On the Myth That Ogres Cannot Plan

One of the most persistent arguments used to classify Ogres as cognitively inferior is that their violence supposedly prevents long-term planning, which would be persuasive if it were true. Ogre raiding parties have demonstrated coordinated movement across difficult terrain, delayed ambush, food caching, decoy tactics, and route selection designed to avoid detection. Some groups maintain seasonal agreements governing water, hunting grounds, and passage. These are not the behaviours of creatures incapable of planning; they are the behaviours of creatures who may plan things other people dislike. The distinction is morally relevant but intellectually simple.

One especially irritating paper cited an Ogre ambush as evidence of “predatory instinct” despite the fact that the attackers had waited three days, altered position twice in response to patrol movements, and deliberately avoided a better-defended caravan before selecting an easier target. If that is instinct, several military academies are charging unnecessary tuition.