The following is what a well-educated Lunar might learn from an Irrippi Ontor sage in the 6th, 7th or 8th Wanes:
SCIENCE AND REALITY
Science bases itself on sense perception. Religion uses mental and intellectual facilities, of faith and knowledge. Transcendent knowledge cannot be gained through the senses, but only through suprasensorial perception and control of the mind.
Immensity=Fathomless abyss. This is the supreme state of reality, beyond is only nonexistence, the Indestructible.
Four Sciences:
- Suprasensorial perception – Illumination, austerities, and meditation.
- Metaphysics – understanding of suprasensorial reality.
- Language – relation of words or verbal symbols to ideas.
- Music – perception of the relationship of numbers to ideas and forms.
In comparison, I heard the following at the Knowledge Temple in Nochet:
The universe consists of two interdependent realities: the universal soul and material substance. These realities are held together by the Web of Arachne Solara – and Time is the result. We experience the universal soul and we perceive material substance. We mortals are souls bound with substance.
And so the Sciences are:
- Metaphysics – the study of the underlying realities. In this we were aided by the God Learners.
- Knowledge – what do we know and how do we know it?
- Language – relation of words or verbal symbols to ideas. In this we are aided by the Empire of the Wyrms Friends.
- Music – perception of the relationship of numbers to ideas and forms.
As an aside, I think Lhankor Mhy metaphysics are more strongly influenced by the God Learners than that studied by Irrippi Ontor. And Lhankor Mhy theories of knowledge almost always end up discussing Auld Wyrmish. Lhankor Mhy dismisses suprasensorial perception in favor of questions of knowledge – which makes sense for the Knowing God.
We can look at Irrippi Ontor’s Science as coming out of Lhankor May’s – the big transformation is the Knowledge is downplayed in favor of Suprasensorial Perception. Irrippi Ontor is like Yoda, constantly going on about the supreme state of reality that cannot be experienced or known, but can only be approached through nonexistence and the fathomless abyss.
The Mistress of the Light of Knowledge would be a mere figment to the Ontori then? A confusion with the crimson light that is the end of all knowledge. The Ontari recognise our mistress of Illumination as the wearer of that mask.
Pretty much all major philosophical movements, except the Nysaloreans (which includes the Lunars), search for Truth. The Lunars view that Truth and Illusion are both equally “unreal” – the ultimate reality is Chaos.
I imagine another path is Wisdom and Experience, instead of Knowledge or Science, pursued by Delaina and perhaps other goddess cults? Given Lhankor Mhy’s role in knowledge and literacy, his cult is going to drive more of the philosophical school (and “science” is just an outgrowth of that).
The Holy Country has a LM cult – which if we include Dragon Pass – with some 50,000 followers. That’s going to be the main source of “knowledge workers” – and so philosophical paths are going to reflect LM’s biases to some extent.