La Société de la raison éclairée

La Société de la raison éclairée is a small but growing group of educated yet delusional Dementlieuse whose faith in modern science mirrors that of zealots in their religion. Prominent among its members are biologists, chemists, and engineers.

By modern science the society understands material science: the science of things and of the mechanical, mathematically bound universe in which they are purported to exist. Science is the study of the great machine of existence. Existence consists of matter in motion. Being that is not matter in motion is being that should not exist, in fact is being that does not exist. Men are biological machines. Thought is electrical impulses. Philosophy is, at best, groundless speculation and, at worst, obscurantist superstition. Magic is either smoke and mirrors or as-yet-unexplained instances of matter in motion. Religion and the gods are but obscurantist superstition.

La Société de la raison éclairée owes its ideology to science as it is practiced in Lamordia. The group's existence does not reach back into the false history of Dementlieu. Instead the society came to be two years after Lamordia appeared on Dementlieu's northern frontier.

It is at least conceivable that the seed from which the society sprung was planted by Lamordia's Syndicate of Enlightened Citizens. Yet their methods are very different. Whereas the Syndicate of Enlightened Citizens promotes violence against being that should not be that it might in fact not be, La Société de la raison éclairée believes in the power of a quiet discussion and of clear thinking to rid the world of enigmas and mysteries. The Lamordian group would happily orchestrate the death of a wizard. The Dementlieuse group would invite the wizard to tea and, after persuading itself that he is not a simple charalaton, offer him instruction in the methods of science so that all may arrive at the truth of what he is doing when he thinks that he is casting spells.

The emminent reasonableness of the society is, of course, an illusion. A wizard who sits down with the society is permitted to arrive at the truth of his magic only in terms of matter in motion. The prejudices of the society are a vitriol that would invariably reduce every alien term to those of material science. This quickly exhausts the good-will of even the most patient of wizards so nothing productive is ever forthcoming from the discussions.

The matter is far worse with priest. Wheras wizards are seen as tinkerers in need of the genuine understanding afforded by the principles of material science, priest are held to be stiffling the search for truth with the cold comfort of outright lies to which they in their weakness succumb. And the situation is not defused in the least by the fact that priests hold much the same opinion of the members of the society. Indeed, it is the informal policy of the society to not even bother treating with those who are confirmed in their faith.