Carthian Publications

## **The Four Tenets**

#### **Tolerance within reason**

The Movement grants all its citizens religious and ideological freedom, provided that it doesn’t interfere with the safety and stability of the State. The Movement wants to see citizens of all creeds and religious beliefs live together peacefully, united in their desire to serve the State.

#### **Collective action**

The whole is more than the sum of its parts, and no one believes this more sincerely than the Carthian Movement. The Kindred in Berlin have a responsibility to do their duty to the State, for the State has provided them with safe havens, nourishment and protection from otherworldly horrors. It is important that every single citizen in Berlin uphold their duties, for when one of us falls, everything else follows.

#### **Individual rights**

The Movement believes that inequality stems from the unfair hierarchies and archaic traditions practiced by the First Estate. Inequality can be eliminated by redistributing wealth and providing each and every Kindred with resources to sate their basic needs. These are the rights afforded to every Kindred who is a citizen of Berlin. When inequality is eliminated, only then are Kindred free to pursue a higher purpose.

#### **Duty to be a complete being**

An individual must exist for a higher purpose — something that is larger than himself. The Movement encourages each and every citizen of Berlin to find their fulfilment in serving the State.

## **War of All against All (Leviathan Chapter XIII, Abridged)**

**Nature hath made men so equal, in the faculties of body, and mind**. From this equality of ability, ariseth equality of hope in the attaining of our Ends. And therefore if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies; and in the way to their end endeavour to destroy or subdue one another.

And from this diffidence of one another, there is no way for any man to secure himself so reasonable as anticipation; that is, by force, or wiles, to master the persons of all men he can so long till he see no other power great enough to endanger him. Such augmentation of dominion is necessary to a man's conservation; **if others, should not by invasion increase their power, they would not be able to subsist by standing only on their defence**.

Men have no pleasure (but on the contrary a great deal of grief) in keeping company where there is no power able to overawe them all. As far as he dares, he will extort a greater value from his contemners, by damage; and from others, by the example.

**So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory**.

The first use violence, to make themselves masters of other men's persons, wives, children, and cattle; the second, to defend them; the third, for trifles, as a word, a smile, a different opinion, and any other sign of undervalue, either direct in their persons or by reflection in their kindred, their friends, their nation, their profession, or their name.

Hereby it is manifest that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war as is of every man against every man. In such condition there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and **the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short**.

To this war of every man against every man, this also is consequent; that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice, have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law; where no law, no injustice. **Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal virtues**.

## **The Commonwealth (Leviathan Chapter XVII, Abridged)**

The laws of nature are contrary to our natural passions, that carry us to partiality, pride, revenge, and the like. And covenants, without the sword, are but words and of no strength to secure a man at all.

The only way to erect such a common power, to keep men in awe and to direct their actions to the common benefit, is to confer all their power and strength upon one man, or upon one assembly of men; and therein to **submit their wills, every one to his will, and their judgements to his judgement**.

In such manner as if every man should say to every man: **I authorise and give up my right of governing myself to this man, or to this assembly of men**, on this condition; **that thou give up, thy right to him, and authorise all his actions in like manner**. This done, the multitude so united in one person is called a **COMMONWEALTH**; in Latin, CIVITAS. This is the generation of that great **LEVIATHAN**, or rather, to speak more reverently, of that mortal god to which we owe, under the immortal God, our peace and defence.