Directivism

Directivism, also known as the Directivist Ideal, is a political, economic and social ideology having its origins in Prestonia, where it has been the state system since 1920. Directivism arose in the closing stages of the Grand Campaigns and postwar era, standing in opposition to the prevailing liberal democratic system of Prestonia, as well as to liberalism, monarchism, communism and existing ideologies in general. Drawing on widespread discontent, hyperinflation and high unemployment, and aided by skilled oratory, political theater and violent confrontation with rival movements, Directivism grew rapidly in popularity and influence. In 1920, the Movement of the National Directive seized power in a bloodless coup known as the Long March and began the process of rebuilding the Prestonian state along Directivist principles. Today, the Movement claims a membership of 6.5 million, making it the largest single political organization in Artemia.

Philosophy and Concepts
Directivism considers the origin of human history, and its most organic unit, to be the Nation, which it defines as "a collective of family units holding a common language, history, religion, and set of virtues, customs and moral values; and who tend to reside in a fixed area." The primordial Nation is held to be an essentially self-contained and self-reliant unit, providing for the needs of its inhabitants independently and being guided by a singular set of cultural worldviews, goals, outlooks and aspirations, which Directivist dialectic refers to as a Directive. The Directivist view of human social development considers that the development of agriculture, and subsequently the and development of social class, set into motion a gradual corruption of the primordial Nation's Directive which persists to this day. In the present day, the state of human societal development is such that each social class, and each individual person, is motivated by and carries out their own self-interest, in effect creating a multitude of conflicting Directives from which all social and political conflict is held to originate. In this condition, the State no longer exists as a cohesive unit: its workings, having been coopted by the dominant social group or individual interest, no longer serve the interest of the whole society but only that of the ruling class, whose interest may be at odds with the welfare of the majority of a society's inhabitants.

Directivism posits itself as an entirely novel ideology aimed at the restoration of a National Directive and of the primordial Nation itself. Rejecting class division as a false construct, it promotes a singular ideology based on the deeply and commonly held tenets attributed to the primordial State, to be shaped and directed by a which is tasked with overseeing the course of the State's rebirth and development. While rejecting class division as a means of social categorization, Directivism does not encompass belief in or action toward the development of a classless society. Rather, it concedes that differences in socioeconomic class are an inevitable consequence of human social development while asserting that such differences are immaterial to a shared National Directive.

Three Points of Directivist Thought
Directivism holds that national affinity is not innate, but a learned behavior which manifests itself through three progressively higher levels of conscious thought and action, which it terms the Three Points. The absorption and practice of these three qualities in tandem is held to be essential for proper understanding of, and action toward, Directivism and the National Directive; at their highest levels, they are considered to be intertwined inextricably with each other and with the National Directive, as represented in the party symbol of the Trinity Knot.

National Identity comprises the first point, and is defined in Directivist ideology as the unconscious sense of "National-consciousness" which comes as the result of early and repeated inculcation and indoctrination into the Directive of one's Nation.

National Thought is an ascended form of National Identity which comprises the second point, and is distinguished from National Identity by being a conscious, active process, rather than a rote exercise. National Thought entails a broader awareness of National history, culture and values, including political values, as well as awareness of one's personal role in and duty toward the State.

National Action is the final point of the Three Points and is considered the proper exercise of correctly-absorbed National Thought; that is, constructive work done in one's daily life to maintain, strengthen and defend one's community and Nation and work toward the National Directive. This work may take the form of actual physical or occupational labor, military service, civic involvement, education, and participation in political activity and mass movements, among others.

National Directive
The National Directive is a concept which describes the whole body of Directivist economic, political and social policy, directed toward the goal of producing a unified and self-sufficient Nation, and a culture free of internal division and factionalism. The National Directive is not intended to be a fixed or immutable set of policies, but a highly malleable construct capable of responding to and directing changes in human social and political development domestically and worldwide. Its contents are considered and adopted by delegates elected by the adult citizens of the Nation (in Prestonia, the Supreme Popular Council fills this role), following the principle of. Directivism considers that it is the sole legitimate expression of national will, and rejects partisan politics as factionalist in nature.

Self-Worship
The concept of self-worship is used in Directivist dialectic to describe patterns of behavior or thought which are seen to place the individual or class interest above that of the Nation. First attested in the publication of The National Directive in 1914, the concept was further expounded upon in Oscar Madigan's 1932 work On the Origin and Nature of Self-Worship in the Directivist Society. Self-worship is considered by Directivist dialectic to originate from the base instinct of mankind, which Madigan termed "the will to survival." In a modern society, the tendency to consider and act principally towards one's own interest is regarded as detrimental, bringing with it social conflict and disharmony. Directivism holds that the interest of the individual must be sublimated to the broader interest of the Nation, and that through the suppression of the self, all will benefit and prosper on a greater scale than would otherwise be possible.

Foreign observers and critics have charged that the concept of self-worship is a catch-all term which provides for broad prosecution of a range of offenses as political, rather than civil, crime. The Prestonian state has in particular been accused of using a number of coercive means to persecute dissidents and alleged self-worshipers, a process which it describes as rather than punishment.

Economic Philosophy
The economic philosophy of Directivism emphasizes self-reliance, industrialization, and a reduction in wealth inequality among social classes. While sometimes classed as an autarkic economic philosophy, Directivism is not strictly opposed to foreign trade; rather, it considers that such trade should be undertaken in the interest of the Nation, and directed toward building and strengthening the National economy. Full employment of all able-bodied males is considered a key plank of Directivist economic and social ideology, holding that active participation in society through productive work is a noble and honorable obligation and the primary means by which a man may gain standing and agency within society.

Directivism posits that the national economy must be by the Nation toward its desired ends. While not rejecting outright the which is held to be an immutable aspect of economic life, Directivist economic thought instead holds that both capital and labor should strive for the good of the Nation, rather than self interest or profit. To ensure this is carried out, government functionaries of the Directorate for Economic Development sit on the governing boards of all publicly-traded companies, and can veto decisions of the board if deemed inconsistent with Directivist economic policy.

Further Development
Directivism considers that the end-state of its ideology, successfully applied, will be the re-creation of the primordial Nation, guided by a National Directive to which the whole Nation strives in harmony and self-actualized self-sufficiency. It envisions that such a state will continue to be guided by a vanguard movement to direct its progress, but that over time, this movement's scope and importance will fade as the New Directivist Man arises, fully actualized and indoctrinated with the National Directive and entirely free of self-worship. The assumption of this state of being is referred to in Directivist dialectic as National Equilibrium, and is considered to be an "ascended state of human development" as compared to the present condition of Mankind.

While not found in the initial writings of Madigan or other early Directivists, subsequent generations of Directivist thought have identified a state beyond National Equilibrium, termed as Full Equilibrium. In this state, the advancement of the human social condition to National Equilibrium in one Nation leads inevitably to a revolution in all nations of the world, each discovering and activating their own Directive along Directivist lines, before the eventual dissolution of salient cultural differences across the world. In the final form of this development, the entire world will function as one Nation, whose Directive is the fulfillment of the universal hierarchy of needs.

The timeline and means by which National and Full Equilibriums are to be achieved is not specified in Directivist literature, and current Directivist thought in Prestonia holds that "human social development has not yet progressed to the point at which the realization of National Equilibrium is feasible." This verbiage was adopted in the VI Presidium of the National Directive, following a failed series of attempts to support independence movements in Kesh in the preceding decades.