Culture of Caphiria: Difference between revisions

Caphiria, and in particular [[Venceia]], has played an important role as a center of high culture since the 16th century and from the 19th century on, worldwide. From the late 19th century, Caphirian culture has also played an important role in cinema, fashion, cuisine, literature, technology, the social sciences, and mathematics. The importance of Caphirian culture has waxed and waned over the centuries, depending on its economic, political and military importance. A principle which underlies Caphirian culture is ''libertas'' - or freedom. Freedom of movement within the country, freedom to share ideas and customs and freedom to seek wealth. The Senate hardly limits these liberties of the people with law, force or even propaganda. Caphirian culture includes both conservative and liberal elements, scientific and religious competitiveness, political structures, risk taking and free expression, materialist and moral elements. <br />

{{main|Stratification in Caphiria}}

The concept of stratification in Caphiria is incredibly complex and diverse, encompassing both legal and social status. Stratification is generally hierarchical, but there are multiple and overlapping social hierarchies, and an individual's relative position in one might be higher or lower than in another. There are three distinct concepts that go into establishing one's place in Caphirian society:

*Class (''Ordo''): A citizen's legal and economic position in society.

At the peak of the social pyramid (''pyramidis societas'') is the [[Imperator]]. An Imperator has the highest ''dignitas'', ''potestas'', and is of the highest ''ordo'' in Caphirian society. If sociologists do not recognize any absolute standard for these ordinal measures than the Imperator is the relative standard to which the qualities of other residents in the empire are compared. Power and Status are generally perceived to be directly tied to a person's social standing, whereas Class is a person's legal status. After the Imperator, the peak of the ''pyramidis societas'' is the imperial family, which is currently the [[Panther Estate]]. Altogether the imperial family tends to hold offices of power and a number of prestigious military and collegian posts, they are rarely handed out in the form of nepotism and are usually won based on merit.

{{main|Levantine Catholic Church|Caphiric Catholicism}}

Religion has played a significant role in the development, spread, and evolution of Caphirian culture. In particular, Catholicism has been the established and dominant religion since Imperator Marius Oratonius was baptized into the Catholic Church in 1079, and all Caphiria would be nominally Christianized by the end of the 12th century. By the 16th century though, the relationship between the Popes and the Imperators began to break down as a result of the emerging Protestant Revolt. This led to a series of events that culminated in the break of communion and between the [[Levantine Catholic Church]] and the [[Caphiric Church|Caphiric Catholic Church]], which broke away from the authority of the Pope and eventually became the [[Imperial Church|Imperial Church of Caphiria]] and would eventually form the basis for [[Caphiric Catholicism]]. Caphiric Catholicism became the de facto state religion and would have over 80% of the country practicing it. This schism - called the [[Great Schism of 1615]] - lasted over four centuries, with several failed attempts at reconciliation occurring in between. In 2037, the Schism was finally mended through an agreement known as the [[Eight Points Agreement]], which brought Caphiria and the Caphiric Church back into full communion.

As a measure to protect religious freedom, the Imperium devolves shares of income tax to recognized religious communities and taxpayers who do not wish to fund a religion contribute their share to the state welfare system. Despite Christianity's prevalence and unity with the state, freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution. In particular, the Jews are highly regarded in Caphirian society, possessing a significant portion of the banking and investment industries. In modern times, Caprivians take great pride in their religious faith, openly discussing it in casual conversation. There is no stigma in professing one's belief or - in today's culture - non-belief at leisure. With regards to the irreligious, a mere 6.61 million, or approximately 0.5% of the population, does not profess a belief in a higher power. This atheist and agnostic - plus about two million strict anti-religious - groups of people thinly populate the Empire but converse through the ''Collegium Atheismum'', the only organized atheist body in the world. The majority of the irreligious are wealthy intellectuals who have personal qualms with the Church or who became disillusioned with the rigidity of religious faith. Despite their intelligent base and success at organizing, atheists have failed to challenge the two thousand years of theological hypotheses put forward by the Church. As well, silence in the face of their occasional attacks against religious institutions has dominated ecclesiastical policy for centuries.

The concept of ''cursus honorum'' (path of office) is unique to Caphirian culture and is a tenet of its society. It is the sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians. Historically, The ''cursus honorum'' is comprised a mixture of military and political administration posts but today it is purely political. To hold political office in the Imperium is considered a great honor and Caphirian political philosophy dictates that the essential members of government cannot be unskilled in solving moral or economic problems. A senator, consul, or even Imperator must have the theoretical and practical knowledge to adjudicate, legislate and lead. To have held each office at the youngest possible age (''suo anno'', "in his own year") was considered a great political success.  

Every future Caphirian citizen starts his or her career with a physical and musical education in youth. The wealthiest families will have private caretakers for their children though the result is much the same. At the age of 11, most young patricians go into privately-owned schools. Their lessons must abide by the national standards of the imperial education system but their smaller class sizes allow greater attention from the teachers and their access to materials, like holographic orreries or virtual reality lessons, provides many rare opportunities for students. Once they hit the age of 18, patricians seeking political offices must enter an academy to learn advanced ethics and economic theory. A minimum of five years must be spent there, except in the case of the most gifted people. With theoretical understanding in hand, aspiring politicians must go into the world to seek out experiences. For the next three to five years they are expected to get involved in local and national affairs; working with businesses, seeing the underprivileged populaces of [[Punth]] and [[Audonia]], connecting with already established political players, and other such activities. There are no official standards for what must be done but a patrician's record during these years will go a long way to impressing the Imperator when he asks for permission to enter national politics. The next step is to return to the academies for about three years studying law. Attending a number of different academies around the empire is encouraged during this time. Finally, around the age of 30, a patrician can apply for membership in government. His record and knowledge will be severely tested during this time, and he is not by any means guaranteed acceptance by the Imperator. Those twelve years of preparing to enter politics were a way for the state to filter the inept and unworthy, allowing only the best and brightest to partake in Caphiria's sovereignty. This monumental test is the first stage in one's ''cursus honorum''.

{{main|Cuisine of Caphiria}}

It is a Caphirian custom to combine the ravenous enjoyment of food with socializing. The mother of Caphirian meals and social events is the ''cena'' (dinner), a meal which has barely changed in the last 2,000 years though the dishes themselves have become more and more exotic to the average Caphirian taste buds. Even the plebeians enjoy dinner parties in modern times. These are nothing like an aristocratic cena.

Only the ''cena'' and ''prandium'' are served in public restaurants since no one would pay for the basic bread and vegetables that are staples of other meals which can easily be prepared for less in their own homes.

Both kinds of breakfast feature some kind of wheat bread dipped in olive oil or served with cheese and crackers. ''Prandium'' is interesting because it usually features meat of some kind, like pork or beef and animal products such as eggs. The most popular meat for this time of the day is ''lucanica'', a short, smoked pork sausage.

One of the most common seasonings, however, is and has always been garum, a sauce made by exposing salted fish intestines to elevated levels of heat over the course of a month or two. The result is a very strong smelling fish sauce that is the most popular food condiment next to salt. In the Caphirian culinary arts, a dish is considered most successful if even the most experienced gourmet cannot recognize its ingredients because the food is so heavily disguised by mixing it and adding spices.

Caphirian wine is famous for the volume produced on a national scale and the quality on an individual basis. The Imperium's most famous wineries, of course, are in the Venet District in cities such as Coriovallum and the Castra Vetera hillside. Caphiria's level of production barely satisfies its 25 billion liter demand for wine, leaving little room for export even when imports are considered. The other prominent alcoholic beverages are beer and whisky. It gained popularity in Samarobriva Ambianorum during the 10th and 11th centuries when it started to be produced from grain.

Recreational drugs are extremely popular in Caphiria due to the lack of social conservatism of the average citizen. One drug that came into use for a time was opium, brought in by trade with the Caliphates in the 1100's, in its natural capacity as an anesthetic. The potential to provide swift bliss and comfort has been taken advantage of since the late 13th century. By the 1500's, the majority of opium was used for recreational purposes as a more potent form of the compound (morphine) could be purchased.

Another psychotropic, cannabis, was introduced to Caphiria through travelers in the 8th century/ No medical functions were noted by traveling doctors so the Senate never supported a cannabis trade. Nevertheless, various guilds/crime families noted the possibility of marketing it for recreational use, buying the plant in large quantities during the 900's. When colonization of the New World opened, plantations were moved there to take advantage of the government subsidy on colonial slaves. Today, cannabis, like any other drug, is not illegal in the Caphiria- some restaurants will even offer it before meals. As medicinal uses started to be noticed, it began to be sold in pharmacies. It is, however, discouraged among the patrician order who generally view recreational drug use, outside fine wine, with disdain.

As with all societies, body language is of immense importance when conveying ideas during social interactions in the Caphiria. Understanding these signals is vital to gaining a proper understanding of Caphirian culture and the intricacies that it entails. Although this is not a complete analysis, it hopefully serves to further immerse oneself in the Caphirian lifestyle.

A standard greeting in the Imperium is a handshake wherein each participant grabs the other around the wrist rather than the palm. This came from the practice of checking for concealed weapons when greeting a political or business opponent. Though its formal variant is usually done by having each person stand still directly opposite each other, a friendlier and more commonly used version has the participants use their left hand to gently touch the other's elbow. Relatives or long-time friends will often follow this sort of thing up with a hug, an action which is in general only done when two people are personally close to each other. Unfamiliar members of the opposite-sex will usually greet each other with a kiss on each cheek whilst kisses on the lips are reserved for either the sealing of a deal or the bedroom. Unlike most cultures, a peck on the lips between two men is viewed purely in this business context, distinguishing itself from its intimate counterpart by being quick and uninvolved. The wedding ceremony is the one place where these two meanings merge as one.

Caphirians have engaged in philosophical inquiry ever since the Republic assimilated Empyreian philosophy in the 3rd century BCE. Adopted institutions included the Peripatetic, Eleatic, Stoic, Cynic, Academic and Skeptic schools. The early imperial period saw marked growth of Stoicism, peaking with the publication of an emperor's Meditations. After a period of high Stoic support in the 6th century, Aristotelian science and philosophy took the dominant position in Caphirian academia. Its sudden blossom is attributed to the extensive use of Aristotelian texts by Archaedavincus in his formulations of engineering principles. While much of Aristotle's physics was ultimately rejected, the Philosopher's ethical, political and metaphysical writings flourished.

Modern Caphirian philosophy is a strict academic field, the overarching discipline within which the various sciences are practiced. Children are taught Ethica, Vitalogia, Physica or Epistemelogia at the grammaticus (high school) level as part of their philosophical education. Professional philosophers include natural scientists, metaphysicians, ethicists, logicians and mathematicians. Metaphysics is a difficult field due to the density of the subject-matter. Many in the field of ethics are looked to as leaders in the political arena, and, in fact, some of the greatest magistrates in history were prominent in ethics. The nationally recognized structure of philosophy is:

The science of Logic is the heart of Caphirian philosophy. The ancient Aristotelian ''Logika Syllogistica'' (''Propositional Logic'') went out of use after the publication of ''De Logika''in 1218, a book which established the dominance of ''Logika Attributia'' (Predicate Logic). Since the invention of ''symbolic logic'' by Archaedavincus, the application of logical systems has had the appearance of a sort of verbal mathematics. The symbols and form of Archadavincus' system came from his development of set theory in the 740's.Caphirian philosophers view logic as a description of the necessary form of thinking, not simply axiomatic rules for inference and judgment. For this reason, logic is the foundation of Caphirian philosophy.

Caphirian metaphysics splits philosophical inquiry into two domains:''nature'' and ''morals''. This division has its roots in Empyreian philosophy. The present framework for all metaphysics was created by Octavius Priscus Regulus and is followed by the majority of philosophers. However, it requires what its few opponents call a 'monstrous leap' in reason and therefore has failed to supercede regional philosophical traditions on an international scale.Regulus' starting point is that the laws of nature forbid prescriptive truth; the world cannot be other than what it is, therefore, there are no thoughts. Even the actions of intelligent beings are causally determined by natural laws. This was called the theoretical truth of the human will. However, Regulus reasoned, people are self-determining as regards their actions in a practical sense - we can only act under the Idea of freedom.For humans to be free and not free at the same time is a contradiction, unless each is in a different way. The 'monstrous leap' Regulus made to resolve this contradiction was to postulate a separation of the empirical and the non-empirical. Empirical things are comprised of all objects of the senses. The manner in which things are perceived is how things are as appearances (''Phenoemena''). Objects independent of a perceiver are things as they are in themselves (''Eimana'') and as perceiver we consider them as they are thought to be in themselves (''Noumena''). Regulus '''Trinity of Existence'' underlies much of Caphirian philosophy.

{| class="wikitable" margin: auto;"

|+Branches of Physics

The physical sciences exhibit a progression from basic Kinematics to Geohistory at the far end. The richest area is certainly mechanics which comprises kinematics, electrodynamics, optics, cymatics and even relativity.

Caphirian morality is grounded in the principle that all human beings are rational organisms and, by consequence, equal. The fact of universal human equality warrants the prescriptions of Caphirian ethics - the way they derive an ought statement from a statement of fact. Its most fundamental prescription is the categorical imperative that "Every human should be treated as an end not a means." On this bedrock, all other Caphirian morals are built.Duty, to one's fellow man, and intention are essential aspects of moral action. The consequences of actions are not important to Caphirians but the intention behind actions - as well as the consequences reasonably expected by the agent performing the action - are primary. The consequences of actions, say the Caprivians, are subject to mere luck in practice and, if taken as a standard of morality, would condemn the morally innocent such as children and the mentally challenged whose intentions are not bad but are not willfully ignorant of their actions' consequences.

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[[category:Culture of Caphiria]]

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