Humanism

Humanism is a broad political, social, and moral philosophy emphasizing the individual and social potential of human beings and from that, humanity's capability of understanding the world through rationalistic lens rather than revelations from supernatural sources. Humanism views that through the cementing of concepts of reason, empirical knowledge, and secular thought as foundations of society, the greater betterment and continued prosperity of humanity can be achieved - thereby allowing for World Progression as human civilization sees beneficial social, political, economic, and technological progress and brings with it human well-being and minimizes suffering.

Humanism as is recognizable by modern standards to have first emerged during the vast social changes brought about by mass industrialization and urbanization beginning in the 29th century hæ. As standards of living and education increased as part of this technological progress, a blossoming of philosophical discourse among intellectual circles would mark the beginnings of the First Renaissance, as humanist ideals counter to the contemporary clerical agenda dominant throughout Vikressian society first propagated throughout scholarly circles, then throughout the increasingly educated masses - profoundly impacting the consciousness of then-Vikressian political thought. The following Second Renaissance brought about an advocation for civil rights and empowerment of the masses, the basis for the ideology of Neo-Republicanism made popular during this period of history - a revision of the existing Orthodox Republicanism which made further emphasis on the necessity for liberal democracy and organization of the masses. Major figures of both renaissances viewed the absolutist status quo as an impediment to human progress, and that an active effort must be undertaken to bring about the social change necessary to put Vikressian civilization back onto the correct track towards human progress, whether it be through reform or force.

The first truly humanist country in Vikressia (as opposed to contemporary “enlightened despots”) was the Free Republic of Greater Waryngia, birthed from the overthrowing of the Holy Waryngian League, ruled by an absolute monarchy with ancestries traced back to the great Madiyyan royalty of the distant past. The events of the Eastern Madiyyan Succession Wars had created the necessary political climate to push the Waryngian citizenry into the throngs of radical movements aligning themselves against the reigning monarchy. The consequent Three Wars of Keldary would lead to the disestablishment of the Free Republic with heavy cost to the belligerents. The humanitarian cost of the conflict, alongside accompanying suppression of humanist "radicals", would spark the Revolutionary Ages, as several countries - particularly around eastern Vikressia - encountered significant unrest and uprisings of unprecedented scale. The Third Renaissance would occur during the same timeframe, seeing a further exploration on humanist ideologies as states collapsed and were re-established along humanist lines.

Humanism would remain undeterred even through the Vermilion Decade when traditionalist states assembled in the Luminary Compact and moved to crushed the humanist movement assembled under the Humanity Vanguard, and failed in its attempt. In modern times, humanist states thrives and serves as a counterbalance to the clerical & absolutist powers to their west, a collection of such states comprising a "Humanist sphere" that only continue to expand in scope and influence. While the foundational ideals are generally the same across every interpretation of humanism, many divergent interpretations on the end goals of World Progression and methodologies required to bring about such goals exist, forming the basis for the several major schools of Humanist thought (explored further in Branches).