Naturalism

A traditional mindset rooted in the values and norms of the ancient world, Naturalism emphasizes harmony with the environment, preservation of ancestral practices, and cautious progress.

Naturalist Core Beliefs

• Decentralized Living: Communities flourish best when dispersed and self-sufficient rather than concentrated in urban centers.
• Sustainability Over Wealth: Long-term survival and ecological balance take precedence over short-term gain or accumulation of material wealth.
• Preservation of Tradition: Ancient customs, rituals, and ways of life are essential to cultural identity and the continuity of society.
• Respect for Natural Cycles: Life, death, growth, and decay are embraced as integral parts of existence, not to be artificially altered or accelerated.
• Cautious Innovation: Change is approached carefully, ensuring that progress does not destabilize the environment or social order.

Spectrum of Belief

Naturalism exists on a spectrum. At its most extreme, a true naturalist would advocate simply living and dying according to natural law, without intervention. However, many Juru and other adherents interpret naturalism more flexibly:

• Cultivation as Natural Evolution: Some believe that using techniques like Roa cultivation and Athem manipulation is part of the natural cycle, a way for beings to grow, adapt, and evolve within the environment.
• Moderate Naturalists: They balance traditional living with selective use of cultivation or technology, aiming to enhance survival without overriding natural balance.
• Purist Naturalists: They reject interventions that extend life unnaturally or alter ecosystems, viewing such acts as violations of natural order.

Naturalists view the construction of Sun Two and the ideology of Transteelism with deep skepticism. While opinions vary across the Naturalist spectrum, both are widely regarded as symbols of forced evolution and hubris.

Position in Modern Conflicts

To Naturalists, the construction of Sun Two represents a break from natural adaptation, favoring large-scale intervention over gradual balance.

Core Objections

• Sun Two is seen as an engineered escape from consequence rather than an organic response to environmental pressure.
• Concentrating populations onto a constructed world contradicts the Naturalist belief in decentralized, self-sustaining communities.
• The immense Athem requirements are viewed as violations of natural cycles.
• Many Naturalists argue that the construction of Sun Two does not solve Teel’s overpopulation crisis, but merely postpones it on a larger scale and caused in in the first place.

Moderate Naturalist View

Some Naturalists accept Sun Two as a last resort, provided it is powered through sustainable Athem farming. A "naturalist" version of Sun Two should also not be governed by an immortal elite.