Gorean culture is much less technologically oriented than Terran society. While the Cylinder Cities of Known Gor – called this because their principle architectural form is large round buildings not unlike Chicago’s Marina Towers – have a fairly sophisticated technological knowledge, because of the Weapons and Technology Laws  they seem what a modern Terran would consider primitive at first glance. However, like Terran cities, they are organized around the principles of common defense (Gorean cities are always walled, for good reason) economic interaction, and social activity.  A citizen of Rome at the Empire’s height would not feel out of place in Ar, Gor’s largest city, although he would be amazed at the general health of the citizenry and the cleanliness of the streets.

​

Most of the Chronicles take place either in the Cylinder Cities, or in areas such as the basin of the Vosk River which are strongly influenced by them. The reader should be aware that when someone refers to how things are done "on Gor" they usually mean in the Cylinder Cities. Exceptions to almost every cultural practise can be found somewhere on Gor in some other culture and this should not be taken to mean that the Chronicles are inconsistent (although at times they are) but rather that Gor is a very complex world, not unlike our own.

​

Gorean society is divided into High and Low Castes. An important difference in this division revolves around the type of education that each group receives. This educational disparity is known as the Double Knowledge, separated into the First and Second Knowledges. The Low Castes are taught the First Knowledge while the High Castes are educated in the Second Knowledge. The First Knowledge includes of a series of falsehoods and deceptions, actively encouraged by the High Castes. The Second Knowledge speaks the truths that are kept from the Low Castes though even the High Castes do not know all the truths of Gor. In addition, even some of the High Castes, who should know better, cling to some of the beliefs of the First Knowledge. 

​

The First Knowledge conceals the existence of certain matters from the Low Castes. They are taught that Gor is a broad, flat disk and not an orb. They are also taught that Gor does not move through space, that no other planets exist and that Earth is a myth. Thus, they believe that everything on Gor had a Gorean origin and that nothing came from Earth. Some do believe that Earth exists but they accept it as being a country far away from the rest of Gor. The Low Castes are also encouraged to believe that magic is real and that Initiates, wizards and sorcerers can possess incredible powers. They are even taught that if a Low Caste person should ever become the ruler of a Gorean city, then tragic results will result. This belief is one of the reasons many opposed Pa-Kur, the Master Assassin, when he tried to conquer Ar. It was considered that he was overextending his proper reach by being a Low Caste but seeking to become a ruler. The city of Tharna though has ignored this proscription as Kron, a Metal Worker, eventually becomes the Administrator once Lara abdicates. 

​

The First Knowledge is purposefully intended to keep the Low Castes in their place. The High Castes do not want the Low Castes to seek higher positions. They wish to maintain control over them. The First Knowledge contains many lies but these lies are acceptable to the High Castes. But, the High Castes also do not actively try to conceal the truths of the Second Knowledge. The libraries of Gor often contain all of the information of the Second Knowledge. As such libraries are open to all castes, both High and Low, then a literate and determined Low Caste person has the opportunity to learn the truth. This follows the Gorean principles that ability helps to determine one's place on Gor and that one can raise their Caste and knowledge by actively pursuing such a path. 

​

The Second Knowledge corrects many of the lies from the First Knowledge but not all High Caste persons apparently receive the same education. Some High Caste persons cling to some of the beliefs of the First Knowledge, especially where they concern the efficacy of magic. Some may not even accept the reality of Earth. Thus, the simply fact that one belongs to a High Caste does not automatically mean that one is free of the beliefs of the First Knowledge. 

Some Goreans suspect that there is a Third Knowledge, those matters known only to the mysterious Priest Kings. This actually has much validity as the Priest-Kings are aware of a number of matters that are hidden, some intentionally, from the mass of Goreans. Few Goreans know the true nature of the Priest-Kings and few know of the existence of the Kurii. The Priest-Kings also purposefully prevent Goreans from learning about certain areas of technology. Besides a few Initiates and some agents of the Priest-Kings and Kurii, few other Goreans have any clue about these realities. Like the High Castes, the Priest-Kings purposefully conceal some of these matters to maintain control over the populace. 

​

As a High Caste, and of course as the Caste of the keepers of information, Scribes hold the Second or Double Knowledge, and are aware of the existence of Earth and the nature of the physical world. Given the love of Scribes for knowledge, any knowledge, it is not impossible that one might find a Scribe who could speak or read one or more Terran languages, pulled from a slave girl, simply for the sake of knowing it. A scroll in English would be treasured by a Scribe every bit as much as one in Gorean, even if he could not read it, simply because it was knowledge.

​

From Gorean Campus.