Moralism: the Charlatan | Archetypical Philosophies 7
a Short Essay for the Modern Existentialist
1 | Moralism: the Envy of the Cunning
All masters are made through the choice of their people—all leaders called forth because their tribe believes. A king is crowned by majority vote—a majority, however, not necessarily of individuals… but instead, a majority of Agency.
All people are different—possessing of various talents, skills, and expertise. All people, therefore, command different amounts and qualities of Agency. Everyone is equal in the fact that they have Agency—but no one’s is identical to his neighbor’s.
The Moralist is thus the one who covets the Pragmatist’s crown; his ability to command the loyalty and Agency of other men; and, therefore, to keep hold of his garden—his fortress, and his Eden—and to guarantee the continued survival of himself and everything that he values. The Moralist understands, however, that to desire it is simply not enough. What he lacks is Agency—and, in order to usurp his master and seize that crown—he must first obtain this power of the Pragmatist to move and inspire men to action. He must somehow convince the Pragmatist’s people to abandon their master… and then, to choose him instead.
Thus, the Moralist is the Charlatan—he who feels that he must resort to cunning methods to achieve his goals. In the name of the survival and prosperity of everything that he loves, he commits himself to lies, or theft, or fraud, or murder—anything which would allow him to manipulate the fabric of the social Order of his master’s garden. Toward the end of seizing that crown—to attempt to gain control of his fate—this Charlatan moves to convince both his peers and betters that he is, in reality, better than them all. He manipulates narrative and shapes public opinion in order to persuade others into believing that he is actually powerful; that he is the one who’s most worthy of respect, approval, and admiration—that the Pragmatist-king is not… and that, therefore, he is the one who deserves to become the garden’s new master instead.
And so, the Moralist is the one who believes that there are two kinds of people in this world:
The shrewd, and the naïve.
There are those who believe in Order—in a kind world of inherent goodness, in which all things are made to happen by design. And then, there are those who believe in Chaos—who know and understand that the world is indifferent to the struggles of mankind. And so, believing in the power of his own Agency, he attempts to bend the naïve to his will—coopting their Agency with a grandstanding lie, and turning them against their master.
The Moralist—like the Servile and the Pragmatist—understands that Order is not inherent to the world, but instead is created by human hands. And so, he attempts to establish an alternative Order; a system of rules and a code of conduct which he markets as metaphysical and inherent—and, therefore, superior to the laws of the master, because those are only just social rules; values created by man. The Moralist thus creates a morality—a type of law which benefits him instead—and sells it as absolute Truth. In this way, he is able to enlist the Servile and deceive the naïve—turning them all against the Pragmatist-king by promising them a greater share in the garden’s bounty. By means of deception, obfuscation, and the control of narrative, the Moralist confounds the naïve, convincing them that the master who works to their mutual benefit… is actually nothing but a liar, a scoundrel, and a wicked, greedy, Evil oppressor because he expects them to work hard and follow his command while he sits alone upon a throne and taxes them for a lion’s share.
2 | Onward
While the Servile’s attention is fixated upon the Pragmatist’s things—while he’d turn readily to support anyone who’d be capable of promising him more—the Moralist finds his own obsession in the Pragmatist’s power instead; the ability of a master to command the Agency of all those who follow him willingly.
And so, the Moralist is the one who incites the meek to rise against the wicked—who arms these bravest, densest sons of Eden, and sends them out hunting monsters and demons. Those demons, however—by moral decree—are no longer just those strange monsters and beasts which pound against the walls. Instead, they’re now also hidden enemies which stalk in their midst, masquerading as the righteous and the meek. Those wicked ones who hold greed in their hearts and love the Evil of the Pragmatist-king… could now be anyone—anyone at all—so long as morality decrees it.
Philosophy: a mindset. An attitude. The way that a person chooses to see the world, and therefore to approach living their life.
Αρχή | archí: origin
Τύπος | týpos: form
An Archetypical Philosophy is the bare-bones, logical basis of a person’s mindset or attitude, inferred from observation of the way in which they choose to live their life.