Oughtism

Oughtism is a moral and philosophical system, claiming an ancient inheritance from the moral codes of the Godmen. It continues to be influential throughout the Anrel Isles, and it's guiding principles have been the foundation of legal and religious codes throughout the Natorn Archipelago.

Oughtism gained particular importance during the golden age of the Rasian Academy. It was developed into a set of principles for academic ethics, determining many things from personal morality, interpersonal relationships, the nature and methods of study and research, and regulating the use of elementals and magic.

It's guiding maxim is “Man should not solely think of what is, and what is not, but what ought to be”.

The Oughtists are less an all-embracing school of thought, than a philosophical movement claiming descent from the Godmenplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigGodmen

The Godmen were the mythical inhabitants of a landmass contiguous with the modern Natorn Archipelago, said to be the ancestors of all the Thalsic peoples of the northern Civilised World. In the Emerald Epoch they created the first great civilisation, referred to as the Realm of the Godmen. The Godmen are said to be mytho-historic, memories of an ancestor race shrouded by millennia of HartheraAnrelAnrelherherAnrelAnrel of ancient myth. In practice Oughtism is a kind of secular religion or philosophical way of life. As a formal organisation it declined after the downfall of Rasia, but its fundamental tenets are still important. It teaches “man is the measure of all things”, that the intellect of humanity is the superior to godlings or other spirits. It acknowledges the existence of “superluminary” beings, but declares “for Man to submit to the whim of spirits is the greatest sin”. Oughtists do respect and worship gods but in a functional, transactional manner.

Philosophically it promotes the positive human virtues of humility, duty, justice, peace, tolerance, charity and so on. This True Ethic does not come from some external ahuman entity, but from deep in the soul of Man. Sermons in True Ethics are common from Oughtist Remonstrarians, an evangelical group who believe in actively promoting their world view, preaching in public. Some students are drawn to the Remonstrarians but the Academy takes no firm views.

Oughtists are generally seen as a very staid and traditional sect, providing the philosophical and moral backbone of society, without actually having any power.

“Even if one Ultimate Creator were proved to exist, with a defined a plan for our existence, our life and our death: an actor does not worship the playwright, though his character is wholly formed and every word in herplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHerbs

Herbs are usually green plants cultivated and used for use in medicine, cooking or for other purposes.

Herblore is the traditional practice of making decoctions, extracts, powders and other preparations from the roots, leaves, seeds, bark and fruit of plants found across the world.greengreenAnásthiasAnásthiasgreenMunatangreengreen mouth comes from the writer.

We honour our mother and father who created us and raised us, but we do not worship them for the gift of life.

We are created free and responsible only to ourselves and to others.

We are bound not to some arbitrary rule of our creator, but to the higher, common good of all humanity.”

Oughtism as a moral system came to its greatest prominence under the Magisteriate, in which the leaders of the Rasian Academy sought to enforce a strict code of conduct after the perceived vices and abuses of Belikast. Oughtism was taught in schools, and rulers were assigned oughtist advisers who attempted to exert a moral authority over administration and law. This was increasingly resented by society who only accepted such oversight due to fear of the Magisteriate.

In practice Oughtism is a kind of humanist religion, in that it values the principles and the supremacy of Man above the dictats of any god or religion. It is not atheistic, instead it is Anti-Deist, in that while accepting the existence of various gods and supernatural forces, it asserts that non-human beings have no rights to determine how humankind should live their lives. Moreover, it states that gods make demands of human worshippers for their own self interest, not to improve the lives of their devotees.