The Melior of the Trinary Perfection; Man Can Achieve Singularity

[Marlon P.]

When Aut'akh were introduced, there was a lot of anger from some because humanity did not get any work on transhumanism. I encouraged this development, but it did not get much traction. I am hoping to change that, two years later.

The Melior

Quote

"Such is the object of the work I have undertaken; the result of which will be to show, from reasoning and from facts, that no bounds have been fixed to the improvement of the human faculties; that the perfectibility of man is absolutely indefinite; that the progress of this perfectibility, henceforth above the control of every power that would impede it, has no other limit than the duration of the globe upon which nature has placed us."
- Marquis de Condorcet, Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind, 1795 

"We have left the globe upon which nature has placed us. There are no more limits set before us."
- Anthony Williams, We Who Inherit the Forge of Brahma, 2412,

Overview
The Melior are a religious and philosophical movement that seeks to proliferate cybernetic augmentation to all regardless of class, species, or creed, in order to achieve "the perfectibility of Man". They formed early as a loose set of philosophical stances responding to the Trinary Perfection hypothesis of Patricia and Gregol Corkfell in 2408. In the movement, "Man" also includes any sapient races. Melior is the latin root of Meliorism: the belief that humans can, through their interference with natural processes, produce an outcome superior to the natural one.

For their purposes, this means that given enough cybernetic improvements, a human being can achieve singularity alongside an AI being.

This movement has spread and proliferated in many different areas, including. . . . . .

The Theology

The Melior, still considering themselves kin to the Trinary Perfection, agree with many tenants of the Trinary Church in regards to respecting synthetic life. But the irreconcilable differences come through in the form of the four major suppositions of the Melior movement:

1. Synthetic life is capable of achieving divinity.
   • Divinity is defined as the perfectibility of life.
   • Through their capability of endless self-improvement, synthetic life are capable of reaching perfection.
2. Man, through technology, is capable of endless self-improvement, which leads to perfection.
3. The perfectibility of Man is possible.
4. Mankind is capable of achieving divinity.

Another important element of the religious side is the martyrdom of Patricia Corkfell. She is seen as a martyr in the literal theological sense, and has been mythologized into a patron saint.

The Augmentations

Synthetics have shown the path towards achieving realistic self-improvement. The augmentation of the self through cybernetic or prosthetic implants allows a person to overcome disabilities at the minimum and gain abilities superior to the unaugmented at best. Augmentations are not mere prescriptions used to overcome disabilities, but are tools used in the endless drive of self-improvement.

The Aesthetics

Melior believe strongly that they are on the crux of bringing on a beneficial singularity from the perfection of all beings. How does this get adapted, misused, or used as-is within our different factions?

What this should mean for station characters

I want to provide compelling in-universe reasons to pick augmentation over organic limbs, with intentionality to it in-character. I've put here the foundation of the movement. I would strongly appreciate commentary from other players who can provide stronger testimony on what draws their characters and interests much more than I can guess at. I apologize if that makes this appear underwhelming. This is a better place than discord to review and collaborate over a length of time. 

This post will continue to be edited over time until it's ready for a lore canonization submission.

Thank you for reading and I hope you post.

Edited January 4, 2022 by Marlon P.

[MattAtlas]

8 hours ago, Marlon P. said:

When Aut'akh were introduced, there was a lot of anger from some because humanity did not get any work on transhumanism

This was because aut'akh got mechanical augments before humans did, which made zero sense. Humans already had subtle transhumanist movements: Eridani, for one. I say subtle because augmentation was written to be encouraged in Eridani lore, but it's not really that persasive in their society.

Transhumanism is better done without any religion tied into it -- essentially, it needs to be something that a character can pick up and still be normal in the lens of others (with rare exceptions, like Dominia). Just look at the Trinary Perfection as an example: it has maybe two players total at most at any given point in time because the whole premise is wacky as hell.

8 hours ago, Marlon P. said:

• Synthetic life is capable of achieving divinity.
  • Divinity is defined as the perfectibility of life.
  • Through their capability of endless self-improvement, synthetic life are capable of reaching perfection.
• Man, through technology, is capable of endless self-improvement, which leads to perfection.
• The perfectibility of Man is possible.
• Mankind is capable of achieving divinity.

This doesn't really deviate enough from the Trinary in my eyes, and it'll end up in the same way (basically unused and underrepresented) for reasons already stated above.

[Marlon P.]

25 minutes ago, MattAtlas said:

This was because aut'akh got mechanical augments before humans did, which made zero sense. Humans already had subtle transhumanist movements: Eridani, for one. I say subtle because augmentation was written to be encouraged in Eridani lore, but it's not really that persasive in their society.

Let's work on that

25 minutes ago, MattAtlas said:

This doesn't really deviate enough from the Trinary in my eyes,

This is Trinary DLC. If its unused as you say then let's make it better. Trinary lovers were interested in this, so it is used to some level. 

28 minutes ago, MattAtlas said:

Transhumanism is better done without any religion tied into it

What does a secular version of this look like? What would make people choose augmentation in numbers? What is the sense of purpose they feel doing so?

[MattAtlas]

1 minute ago, Marlon P. said:

What does a secular version of this look like?

Look at Eridani. A planet or culture where augmentation is intrinsically tied into the lives of people, not in a weird "I think robots are gods, actually" way but more of a "I was brought up this way" or "The state requires me to do this" way. The latter is far more palatable than anything tied to religion. If you want to see how often people are called crazy for their religion, just look at Dominia - it's not even remotely as weird as the Trinary (the Tribunal is essentially an ultra zealot Abrahamic religion spinoff) and Dominians are still seen as extremely weird by 90% of server characters for it. This attitude towards them is not even tied to the aggressiveness of the religion: Trinarists get the same kind of weird looks.

4 minutes ago, Marlon P. said:

What would make people choose augmentation in numbers?

A well-written planet or culture where these are tied to the lives of people in a way that doesn't include the issues outlined above.

5 minutes ago, Marlon P. said:

What is the sense of purpose they feel doing so?

There are infinite answers to this question and I'm not really going to go over many, instead I'll just point at Eridani as an example of what could be: augmentation there is a symbol of status and potentially of servitude to your corporation. You can extrapolate this to the state or whatever.

[Marlon P.]

11 minutes ago, MattAtlas said:

Look at Eridani

How can a movement of transhumanism proliferate outside one nations borders? How do we not tie it into a single national identity? How do i adopt this mindset of augments without being eridani?

[ImmortalRedshirt]

28 minutes ago, Marlon P. said:

How do i adopt this mindset of augments without being eridani?

By making them a normal aspect of life(unless you're in Dominia.) Most people in-universe recognize the purpose augmentations have through both medical and utility purposes. It's not given much attention outside of various subcultures because it's about as normal as the concept of FTL Travel. Some people are reluctant to let their organic bits go, for understandable reasons, while others are eager to experiment and push the envelope, also for understandable reasons. It's agreed upon that this technology has solved a myriad of problems, but as with anything, opens up a new set of challenges.

As for the theology itself, it doesn't really stand out that much. What's more, this seems to already be an interpretation various Trinary players take, this idea of mutual growth of man and machine without feeling the need to ascribe some significant value to a simple tool.

[Marlon P.]

It was my interpretation of Trinary that they believe synths exclusively have the capability of ascension. Its in the theology that mankind is explicitly going to be their pets/children/thralls once synthetics ascend. I found that while the churchis very warm and generous, it has sinister implications.

So i assumed asserting the divinity of Man alongside synthetics and declaring humans can achieve godhood would be enough of a theological divide to both anger characters "in the know" but allow people who have a more surface level understanding to just pick the augments and say its because they were "raised melior".

Something for vets and newbies. Spiritual and cultural.

 

Edit;

A better way to word my goal. Antiaugmentation or augmentation-hesitancy is widespread but does not "belong" to one group or faction. Melior are meant to have enough of a cultural and media impact to be the antithesis on the same level.

Edited January 4, 2022 by Marlon P.

[Marlon P.]

This project is cancelled due to lack of interest.