Preservianism - A Conreligion

[Raphael]

This is not related to my "main" conworld, that is, the one about which I've posted before a few times, mainly because I don't imagine that conworld having the kind of prehistory necessary for this conreligion.

(Trigger warning: very brief mention of sexual violence later on)

Preservianism is generally believed to have been founded by some survivors of a very modern scientific and technological society that collapsed, in order to preserve some of their scientific and technological knowledge. A competing theory says that the basics of Preservianism were taught to some of the ancestors of today's believers by visiting aliens from another planet, but that is more speculative.

The core of Preservianism is a sacred text that is called the How-To, because it consists mostly of instructions on how to do various things. (You might not believe me on this point, but I swear that inside my head, I came up with this aspect of the religion years before Randall Munroe published his book with a similar title.)

Some parts of the How-To deal with the basics of various physical sciences, but most of it is taken up with instructions on how to make and use all kinds of tools and technological devices ranging from those of ancient times to roughly those of the Renaissance era. Since the preservation and spread of the How-To itself is one of the most important, perhaps the most important, tenet of the religion, large parts of the How-To consist of instructions on how to produce, prepare, and use various writing materials, and even on simple printing devices.

If the How-To would be translated into English and published as an average-sized modern paper book with letters printed in the most common size, it would be about 1000 pages long. Of these, about 200 pages would deal with matters of human health and how the human body works. And out of these, about 50 pages would deal with matters of reproduction, sex, sexual health, and sexuality. You may guess three times which parts of the How-To many people who are not Preservians are obsessed with, and which are often copied, usually in a garbled form, into texts with titles like The Secrets Of The How-To Revealed.

The core of the How-To, that is, the part usually seen as the most important part, is an essay of about 20 pages with the title From The Small To The Big. It lays out the basics of the general scientific view of what things exist and what things happens at various physical scales of magnitude, from the size of subatomic particles through the size of atoms and molecules through the size of cells through the size of human beings through the size of planets through the size of solar systems through to size of galaxies to the size of the Universe as a whole. From The Small To The Big is seen as so important a text that there is a general convention that when a Preservian writer writes a book, no matter on what subject or in what genre, for which the original text is at least five times as long as From The Small To The Big, then From The Small To The Big should be included at the start of any completed written version of the book.

Since the later parts of From The Small To The Big are partly about how big the Universe and the larger things in it are compared to human beings, some varieties of Preservianism focus on a very fatalistic or nihilistic attitude, arguing that in the larger scheme of things, nothing human beings do really matters. Critics of this view usually argue that if human beings and their actions would really be so unimportant, the How-To wouldn't consist mostly of instructions to human beings on how to do things.

Since the How-To has preserved the germ theory of disease, Preservianism generally puts a lot of importance on hygiene. An important role is played by the Three Sacred Waters - boiling water, freshly boiled water, and recently boiled water. There have been serious theological disputes over when, exactly, water turns from the second into the third of these, and when it stops being the third. The relevant section of the How-To notes that there are other substances with disinfectant properties, too, but that it doesn't have the space to cover them all. Therefore, it encourages scholars to do their own research on the matter, and recommends that they should start out from the assumption that what kills human beings in large enough doses might kill germs in smaller doses. Unfortunately, some have interpreted this as an instruction to use quack remedies based on making patients ingest small doses of poisons.

The sections of the How-To dealing with sexual matters indicate several times that both rape and persecution of consensual sexual activities are very bad, but aside from that, and from generally stressing the importance of hygiene, and of knowledge and learning, and of following basic safety rules when working, the How-To is mostly silent when it comes to instructions on how to live. There are various theories about why that is so: some think that the writers and compilers of the How-To couldn't agree among each other on those things; others think that the writers and compilers thought that these matters would be too dependent on the specific circumstances people found themselves in in different times and places; and yet others think that the writers and compilers thought that people wouldn't listen to their moral and ethical exhortations anyway. In any case, many groups of Preservians have responded to this perceived gap in the wisdom of the How-To by coming up with syncretist varieties that combine practical instructions and material knowledge from the How-To with spiritual and/or moral teachings of other religions. These varieties tend to be the most successful ones when it comes to proselytizing, since they don't require new converts to give up all their previous beliefs. But a few very controversial varieties of Preservianism teach that the How-To's relative silence on moral issues constitutes a positive affirmation of amoralism.

It was very difficult for the writers and compilers of the How-To to fit as much information as possible into as few words as possible. They probably thought that they couldn't spare any space for things like biographical information on individual people who had, really or supposedly, discovered various parts of the knowledge they were recording. So, aside from many references to people who might want to follow specific instructions, and to "you", the How-To doesn't contain a single character, and doesn't have any plot or plots. That is, frankly, not what many people who are into reading or listening to recitals expect from the texts they read or listen to. Therefore, some varieties of Preservianism have compiled large collections of stories, and sometimes put these collections of the same level of veneration as the How-To itself. Some offshoots have even focused so much on these collections that they mostly or entirely abandoned the How-To itself, but those groups are usually seen not as "real Preservians" at all by most followers of other varieties.

One of the most important varieties of Preservianism are the Localists. Their main teaching is that, while the How-To is universal and always important and relevant, in each place and at each time, there is an even larger collection of local knowledge that is equally important for the people who live in that place at that time. They therefore spend a lot of time and effort on trying to research, write down, and compile that local knowledge. This, of courses, offers endless opportunities for arguments and schisms.

The Preservian counterpart to a temple or house of worship is the Sanctuary. These vary a lot in size and shape, but the section of the How-To dealing with their founding and maintenance mandates that each must contain at least three sections: the Learning Section, the Healing Section, and the Working Section. How these sections look like depends on the size of the Sanctuary: in the smallest ones, the Learning sections will be a single shelf with a few books considered educationally valuable, of course including the How-To; the Healing Section will be a small box that might be described in modern English as a kind of medicine cabinet; and the Working Section will be a single workbench with a few tools on it. In the largest Sanctuaries, the Learning Sections are among the largest libraries on the planet; the Healing Sections are extensive hospitals with many beds and rooms for healers to practice their art; and the Working Sections contain many workshops, and usually at least a few printing premises. While the How-To requires only those three sections, most Preservian groups have found it useful to include meeting rooms or assembly halls of some kind in their Sanctuaries as well. In some of the most common varieties of Preservianism, there is a convention that each town or village where Preservians live should have at least two Sanctuaries: one in the center of the town or village, where it is as close as possible to the community it is meant to serve; and one at some distance from the town or village, perhaps in a forest or other secluded place, where people can go for calm contemplation.

Ok, that's all I can think of for now.

[elemtilas]

Pretty neat bit of geopoesy, that!

The How-To seems to be fairly comprehensive, for all that it doesn't teach people how to live. So, how big is it? One volume? Multi volumes? Illustrated & diagrammed?

What format of book does the How-To prescribe? Codex? Orihon? Scroll? Bronze tablets?

[bradrn]

The How-To seems to be fairly comprehensive, for all that it doesn't teach people how to live. So, how big is it? One volume? Multi volumes? Illustrated & diagrammed?

About size, Raphael said:

If the How-To would be translated into English and published as an average-sized modern paper book with letters printed in the most common size, it would be about 1000 pages long.

[elemtilas]

The How-To seems to be fairly comprehensive, for all that it doesn't teach people how to live. So, how big is it? One volume? Multi volumes? Illustrated & diagrammed?

About size, Raphael said:

If the How-To would be translated into English and published as an average-sized modern paper book with letters printed in the most common size, it would be about 1000 pages long.

Now how did I miss that!

[Yalensky]

How can other religions compete with a "religion" so manifestly practical? Are they fringe science-denialists, basically?

[Ares Land]

Very cool!

Shouldn't the How-To mention alcohol as an antiseptic? It's a fairly cheap and easy solution to the problem.

Do Preservians still understand the text of the How-To or is the language barrier making it increasingly obscure? And did anyone manage to go beyond what's in the book, in terms of science and technology?

[Raphael]

Pretty neat bit of geopoesy, that!

Thank you!

The How-To seems to be fairly comprehensive, for all that it doesn't teach people how to live. So, how big is it? One volume? Multi volumes? Illustrated & diagrammed?

bradrn has already answered the part on length. As for illustrations and diagrams - hmmm. Very good question. I guess a lot of the things explained in the book can't really be explained well without illustrations of some kind. But on the other hand, illustrations are probably a lot more difficult to copy faithfully with pre-modern, especially ancient, methods, than texts. And, I'm not sure if there are any real-life models I could follow for illustrations of sacred scriptures that are an "official part" of the sacred scriptures. Sure, there have been many specific editions of various religions scriptures that have been richly illustrated, but I'm not sure if any real-life religion on Earth had specific illustrations as a "canonical" part of its scriptures.

So, all in all, I'd say there are a number of semi-standardized illustrations of the How-To, but there are often big differences between their versions in different "lines of descent" of the book, and there is constant argument over whether they are as authoritative as the written text.

What format of book does the How-To prescribe? Codex? Orihon? Scroll? Bronze tablets?

It contains instructions for preparing and using a number of different writing materials, and instructs believers to be pragmatic about which ones to using, making decisions based on their circumstances. It even explicitly states that writing methods not covered by it are permissible if they work. So, any pre-modern writing methods and materials you can think of have probably been used at some times in some places. More recently, the standard format used by most groups are codices, though.

I have this idea that, relatively early in the history of Preservianism, a group of Preservians built a sacred site that consisted of a large maze of clay walls, with the entire How-To inscribed on the walls, but a while later, it was destroyed during a war.

How can other religions compete with a "religion" so manifestly practical? Are they fringe science-denialists, basically?

To be honest, I haven't thought about that yet at all. And now that you bring it up, I'm still not sure. I guess once a religion has been well established, it's not going to go away just because another religion offers "better" practical advice, though.

Very cool!

Thank you!

Shouldn't the How-To mention alcohol as an antiseptic? It's a fairly cheap and easy solution to the problem.

You know what? I think you're right.

Do Preservians still understand the text of the How-To or is the language barrier making it increasingly obscure?

They put a fair amount of effort into preserving understanding of the original language among educated people. The How-To itself explicitly authorizes translations into vernacular languages in principle, but in practice, pretty much every such translation is to some extent controversial because almost always, at least some people object to at least some of the phraes used to translate specific bits.

And did anyone manage to go beyond what's in the book, in terms of science and technology?

When it comes to tools and crafts, definitely. I guess no single book could ever catalogue all the tools and methods used even by ancient societies. When it comes to biology, Localist groups have catalogued many different species of plants and animals not mentioned in the book. In astronomy, not much has been added as far as basic principles are concerned, but charts of stars and planets are a lot more extensive than the few sections of the book dealing with those. Mathematics is another field where much has been added.

But the thing is, I'm not sure yet what kind of technology the planet in question uses in the "present", except that it's still pre-industrial.

[Ares Land]

bradrn has already answered the part on length. As for illustrations and diagrams - hmmm. Very good question. I guess a lot of the things explained in the book can't really be explained well without illustrations of some kind. But on the other hand, illustrations are probably a lot more difficult to copy faithfully with pre-modern, especially ancient, methods, than texts. And, I'm not sure if there are any real-life models I could follow for illustrations of sacred scriptures that are an "official part" of the sacred scriptures. Sure, there have been many specific editions of various religions scriptures that have been richly illustrated, but I'm not sure if any real-life religion on Earth had specific illustrations as a "canonical" part of its scriptures.

Actually, many religions do. Scripture is written, but most people were historically illiterate. So religious themes were often transmitted graphically, through painting, sculpture, etc.
Crucifixion scenes are very standardized, for instance. And to take an example from farther away, the Staff God of Andean cultures is recognizable through the millenia.

Most science you can handle with Euclidean geometry. Which means you just need a ruler and a compass, both easily made from rope or bits of string.
I learned pre-AutoCAD technical drawing, and I think you could do wonders with fairly primitive tools, even after the Apocalypse. You'd definitely need stencils, and stencils are easy to make and to copy.
Technical drawing is difficult, but a great deal easier to learn than what societies have historically required of their clergy.

Anyway, just to say that I'd totally see the How-To reproduced with accurate drawings and figures.

How can other religions compete with a "religion" so manifestly practical? Are they fringe science-denialists, basically?

Hmm, I beg to disagree

We're used to religions competing, because when we think of religion, we think of the great monotheism, which are explicitly set up to compete against each other.
But it's our culture that's weird here. Religions tend to mix happily.
The classic examples is Buddhism and Shinto, or Buddhism/Taoism/Confucianism but we don't even need look so far.

We think of Western Philosophy as something different from religion, but looking at it anew, it's pretty clear the ancient Greek and Romans intended it as religion. It has a lot to say about morality, what God or Gods are, how humans came about and what they're supposed to do with themselves. And it has happily coexisted with Christianity for century. So happily, in fact, that the main beef the Church had with Copernicus and Galileo wasn't really that they contradicted scripture (they didn't, except for that one verse in Joshua which could be interpreted many ways): it's that they contradicted Aristotle.
So a future Catholic Church may well have issues with relativity, because it's not mentioned in the How-To.

In any case, many established religions have long made their peace with science. Orthodox Jews invoke relativity to explain the difference between the Biblical seven days and the apparent age of the universe, Muslims will find evidence of embryology or relativistic phyics in the Qur'an, and the Catholic Church offically endorses evolution these days.

So again, it seems fairly plausible that other religions would coexist with Preservianism.

By the way, Raphael, you might want to read A Canticle For Leibowitz if you haven't already: it explores some of the same ideas and it's a very good novel too.

[Pabappa]

All I can add to what others have said is that I like what sounds like a reference to the Kama Sutra at the beginning .... specifically how in pop culture people greatly misunderstand what it is.

[elemtilas]

One thing that's really neat about this religion, Raphael, is how very similar it is, in certain respects, to the 19th century autodidact movement.

A very popular kind of book back then was a volume very much like the How-To, teaching adults (and presumably youths as well) how to do & make a wide variety of things. Household & medical recipes, bookkeeping, letter writing, politics, household articles. Just about any topic useful to a 19th century, not-so-educated-but-willing-to-self-improve sort of person.

In a sense, anyone in possession of such books is a "preservarian" of 19th century lore!

[Raphael]

One thing that's really neat about this religion, Raphael, is how very similar it is, in certain respects, to the 19th century autodidact movement.

A very popular kind of book back then was a volume very much like the How-To, teaching adults (and presumably youths as well) how to do & make a wide variety of things. Household & medical recipes, bookkeeping, letter writing, politics, household articles. Just about any topic useful to a 19th century, not-so-educated-but-willing-to-self-improve sort of person.

In a sense, anyone in possession of such books is a "preservarian" of 19th century lore!

Oh, thank you, that is interesting to know!

[Raphael]

Actually, many religions do. Scripture is written, but most people were historically illiterate. So religious themes were often transmitted graphically, through painting, sculpture, etc.
Crucifixion scenes are very standardized, for instance. And to take an example from farther away, the Staff God of Andean cultures is recognizable through the millenia.

I might have been overgeneralizing from Christianity. Yes, there are many illustrated Bibles, and a lot of visual Christian art, but I've never heard of any Christian church that treats specific illustrations as canonical parts of the Bible, with the same authoritative standing as the written text.

Most science you can handle with Euclidean geometry. Which means you just need a ruler and a compass, both easily made from rope or bits of string.
I learned pre-AutoCAD technical drawing, and I think you could do wonders with fairly primitive tools, even after the Apocalypse. You'd definitely need stencils, and stencils are easy to make and to copy.
Technical drawing is difficult, but a great deal easier to learn than what societies have historically required of their clergy.

Neat!

Anyway, just to say that I'd totally see the How-To reproduced with accurate drawings and figures.
By the way, Raphael, you might want to read A Canticle For Leibowitz if you haven't already: it explores some of the same ideas and it's a very good novel too.

Thank you, I'll check it out!

[bradrn]

Anyway, just to say that I'd totally see the How-To reproduced with accurate drawings and figures.
By the way, Raphael, you might want to read A Canticle For Leibowitz if you haven't already: it explores some of the same ideas and it's a very good novel too.

Thank you, I'll check it out!

I also thought of A Canticle for Leibowitz when I saw this. It’s amazingly similar to what you’re trying to do here! (Although their ‘Preservianism’ is an offshoot of Christianity rather than a whole new religion.)