Shaftonism

This is the symbol of Shaftonism. No one really knows why.

Shaftonism (High Coscivian: Sciavtoriseon, Kiravic: Śavtorisēn) is a school of thought and a philosophical, ethical, and cultural tradition that originated in ancient Coscivian history from the teachings of Shafto and was further cultivated by successive generations of thinkers, known as the trastrav ("reflectors"). Shaftonist ideas and practices became enormously influential during the Second Coscivian Empire, cementing Shaftonism as one of the defining themes of Coscivian civilisation.

Mediæval and modern philosophers have drawn parallels between Shaftonism and both stoïcism and process philosophy.

Concepts

• Vódárihan - "the Thinking Man"
• Ixtévirsa - "Higher order"
• Aþnivirsa - "Proper order"
• Xarbonara - "Continuity"
• Valium - "Duty"
• Uodhir - "Edification"

Ethics

Ethics is the central focus of Shaftonist thought. To Shafto, discerning right action is the ultimate purpose of human thought, and all other fields of philosophical inquiry are either precursors or extensions of ethics. In Shaftonism, the relationship between essence and action can be described as "being is becoming is doing" (éa hue ktor é vara), thus one must consistently discern and do right in order to be right in accordance with the Ultimate Right.

To this end, Shaftonism presents a two-pillared ethical system: a deontic ethics concerned with duties and roles, and an essential ethics concerned with virtue, character, principle and teleology. The two pillars support and condition one another: satisfying one's duties and roles is a virtue and essential to good character, and teleological principles inform the proper conduct of various social and relational roles.

Shafto presents his ethical ideals through the construct or archetype of the Thinking Man.

Shaftonist hadith

What is based is based, no matter what form it takes."

Eat the potato now, or ferment it for later? This is the perpetual dilemma of our People.

[First], go forth and begin.

The point is, to whomever yet listens, that guilt - for lack of a better word - is good.
Guilt is right.
Guilt works.
Guilt clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of Man's error and weakness, and guilt, better than any other emotion, edifies Man's spirit.
Guilt, in all of its forms -- guilt for crime, for dishonour, for [redacted], for vice -- has marked the upward surge of mankind.
And guilt - mark my words - will not only save the Thinking Man from himself, but also save this Empire from the barbarism that dwells in even the highest and most noble lineages.

Intersection with other Traditions

It is known that Shaftonism emerged in an environment of relative philosophical pluralism,

Shaftonism is generally understood as neither a religion in its own right nor a replacement for religion, and it has intersected with various schools of religious thought over the millennia. Its influence on the Iduan religion is particularly strong.

Coscivian Christians and Muslims have both made the case that their respective religion is the true religion through which Shaftonist principles can best be realised. It is not uncommon for Coscivian Orthodox Churches to incorporate sculptures or other depictions of Shafto, as well as a few Coscivian Catholic churches that had originally been Orthodox before entering into communion with Urceople.

See also

• Shaftonist democracy
• Shaftosocialism

Artist's impression of Shafto. No one knows what he looked like.