The Movement for Awareness of the Five Fundamental Truths and Four Fundamental Preferences, better known as the Five Plus Four Movement:
As the name indicates, it is a religious or philosophical movement focused on a number of basic ideas which it sees as Five Fundamental Truths and Four Fundamental Preferences, and their numerous implications.
The Basics:
The First Fundamental Truth is that the Universe, and everything in it, is very complicated. Therefore, people who refuse to acknowledge subtlety and nuances are wrong, mistaken, and will never understand much.
The Second Fundamental Truth is that everyone is sometimes wrong. Everyone sometimes makes mistakes or fails morally. Therefore, everyone should be subject to questioning and criticism, and people should always be careful (at least) about giving anyone too much power.
The Third Fundamental Truth is that wanting something to be true does not make it true. Therefore, followers of the Movement tend to be very skeptical of anything that smacks of wishful thinking.
The Fourth Fundamental Truth is that what works well for one person won’t necessarily work well for anyone else. Therefore, the Movement is committed to enabling and helping people to do things their way (within reason), rather than forcing one way of doing everything on everyone.
The Fifth Fundamental Truth is that without the hard work and efforts of those who provide the things people need to live, everyone would die soon. Therefore, the Movement tries to encourage what it sees as “usefulness” among its followers, where possible, and discourages its followers from taking the things they have for granted.
The First Fundamental Preference is the preference of kindness over cruelty. This is the main foundation for the Movement’s moral or ethical code, its charitable works, and the political activism of many of its followers.
The Second Fundamental Preference is the preference of equal rights over preferential treatment. This is another foundation for the Movement’s moral or ethical code, its charitable works, and the political activism of many of its followers.
The Third Fundamental Preference is the preference of knowledge over ignorance.
The Fourth Fundamental Preference is the preference of thoughtfulness over thoughtlessness. Therefore, followers are encouraged to think carefully about what they do, to be aware of what they do, to contemplate things, and to engage in soul-searching.
The Movement’s attitude towards the Five Fundamental Truths is a bit different from that towards the Four Fundamental Preferences. The former are simply asserted as true, as a matter of fact, so that people who disagree with them are said to be just plain wrong. In the case of the latter, the Movement’s position is more like that, if someone disagrees with them, the Movement has nothing to say to that person – but the Movement’s followers have chosen those Preferences.
The Implications and Interpretations of the Basics
Deriving all possible implications of the Five Fundamental Truths and Four Fundamental Preferences would take many books, and in fact, followers who are so inclined are encouraged to write such books. However, some starting points are:
The Second Fundamental Truth is used to justify being skeptical of and critical towards powerful people, but the Movement generally doesn’t limit the idea of “powerful people” to “officially” powerful people, such as state officials; it sees everyone who is able to make people do things as powerful. This means that followers who care about politics tend to be more or less left-leaning, since they see rich business people as a part of the powerful.
The Third Fundamental Truth is used to reject arguments along the line of “it would be undesirable for this idea to be true, therefore this idea has to be false.”
The Fourth Fundamental Truth is the foundation of the cultural liberalism of most followers, since it is seen as bad to force a way of life on people who might be deeply miserable when following that way of life, no matter how attractive that way of life might be to others.
When interpreting the First Fundamental Preference, the Movement stresses that it is cruel rather than kind to leave people exposed to cruelty, so a desire to be kind should not be an excuse for refusing to fight against cruel people. However, the Movement also stresses that, if you keep the First Fundamental Truth in mind, it can very difficult to predict the results of your actions, so it is often not at all clear which course of action is mandated by the First Fundamental Preference.
The Movement sometimes makes the point that the Second Fundamental Preference does not necessarily mean that all people should be seen as equal; more that promoting egalitarianism is seen as the most effective way to limit the ability of the cruel to abuse the kind. The more hierarchical things are structured, the more damage cruel people who are high in the hierarchy can cause.
When interpreting the Third Fundamental Preference, the Movement stresses that “knowledge” does not equal “formal education” or “academic knowledge”. It is asserted that a person who never had much formal schooling, but who likes to learn things, who wants to learn things, who makes a serious commitment to learn things, and who puts serious effort into learning things, is more truly educated than a person with an elite university degree who only got that degree out of careerism, opportunism, or in order to conform to social or family pressure. And, knowledge of practical life skills is as valued as knowledge of classroom subjects.
The Four Types of Basic Questions, and How to Approach Them
According to the Movement, the most fundamental questions about life can be divided into four basic types:
1) Questions of fact
2) Questions of right and wrong
3) Questions of purpose and meaning
4) Questions of taste
The Movement asserts that these questions should be approached in the following ways:
1) Questions of fact should be approached through scientific and scholarly research or investigation, by observing things, drawing rational conclusions from one’s observations, and trying to fit what one has learned in that way together with what other researchers, including those in earlier generations, have learned in similar ways.
2) Questions of right and wrong should be approached by applying the Four Fundamental Preferences while keeping the Five Fundamental Truths in mind.
3) Questions of purpose and meaning should be approached by keeping the Fourth Fundamental Truth in mind. It is recommended, but not mandatory, that people should try to find purpose and meaning in trying to advance awareness of the Five Fundamental Truths and support for the Four Fundamental Preferences. It is, however, forbidden to try to find purpose and meaning by doing things that violate the Four Fundamental Preferences.
4) The Movement has no official position on questions of taste, except to remind people to keep the Fourth Fundamental Truth in mind when approaching them.
Spirituality
The Movement has no official position on whether there is a soul, or if there is, what traits it has, or on whether there is an afterlife, or if there is, what traits it has.
It is recommended, but not mandatory, that followers of the Movement who agree among each other on such questions form subgroups within the Movement where they can contemplate, and act on, their ideas on these things together. However, if such subgroups should be formed, it is mandatory that members of different such subgroups within the Movement must treat each other with respect and acceptance.
Symbols
The main symbol of the Movement is a square inside a pentagon, somewhat like this, but preferably drawn better than I managed to:
- pentasquare.png (15.75 KiB) Viewed 1716 times
Main Practices
The most remarked-on practice of the Movement is derived from the Fourth Fundamental Preference. It is mandatory that, when followers are not in a hurry or in a dangerous situation, they should, whenever they are about to do something, big or small, first briefly tell themselves what they’re planning to do, why they want to do it, and what they’re hoping to accomplish with it. This is to remind followers to be thoughtful about and conscious of what they’re doing.
Whenever followers of the Movement form organized groups, it is mandatory that the activities of the groups include all of the following:
1) Charitable works
2) Educational works
3) Help for followers with problems, be they psychological or practical
In recognition of the Fifth Fundamental Truth, it is recommended, but not mandatory, that followers of the Movement whose jobs or careers are not in fields connected to the production and distribution of things people need to live should try to volunteer in such fields, or should try to temporarily work in such fields between other jobs, or between the end of their formal education and the start of their regular career.
It is mandatory that followers of the Movement should spend some time each week in contemplation, either alone or in groups, perhaps in a secluded place.
It is recommended, but not mandatory, that followers of the Movement who have interests or opinions in common in addition to their shared support for the ideas and principles of the Movement form subgroups within the Movement where they can pursue their shared interests together. However, if such subgroups should be formed, it is mandatory that members of different such subgroups within the Movement must treat each other with respect and acceptance.
Out of consideration for both the image of the Movement among outsiders and the mental well-being of its followers, it is forbidden to engage in door-to-door proselytizing for the Movement or parts of it.
Dietary Code
It is mandatory that each follower of the Movement must, either when joining the Movement, or, if they’re raised in it, at some point while they grow up, make a conscious, careful, thoughtful, and serious choice about whether to become a vegan. If they choose to do so, then veganism is mandatory for them until they make an equally conscious, careful, thoughtful, and serious choice to stop being a vegan.
As a corollary, if the Movement or a part of it organizes events where food is served, it is mandatory to have a vegan option.
It is strongly recommended, but not mandatory, to follow all dietary restrictions prescribed by competent and qualified medical professionals in reaction to a medical condition.
However, if competent and qualified medical professionals prescribe dietary restrictions to children in reaction to a medical condition, it is mandatory for their parents or legal guardians to both enable and encourage them to follow those dietary restrictions.
It is recommended, but not mandatory, that followers who cook try to come up with recipes that are both healthy and tasty.
If a follower observes a holiday (see the section on holidays) which marks a sad rather than a happy occasion, the follower may choose to fast on that day.
Dress Code
It is usually mandatory, but see exceptions below, that followers must wear at least one article of clothing, no matter which, that clearly marks them as followers of the Movement.
However, in contexts where clothes are generally disapproved of, like nudist beaches, that article of clothing should be replaced with a piece of jewelry or other ornamentation.
And, in times and places where it might be seriously dangerous to be recognized as a follower of the Movement, that mandate is waived.
It is mandatory to follow all dress codes prescribed by competent and qualified medical professionals in reaction to a medical condition or a medical emergency.
In times and places where there are serious dangers which might be mitigated by wearing specific types of clothing, it is mandatory, if practically possible, to wear those types of clothing. So, for instance, in a potentially dangerous work environment where hardhats are advisable, it is mandatory for followers of the Movement to wear hardhats.
It is forbidden to wear “dishonest” or deceptive clothes, like, for instance, clothes that would normally identify you as a medical professional if you are not a medical professional. But this ban is waived in contexts like fancy dress events or when acting as an actor.
Holidays
It is recommended, but not mandatory, that followers observe some or all of the following:
1) The holidays their ancestors celebrated
2) The holidays they themselves celebrated before they joined the Movement
3) The main holidays of the places where they live, or of the communities to which they belong
If, during the historical development of the Movement, particularly memorable good or bad things should happen to the Movement or to some or all of its followers, it is recommended that afterwards, the anniversaries of those events are observed as holidays or days of mourning and remembrance, as the case may be.
Family Life
It is mandatory that followers who found families or form family structures always keep the Fourth Fundamental Truth in mind.
Society
It is forbidden to organize society, or work towards organizing society, in such a way that people who are not followers of the Movement would be oppressed or discriminated against.
However, it is seen as desirable that people in positions of power or authority, even if they are not followers of the Movement, at least don’t fundamentally disagree with any of the Five Fundamental Truths or Four Fundamental Preferences.
And, it is seen as desirable that the general rules, norms, and laws of society should not be in direct conflict with any of the Five Fundamental Truths or Four Fundamental Preferences.
Failing that, it is seen as desirable that followers of the Movement and those who wish to join it can at least live their lives in accordance with the Five Fundamental Truths, Four Fundamental Preferences, and other rules of the Movement.
Art
It is recommended, but not mandatory, that art which is meant to spread a good message should be accessible, so that it can spread the message effectively.
It is recommended, but not mandatory, that art which might reflect on the Movement as a whole should be aesthetically pleasing.
Architecture
It is recommended, but not mandatory, that buildings should be designed in the ways that are advisable in their geographic environment, so that, for instance, buildings in hot and sunny places are whitewashed or painted in light colors.
It is recommended, but not mandatory, that buildings should be designed in ways that are both aesthetically pleasing and frugal, so that there are not, for instance, expensive ornaments that cost large amounts of money which might have been better spent on the needy. For official buildings of the Movement, this standard is mandatory.
It is recommended, and, if financially and practically possible, mandatory, that each local organized group of the Movement, if it maintains official buildings, should maintain at least two official buildings: one in a central place in the community where the group is active, so that it can serve the needs of that community, and one in a sheltered, secluded, perhaps isolated place, so that people can go there for calm contemplation.
Organizational Structure
The Movement is mostly organized along democratic lines. There is, however, concern that a completely democratic organization might gradually drift away from its original intentions, or might even be subject to hostile takeovers by people joining it in bad faith.
To prevent this, the highest institution of the Movement is the generally non-democratic Main Council of Continuity. It is established when the Movement is founded, and fills vacancies through votes among the remaining members. It is, however, strongly recommended that members, when voting to fill vacancies, give preference to people who came up through the democratic structures of the Movement.
Below the level of the Main Council of Continuity, the internal structures of the Movement are generally democratic. However, local groups might ask regional, nationwide, continental, or global headquarters of the Movement to provide them with guidance or send them organisers, especially if they are newly founded or struggling.
That is all.
) at work, to put it back on when you get home. Would it be considered an acceptable compromise? Or are there hardliners that'd object to it?