DragonFoot Alignment

The 2d system of AD&D is attempting to model value theory in terms of social alignment (collectivism/individualism) and moral alignment (altruism/egoism) which is a potentially complex subject within the field of social psychology. All human values can be mapped for empirical scientific study using this 2d system and broken down into 9 or 10 real world alignments depending on the level of granularity desired.

Law or collectivism provides safety, security, and a sense of identity and belonging while Chaos or individualism provides for the needs of the individual organism, and these include the satiation of hunger, procreative urges, stimulation and so forth. These two competing interests are the basis of the Law vs Chaos dynamic, at least in the real world. Elements of social alignment can be found amongst primates. In real terms, acting in a Chaotic manner specifically means acting contrary to the demands of the collective in order to satiate personal wants or desires, while acting in a Lawful manner specifically means acting contrary to the need to satiate personal wants or desires at the directive of the group. Animals that are solitary cannot be described as Chaotic because there is no contrary social force, and likewise animals that live in a collective cannot be described as Lawful because their instincts are specifically designed to make them a part of the group, so again there is no contrary force.

Good or altruism teaches one to value others more highly than the self, while Evil or egoism teaches one to value the self over others. The good/evil concept has developed over the last 5 millennia as neural density has continued to increase with evolution. In both cases natural behaviour is overridden; this is the critical component of the Good/Evil axis. Altruism is self-harm for the benefit of others, while egoism is harming others for the benefit of the self particularly when such harm is unnecessary. Good/altruism for example teaches people to forgo revenge when they have been wronged and to love/forgive their enemies; note that in this case "love" or "forgiveness" is not referring to the emotion, but is referring to making a conscious effort to suppress the natural impulses which are the driving component in generations-long tribal wars. On the other side, Evil/egoism teaches people to suppress their natural empathy for others in order to commit atrocities for the benefit of the self or one's own group. In both cases people are taught to do something which is difficult and requires continued moral development. Good/Evil is unique to humans and it is not hard-wired into their brains.

Law vs. anarchy is a political concept which really has nothing to do with collectivism vs individualism, as anarchism is often used as a tool to bring down an extant political system in order to replace it with another political system, and laws can be written to favour individual freedom or to deprive people of that freedom, hence a law can be either Lawful or Chaotic.

"The needs of the many vs the needs of the few" is simply another way of talking about altruism vs egoism and falls under the Good/Evil axis because it is about self-sacrifice (Lawful Evil characters don't generally sacrifice themselves, thus it is not about Law vs Chaos). It introduces the concept to pop-culture in a way that is free from monotheistic trappings.