Philosophical · nontheistic
Deism
A creator established by reason from the evidence of order, who does not intervene, answer prayer or reveal anything. The matrix minimum on immanence — this is the one tradition here whose God is genuinely absent from the world.
What makes it unusual
The axes on which this tradition sits furthest from the middle of the matrix — which is to say, the positions that actually distinguish it.
- A4 Locuswholly beyond the worldFurther toward "wholly beyond the world" than most traditions in the matrix.
- D2 Centrality of ritualoptional or absentFurther toward "optional or absent" than most traditions in the matrix.
- B3 Institutional authorityindividual conscience decidesFurther toward "individual conscience decides" than most traditions in the matrix.
- B1 Source of truthreason and direct experienceFurther toward "reason and direct experience" than most traditions in the matrix.
All seventeen positions
Each cell carries a centre, a dispersion — how much internal variation the tradition genuinely tolerates — and the source the position rests on. Disagree with one? Say so; corrections are public and recorded.
The same seventeen values as a single shape, read clockwise from A1 at the top. The outline is where the tradition sits; the wider band around it is the variation it genuinely tolerates, so a tight outline is a tight tradition.
- position
- tolerated variation
A · The divine
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Divine realitynothing beyond the natural → a divine reality certainly exists | a divine reality certainly existsPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.95 | 0.06 |
| A2 Personhoodimpersonal principle or order → a personal being one can address | leaning impersonal principle or orderPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.35 | 0.18 |
| A3 Pluralitystrictly one → many powers and spirits | strictly onePaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| A4 Locuswholly beyond the world → fully present within it | wholly beyond the worldPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.05 | 0.05 |
B · Knowledge and authority
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Source of truthrevealed and fixed → reason and direct experience | reason and direct experiencePaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.95 | 0.04 |
| B2 Reading of sacred textliteral and binding → metaphorical, or no text at all | metaphorical, or no text at allPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.92 | 0.06 |
| B3 Institutional authorityclergy and tradition decide → individual conscience decides | individual conscience decidesPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.92 | 0.06 |
C · Self and destiny
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Survival of the selfends at death → continues in some form | between ends at death and continues in some formPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.55 | 0.25 |
| C2 Shape of timeone life, then judgment → cyclical return | one life, then judgmentPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.12 | 0.12 |
| C3 The human conditionfallen and in need of rescue → ignorant but fundamentally sound | leaning ignorant but fundamentally soundPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.82 | 0.12 |
D · Practice
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate goodgiven as grace → achieved by effort or insight | achieved by effort or insightPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.88 | 0.10 |
| D2 Centrality of ritualessential and prescribed → optional or absent | optional or absentPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.92 | 0.06 |
| D3 The bodyto be disciplined → to be celebrated | between to be disciplined and to be celebratedPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.62 | 0.16 |
E · World and others
| Axis | Position | Value | ±σ |
|---|---|---|---|
| E1 Exclusivityone true path → many valid paths | leaning many valid pathsPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.78 | 0.14 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmosan intentional act → beginningless or natural | an intentional actPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| E3 Locus of belonginga people, inherited → an individual choice | an individual choicePaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.90 | 0.07 |
| E4 Standing of naturecreation, given for use → animate and itself sacred | between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacredPaine, The Age of Reason (1794); Herbert of Cherbury’s common notions | 0.45 | 0.18 |
Further reading
- Paine, The Age of Reason, part I — Revelation rejected on principle — the B1 and B2 values.
- Herbert of Cherbury, De Veritate — The five common notions, deism’s nearest thing to a creed.
Compared with
The questionnaire places your own answers on these same seventeen axes and reports how close you are to this tradition and to 64 others. Take it — eight to fourteen questions, nothing transmitted.