The Way of Tispac
Auguste Tispac (c. 1694-1761) spent most of his life in the city of Nimmsk, which would now be part of eastern Zwangzug had it not been abandoned in the mid-1800s. Reliable statistics are extremely difficult to obtain, but it is estimated that a significant portion of the country's population currently identifies with his philosophy in some form or another.
Consensus holds that Tispac's first allusion to what would become the principles of The Way was in "On the Administration of Justice" (1719), a political tract. (As he aged, his works would become increasingly metaphysical.) In "Justice," he wrote:
"...it is clear that those who commit crime do so for diverse reasons, with diverse intents. And it is just as clear that the State must concern itself with those who act in malice, for their crime is truly odious. Yet there are also those whose vice is so pitiable that it corrupts not only their victims, but themselves as well."
Later, he concludes:
"There is therefore no use in punishing these malcontents, for they will be summarily brought to ruin by their own errancy".
Critical to Tispac's worldview is the distinction between those whose wrongdoing hurts themselves, and those who benefit by causing harm to others. From his perspective, and that of those who follow his teachings, it is the latter that are cause for concern. But while the young Tispac seems to leave the punishment to those who benefit at others' expense to civil authorities, his view was to evolve into a supernatural one.
In a 1725 letter to a Calvinist minister, Tispac takes issue with that denomination's teaching.
"If God does exist-of which you have not convinced me-He would not create people knowing that they are doomed to infinite suffering, for such is not compatible with the benevolence of God."
This yields multiple insights, firstly Tispac's agnosticism at that point in time. He never advocated The Way as a religion, rather as a self-evident truth; the burden of proof he places on his correspondent suggests that he did not yet view the existence of a deity as obvious (but did regard any hypothetical God as benevolent by definition).
Perhaps more important in the evolution of The Way is the Tispac's rejection of Calvinism as overly fatalistic. The Way cannot be easily pigeonholed on a spectrum with free will on one end and determinism on the other: rather, it embraces elements of both philosophies. Humans are always free to choose between multiple possible opportunities, and it is meaningful to speak of what would have been had they chosen differently. However, the choices they make will influence their later future in ways not easily discernible.
The philosophy of The Way is most fully articulated in "Reflections on the Right" (1743). As the title would suggest, it deals with right- and wrongdoing, critical elements in The Way's understanding of existence.
Doing right, Tispac asserts, can be done in one of two ways. Some fortunate people derive pleasure from helping others. This virtue is indeed its own reward, and there is no need to consider the action further. However, other people's assistance of others comes at a cost to themselves, be that of time, energy, or simple monetary donations. In "Reflections", Tispac expounds The Way's tenet that that "cost" is not so clear-cut. In fact, he writes, those who put others' interests ahead of their own will be repaid in the future. Correspondingly, those who benefit at others' expense will be punished.
The philosophy contained there was enough to attract followers and establish The Way. It seems, however, that some of Tispac's followers misinterpreted his teachings. Many of his further letters would clarify points of contention.
For instance, Gustav Salm was an infamous criminal (and in all probability, murderer) who managed to evade arrest. As the record of wrongdoing attributed to him skyrocketed, he became more and more of a wanted man. Finally, Salm was killed in 1752, by a group of followers of The Way. Rather than praising their pursuit of justice, however, Tispac was indignant.
"You do not understand the truth that I have set before you. The recompense of wrong is something that will be done. How it is done, no man can know how: it is the work of a higher force. But you pervert true justice when you substitute your mockery for that which is ordained."
Human ignorance in regards to the dispensation of justice is nothing new. Previously, Tispac had explained:
"Indeed there are many blessings in my life: my health, my home, my work. Yet I cannot name one and say, This is the result of such an action, nor can I describe a hardship that befell me and understand what I did to deserve it. I do not doubt that such a choice existed, but it is impossible for my finite mind to comprehend what links to what."
Tispac's last major publication was "Emulation of the Saintly" (1757). There, he returns to those "fortunate souls" who derive genuine pleasure from helping others-an attitude that he had long envied. Biographies of several such individuals lead, disappointingly, to "no common element that can be observed among them, save this: that each seemed to take true joy in giving aid".
At the time of his death, Tispac was working on a project that has been retroactively titled "Dialogues among the Virtues". Unsurprisingly, personifications of various virtues discuss their various strengths and weaknesses. Most relevant in the context of The Way are Justice's conversations. Here, specifically, Justice is addressing Love:
"Mortals believe that You are always at work in their lives, yet their squabbles are petty and their passions ephemeral. Myself they regard as distant and coldhearted. Yet you belong among the heavens, while I ensure their fates."
The essence of The Way can be very succintly summarized: selfishness is rewarded and selflessness punished by forces beyond human understanding. This is accepted as true by all followers of The Way. They understand this truth to be universal, applying to those who are not aware of, or do not follow, The Way as much as those who do. The belief is also understood to be self-evident, not requiring divine intervention to teach humans. Tispac is not revered as a prophet, much less a god, but this is often misinterpreted by those who do not follow The Way.
Most followers of The Way do not consider it a religion, and many do not profess belief in a deity. However, some do: there is nothing in the teachings of The Way that would contradict the existence of, for instance, a deistic creator god. Other followers consider themselves simultaneously members of theistic religions, and believe in those religions' deities. (See: Religion in Zwangzug)
However, not all followers of The Way agree on the process by which supernatural justice is meted out. Many simply accept it as the work of an impersonal "higher force". But others personify Justice as an individual or virtue, such as that to which Tispac alluded in the Dialogues. The traditional image of a woman with a balance scale is frequently used to symbolically represent Justice among followers of The Way: some of them ascribe more literal meaning to it than others.
There is little organization to The Way: it has no universally recognized leaders or worship services. Nevertheless, there are several notable associations comprised of followers of The Way. The Brothers and Sisters of Charity is a volunteer organization historically comprised of followers of The Way, although it is now open to all individuals. Members are expected to live austere, simple lifestyles: most live in communities with others. (Those who do not are integrated into normal society; The Way generally dismisses hermitism as superfluous.)
The Enlightened Followers are a more controversial organization. They place high value on the mind, as it allows people to choose the paths their futures will take. Therefore, Enlightened Followers are forbidden from "corrupting" their mind with mind-altering substances. (In light of Zwangzug's recent drug policies, the histories of several members of the government's regulatory commissions have been extensively researched, but no connections to the Enlightened Followers have been uncovered as of yet.) Some of the Enlightened Followers also disdain modern medicine, believing even common medications are spiritually unsound and/or that enduring physical pain will stave off future trauma.
Some followers of The Way also consider themselves believers in religious faiths. Frequently, they will note commonalities between their religious teachings and The Way. For instance, the Hindu view of karma has clear analogues within The Way, while the Christian beatitudes' implications of eventual recompense for current status are similarly linked to The Way's teachings. Although Tispac codified The Way into its modern form, its followers generally agree that many people follow The Way without being aware of it. Influential religious leaders are prime examples.
The Way has attracted criticism since early in its history. Salome Chantos wrote in 1759 of "the new heretics, who hide behind superstition rather than admit that they have no soul". The most fundamental criticisms of The Way's teaching are normally variations on this theme: followers are not truly altruists, but rather act to secure reward or avoid punishment. Other critics simply note The Way's seeming falsehood in particular cases, whether in their own lives or those of others. Existentialist Celeste Thayer vividly depicted the process of losing faith in The Way in "Remembering To Stand" (1914).
A rumored if unlikely critic of The Way is Scrippy, a slimeblob from Alpha Centauri who stars in the 2009 animated film Illegal Alien. After making contact with Earth, Scrippy commits increasingly greater infractions of "The Law" of his species as he develops better relationships with humans. Speculation about any deeper meaning is rampant but unconfirmed.
Other criticism of The Way is directed at specific actions rather than the philosophy that motivates them; the Enlightened Followers are especially prominent in this regard. Concern is most widespread for the physical and mental health of children whose families follow The Way.
Recent scholarship has focused on what literary and cultural correspondents may have influenced Tispac's worldview. Although he was a native Anglophone, he likely read in several other languages, considering the lack of cultural cohesion at that point in time. A few theorists speculate that he may have been familiar with the concepts of paēm and fēn in South Picksalladed society, especially by the time of "Emulations."