“The bear and the bull will kill each other. This much has been proven.”
- Legate Lanius
A common thing you will see in this article and likely in many of my future works is my complaint about people who hold views or claim authority to take part in the political, cultural, or media system while not actually understanding what they’re talking about. That, in its entirety, could be an article for another time. But the goals of those same works are to make sure people not only understand ideas at a minimal level, but that even if they’ve never heard of them, they have something new to chew on. And what better way than to explain basic or complex ideas by relating them through common themes or media. And through using this as a tool for introduction, especially of an absurdly complex (to the point where some of it is nearly incoherent) thinker like Hegel, a little context is needed for the game itself.
What is Fallout New Vegas?
The 2010 video game Fallout New Vegas is phenomenal in nearly every way. Despite it basically being held together by 2 rubber bands and a paperclip and originally being an absurdly buggy game, in many ways still today, it has been remarked as one of the greatest video games of all time. Its story is nearly unmatched, the voice acting is passionate, and the gameplay is just plain fun. But with its story comes its ideas, from moral dilemmas when surviving in the harsh post-apocalyptic wasteland to the nature of power and ideology. It has its own personal sways, as the nature of most video games, but is enthralling for people from every background or persuasion.
Who was Hegel?
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) was a German philosopher and a major figure in German idealism. Hegel's work covered a wide range of topics, but he is best known for his contributions to the development of dialectical reasoning. Arguably, his most influential concept is the Hegelian Dialectic, a framework for understanding the progress of ideas and history through a process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis; HOWEVER, The specific terms "thesis," "antithesis," and "synthesis" are not used by Hegel himself. Instead, these terms were popularized by later interpreters, particularly Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, who influenced the development of dialectical thinking and were instrumental in elaborating on Hegel's ideas. But arguably it’s still useful to use this framing.
Hegel's dialectic is not merely a method of argumentation but a way of understanding the dynamic and contradictory nature of reality. According to Hegel, history and human progress unfold through the resolution of contradictions. Each stage of development (thesis) contains inherent contradictions (antithesis), which are eventually resolved in a higher form of understanding (synthesis). This process continues iteratively, driving the evolution of ideas, cultures, and civilizations.
Think of it like a pendulum swinging. It will go all the way one way, then rip back the other way, then again and again until it eventually settles in the middle. One side is Thesis, the other is Antithesis, until you eventually reach synthesis. Think of the French revolution:
You have an autocrat, the Monarch (Thesis). Then after that you have the horrific bloodshed and time of the French revolution (Antithesis). Then it swings back to an autocrat, Napoleon (New Thesis). Then again and again until you get the new French Republic. This doesn't necessarily mean a form is correct or incorrect, moral or immoral necessarily, but more really a way Hegel came up with for viewing history or at least the development of it.
Many people have been inspired by Hegel, or at least their interpretation of Hegel. From the Jewish philosopher Karl Marx, who saw himself (or his ideology Marxism) as the fulfillment of many of his ways of thinking, to the founding Godfather of Classical Fascism, Giovanni Gentile, who wrote extensively on Hegel, Marx, and the synthesis of the state.
Factions of Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where various factions vie for control of the Mojave Wasteland. The primary factions include:
New California Republic (NCR): A democratic, expansionist government seeking to restore pre-war values and order to the Wasteland. Trying to bring back a familiar stability to a ripped apart nation.
Caesar's Legion: A brutal, authoritarian regime modeled after the Roman Empire, emphasizing strict discipline and military might. A radical approach for a radical wasteland.
Mr. House: A technocratic ruler of New Vegas, focused on using advanced technology to bring order and prosperity to the region. Allowing independence for those outside with a near libertarian view of autonomy but a strong autocratic vision for economics and greatness of humanity.
Independent New Vegas: Represents the possibility of a region free from the control of any major faction, where local groups and individuals govern themselves. This ending is most affected by however you interact with all the factions with the most amount of individual flexibility for the smaller groups.
Each faction embodies distinct ideologies and approaches to governance, making the game an excellent case study for the Hegelian Dialectic.
The NCR as Thesis
The New California Republic (NCR) represents the thesis in the Hegelian Dialectic. The NCR seeks to restore the values and structures of the old world, emphasizing democracy, law, and order. They believe that the principles of the pre-war United States can bring stability and prosperity to the Wasteland. Getting its start in the earliest Fallout games, we have seen them grow into what they are now in New Vegas
The NCR's strengths lie in its organized government, large population, and military power. They offer a vision of a civilized society where individuals have rights, and the rule of law prevails. However, the NCR is not without its flaws. Its expansionist policies often lead to overextension and corruption, and its bureaucratic nature can make it slow to respond to crises.
In Hegelian terms, the NCR embodies the established order, the existing reality that seeks to impose a particular vision of progress and stability. However, this vision contains inherent contradictions, such as the disparity between its ideals and the practical realities of governing a vast, harsh wasteland.
Caesar's Legion as Antithesis
Opposing the NCR is Caesar’s Legion, the antithesis in the Hegelian Dialectic. Founded by Edward Sallow (Caesar), the Legion is a ruthless, authoritarian regime inspired by the Roman Empire. Caesar’s Legion values strength, order, and discipline, and it seeks to conquer and assimilate all other factions in the Wasteland. Caesar himself, being a fan of Hegel, believes the legion is necessary in order to fix society.
Caesar’s Legion rejects the NCR’s democratic ideals, viewing them as weak and ineffective. Instead, the Legion imposes a rigid social hierarchy and demands absolute loyalty from its members. The Legion's society is brutal and oppressive, but it is also highly efficient and capable of imposing order in chaotic regions.
The antithesis represented by Caesar’s Legion challenges the NCR’s vision of progress. It exposes the weaknesses and contradictions of the NCR’s democratic approach, particularly in a world where survival often depends on strength and decisiveness. The conflict between these two factions highlights the dialectical tension between competing ideologies. As earlier mentioned, Caesar read Hegel. He almost infers that the Legion is not final, but maybe a radical necessity in order to further history.
The Dialectical Conflict
The ongoing conflict between the NCR and Caesar’s Legion in Fallout: New Vegas is a practical manifestation of the Hegelian Dialectic. The NCR (thesis) and Caesar’s Legion (antithesis) represent two opposing forces, each with its own vision of order and progress. Their struggle is not just for territorial control but for the ideological future of the Mojave Wasteland.
This dialectical conflict forces players to confront the strengths and weaknesses of each faction. The NCR’s bureaucratic inefficiencies and overreach contrast sharply with the Legion’s brutal methods and rigid hierarchy. Neither faction offers a perfect solution, reflecting Hegel’s idea that both thesis and antithesis contain contradictions that must be resolved through synthesis.
The Player’s Role: Synthesizing the Future
In Fallout: New Vegas, the player’s choices can lead to various outcomes, each representing a potential synthesis of the conflicting ideologies. These outcomes include:
Mr. House: Technocratic Synthesis
Mr. House offers a vision of the future where technology and centralized control bring order and prosperity. His approach combines elements of the NCR’s desire for stability with the Legion’s emphasis on strong, decisive leadership. Mr. House’s vision represents a potential synthesis that resolves some contradictions by leveraging technological advancements to create a new form of governance. He doesn’t want the destruction of the NCR, as they are profitable for his city state, however he says it himself, “If you want to see the fate of Democracy, look out the window (Referring to the wasteland).” But he does have a disdain for the Legion, as he sees them as dangerous, LARPing barbarians who would destroy Vegas.
Independent New Vegas: Anarchic Synthesis
The independent New Vegas path allows the region to govern itself without external control from the NCR or the Legion. This outcome represents a synthesis that rejects both authoritarian and democratic extremes, advocating for a more localized, self-governed society. It embodies the idea that true progress may lie in decentralization and autonomy.
True Synthesis Yet to Emerge
Another interpretation is that neither Mr. House nor an independent New Vegas fully resolves the dialectical tension between the NCR and the Legion. In this view, the game suggests that the true synthesis has yet to arise, and the player’s actions are merely steps in the ongoing dialectical process. This perspective aligns with Hegel’s idea that history is an iterative process, with each resolution leading to new contradictions and further progress. The Legion could even be not the true antithesis yet, or maybe how the NCR fixes its issues once it can properly get resources from Hoover Dam will help it synthesize. The interpretation is ultimately up to the player in this sense, (or the game creators who would probably ruin it).
In that sense, this should just be used as an introduction to the idea itself. As we’ll never really get a proper answer anytime soon. But this is something many could start to use for analyzing real world history, like the earlier mentioned French revolution example. Which, even if you don’t agree with it, you don’t have to. But chew on this and definitely get Fallout New Vegas before the redditors ruin it further. Because patrolling these forums almost makes me wish for a nuclear winter.