up and vanquish a growing evil. Presumably Princess Zelda is also graced with this same trait, as she is always present for Link to save.
There is something very romantic about one boy every few generations being fated to play the hero of Hyrule. Since it’s one of the clear drawing points of the Zelda series, it works exceedingly well with this notion of an immortal soul. But this latter notion has garnered harsh criticism, probably more so than any other school of thought on death. It could be a result of its heavy ties to religion, but it does also seem outdated. Further, this viewpoint seems to contradict commonly held scientific views, like the law of the conservation of energy, which says that the energy in each system is conserved. If there is a separate system of immaterial substance (like a soul) affecting the physical, we should see an increase in the energy level of the cosmos, but this increase does not occur. It’s a modern luxury that society can rely on an abundance of factual information to support ideas and beliefs, but the idea of an eternal soul can not be supported in any such way.
Contemporary philosopher William Bernard had much to say on the flaws of immortality, and generally seemed to find the concept unappealing. But he did point out one very interesting problem. The appeal of immortality relies partially on the notion that the afterlife is enjoyable. What about in the case of Link who is fated to put himself in serious danger, and have a generally difficult life for a questionable reward? Or Ganon, who is dragged back every generation only to be defeated? Most people would feel little desire to tolerate either of these situations. And yet a repetitive life cycle is Link’s fate.