Essentia’s Clarity; Memoria’s Confounding
The Two Kingdoms
The Kingdom of Essentia stood as a beacon of order and intellectual clarity, free from the confusion and disintegration that had plagued the Kingdom of Memoria. Its strength lay in the teachings of its scholars, who had nurtured a profound respect for cognitive liberty, the preservation of personal sovereignty, and the recognition of universal moral truths. Unlike the people of Memoria, whose minds were ensnared by relativism and skepticism, the people of Essentia were equipped with a strong intellectual framework that allowed them to flourish in both individual freedom and communal harmony. This framework was built upon a set of philosophical and spiritual principles that upheld both self-governance and the moral law that governed their lives, irrespective of belief or background.
The Foundations of Cognitive Liberty and Self-Governance in Essentia
The people of Essentia had long adhered to certain philosophical tenets and spiritual practices that safeguarded their intellectual freedom and their capacity for self-governance. These teachings were built around key ideas that harmonized personal liberty, objective moral truth, and civic duty. The primary ones include:
The Sacredness of the Individual and the Sovereignty of Reason
The scholars of Essentia taught that each individual was a sovereign being, endowed with the capacity for reason and the duty to discern truth. This sovereignty was untouchable, as no external authority, be it a ruler, a church, or a collective ideology, could infringe upon the cognitive autonomy of the individual. This concept of personal sovereignty was rooted in the belief that each human was created with *endowed reason; capable of discovering truth, justice, and meaning on their own, through reflection, dialogue, and reason. (*Tolkien’s understanding (Aristotle/Aquinas) - not Descartes’ (Neo Platonic) deification of Reason; the French Revolutionary & German Idealist trajectory of the Theory Of Ideas philosophical lineage from which the scholars of Memoria drew upon).
Essentian scholars believed that reason was not merely a tool for practical problem-solving but was the means by which humans could come to know the moral order of the universe. Thus, from the earliest stages of education, the people of Essentia were taught not only to reason but to question, debate, and deliberate on matters of morality, law, and society. The notion that the individual mind could hold ultimate authority over truth was never equated with solipsism, but was rather understood as part of a shared journey toward objective truth, with acknowledgement of the limits of human awareness and the proclivities to hubris when unchecked.
In Essentia, the understanding of natural law (the moral order inherent in the structure of the universe) was foundational to the people’s ability to govern themselves without falling into chaos. The scholars of Essentia taught that there were universal principles of justice and morality, embedded in nature itself, that could be discovered through reason and contemplation of the natural world. This law was not subject to the whims of any human ruler or collective ideology, but was accessible to all people, regardless of their personal beliefs or backgrounds.
This natural law served as a standard by which both individuals and communities could govern their actions. It provided the moral compass that allowed the people of Essentia to maintain a sense of order and purpose, without the need for authoritarian control. The law was not arbitrary but was seen as divinely ordered, accessible through human reason and spiritual insight. It was the foundation of justice, and thus, the citizens of Essentia held it in reverence, as it was an expression of the very structure of existence.
The Balance of Belief and Non-Belief in a Common Moral Framework
In Essentia, both believers and non-believers were not seen as opposites, but as participants in a common search for truth. The kingdom maintained unity through its shared respect for natural law and the sovereignty of the individual mind. Believers in Essentia, who adhered to revealed truth through sacred scriptures, were encouraged to seek deeper understanding of the world through reason and rational inquiry. At the same time, non-believers were encouraged to engage in their own philosophical reflections and were not forced into any particular belief system.
The belief in objective moral truths and natural law united both groups. Whether one believed in a divine source of law or in the inherent order of the universe, both groups recognized that there was truth; moral framework, beyond human construction. This allowed for cooperation on matters of justice, governance, and human flourishing, despite differences in belief about the ultimate nature of existence.
Education in Natural Philosophy and Ethics
From an early age, the children of Essentia were taught the principles of natural philosophy, which encouraged them to observe the world around them and understand its laws. This education was not merely focused on practical knowledge, but also on the deeper moral implications of natural law. Children were taught that the world was not just a collection of random events, but an ordered system that reflected deeper moral truths.
In parallel, they also learned the importance of personal responsibility, justice, and the common good. This education was not confined to a particular religion or ideology, but was focused on discovering the universal principles that transcended individual belief systems. Some religious communities in Essentia held to doctrine which was compatible with Natural Law, Personal Sovereignty and self governance, others did not. The purpose of Education in Essentia was to nurture and develop the capacity of each person in the Kingdom to understand and exercise their responsibilities and duties of self governance, in order to uphold and defend the liberties of everyone. Liberty entailed responsibility and duty to oneself and to others. In Essentia ideological movements had not taken root and flourished as had happened in Memoria. While the rule of King Lockhart (Nominalism) enabled, facilitated and even encouraged ideological possession, the principles and premises of King Reidan’s rule (Realism) did not.
The citizens of Essentia were taught that self-governance was not merely a privilege, but a responsibility that required active participation. The scholars emphasized that the health of the kingdom depended on the wisdom and virtue of its citizens, who were entrusted with the power to make decisions for the good of all. This culture of civic engagement was not just about participating in elections or holding office, but also about being actively involved in public discourse, engaging in debates, and ensuring that the moral order was upheld in all aspects of life. Whether in local assemblies, families, or guilds, people were encouraged to uphold the moral values of truth, justice, and non coercion in their everyday interactions. The practice of civic and communal engagement under popular sovereignty meant that the people of Essentia understood that principles, actions & society’s laws needed to be in alignment with the higher moral truths discovered through natural law and reason. This prevented the rise of authoritarianism or tyranny, for the governing and leading was undertaken by servants of the people, not masters of them. This was very different to the Kingdom of Memoria.
Cognitive Liberty, Responsibility, and Freedom from Tyranny
Through these teachings and practices, the people of Essentia were able to preserve their cognitive liberty, safeguard their personal sovereignty, and govern themselves with a deep understanding of their duties. Their freedom was not the freedom to do as they pleased, but the freedom to act in alignment with universal moral principles that ensured both individual flourishing and social harmony. Unlike the governing mechanisms for Memorians, the role of governance in Essentia was to secure the liberties of the People. In Memoria, the role of governance was to proscribe and to grant liberties (also to withhold them). For Memorians this included their liberty and duty of conscience.
In Essentia believers were able to live in accordance with their faith, using their reason to discover the deeper meanings of their scriptures and the moral truths revealed therein. Their faith in divine revelation was not seen as at odds with their rational understanding of natural law; instead, the two were understood to complement each other. Non-believers, on the other hand, were not coerced into any particular belief, but were encouraged to seek out the same moral truths through philosophy and endowed reason. This balance between freedom of thought, objective moral truths, and personal responsibility allowed the Kingdom of Essentia to thrive, avoiding the chaos and confusion that had overtaken Memoria.
Corrupted, Heretical Streams of Christianity in Memoria
In Memoria, there were deceptive forces at work that subverted movements within Christianity, twisting them into philosophies that undermined personal sovereignty, moral law, and the natural order. These streams often emerged through philosophical and metaphysical distortions, rooted in ideologies that prioritized collectivism, statism, and relativism. The following are examples of such subversive streams:
Theocracy and Authoritarianism Masked as Christianity:
A common heretical stream in Memoria claimed that Christianity demands a theocratic state, in which a centralized authority (aligned with religious leadership) imposes and/or incentivizes moral law on the populace, collectively. This stream distorts the biblical teaching of free will and personal responsibility, substituting it with a coercive moral system that enforces conformity through the state. Adopting the mechanics of Ideological conquest in blending political authority with religious doctrine. This not only usurps the role of God’s Grace, but also removes the individual agency of free will, thereby the capacity for repentance, which can only function authentically through choice, commitment of individual conscience, not through mere externally coerced obedience.
The Centrality of Human Dignity and Free Will:
Christianity emphasizes the inherent dignity of every person, created in the image of God, with the freedom to choose right from wrong. This recognition of personal sovereignty and individual responsibility is central to the moral philosophy of Essentia. Unlike the collectivist or authoritarian distortions of Christianity - Christianity in Essentia places the individual’s relationship with God at the core, emphasizing free will and the moral responsibility each individual bears before God.
Nominalism and Relativism in Religious Thought:
Other heretical streams in Memoria followed the philosophical nominalism associated with e.g. Locke, Kant, Hegel…. This stream conveyed truth and morality not as objective, but as social constructs that can be changed by human will or societal consensus. In this view, God’s law is seen as subjective, as people are encouraged to redefine their faith according to their personal experiences and preferences. This perspective is exemplified in liberal theology, which seeks to reinterpret Christian teachings to align with modern philosophical trends, such as existentialism, postmodernism, or critical theory. These ideas are rooted in the denial of objective truth and natural law, and often frame religious teachings as mere cultural constructs rather than divine, objective standards of living. These streams and currents all fed into the binding and orienting forces shaped and wielded upon the population at large by a mighty figure who transformed the ethical framework of Essentia into the ethical framework of Memoria. A figure who understood the complex alchemical processes required for transformation and was well connected and resourced to undertake them, with Operational Success; U.N.ethis, of whom we’ll learn more about next time.
