Naturalist School

The Naturalist School, often known also as the School of Providence (Itarakoské: Mérüntivé ilnaru), is a philosophical school, with a history stretching back to the earliest years of the Omé Dynasty, or even back to the era of the Guha Dynasty. It is best known for being the first school to introduce the concept of Mérünti, or Providence.

It is accounted as one of the Seven Excellent Schools, and is first among them in terms of seniority.

Tenets and Thought
The School of Providence, as its name suggests, centres its exposition around the concept of Providence. The term mérünti had been in use long before them; since the beginning of the Guha Dynasty, and even half a century before, it has been evidenced in religious writings.

Unlike these previous, religious conceptions of Providence, however, the Naturalists conceived of mérünti as an all-encompassing and impersonal nature that underlies, and drives, the world. From this idea that the universe is circumscribed constantly by a single nature, springs Naturalist philosophy.

Providence
'''The worm may call a stone its world, but a fish can shake it from the stone. ''

''The fish may call a brook its world, but a human can drag it from the brook. ''

The human calls the world his home, but he too can be removed from it.

What acts to remove and houses all things, and neither needs housing or permits removal, is Mérünti.'

-- On Mérünti

Mérünti can be considered in several ways, and most Naturalist writings stress how it is ultimately beyond the ability of humans to define. At its most basic, it derives from the root m-r-n which denotes the act of encompassing and containing; this can either mean that it is a force contained within the universe which moves everything within it, or a principle which encompasses the universe itself.

Whichever form these interpretations take, the key idea of mérünti as understood from early Naturalist writings sprouted several important attributes, which in turn had an effect on what constituted useful or correct human behaviour. Perhaps the most important in its original context is the idea that Providence is impersonal, and therefore cannot be appealed to in the way a god or deity can.

At the same time, while its ends are mysterious and its results are myriad, the Naturalists posit that mérünti and part of its underlying principles can be discerned by human learning and reasoning. From this, the Naturalists derive their most basic ethical recommendation for human behaviour, namely that humans should live in accord with, rather than attempting to resist, Providence.