Neo-Platinumous Theory of Ideal Form

The Neo-Platinumous Theory of Ideal Form is a philosophical theory advanced by the Thahanese philosopher-poet and dissident Begul Thon in their satirical allegorical poem The Mutant King, serialized from ZY 2836 to ZY 2840, and subsequently codified in their ZY 2841 manifesto-poem The Neo-Platinumous Theory of Ideal Form (sometimes translated as The Neo-Platinum Theorum of the Ideal For'm in a misguided attempt to maintain the original rhyme scheme).

Background

Platinum has long held a great deal of significance in the Thahanese cultural sphere. The longevity of the Iridium Throne means that the Throne (not the state, but the literal throne itself), and, by extension, the iridium it is made of have come to be symbolic of the world as it is, the "Iridium Land." Consequently, platinum, which enjoys an atomic number one higher than iridium, is a symbol of "the next world," the "Platinum Land," which is traditionally interpreted as either the afterlife or the "Pure Kingdom," a coming future era when all genetic defects, impurities and mutations have been eliminated and all accept the perfection of Varuk Mai's genome, which in Throne space is commonly known simply as "[the] Ideal Form."

History

The Mutant King is an allegory, taking in a kingdom which has been subjugated by an empire led by "deranged mutant king," described in grotesque detail, who calls forth the kingdom's priests and demands they all bow to him, as he is "the most perfect being". Two of them refuse, and initiate an extended debate with the mutant over the nature of perfection. The mutant eventually convinces the elder priest that it is indeed perfect, and that they have a moral obligation to not only bow before it, but work day and night to convince the whole world of this perfection. Struck by despair, the elder priest bows to the mutant, and is devoured by him. The younger priest, however, rejects the concept of objective perfection at all, arguing that while the mutant may be the most perfect being in its own eyes, to the younger priest, it is loathsome, and they have no obligation to bow to it, but instead, to bring about a new age when all shall judge the perfection of the mutant for themselves, and only bow to it if it is found worthy. The mutant, knowing it will not be found worthy, attacks the younger priest, but upon touching a person who is not afraid of him, crumbles to ash. The younger priest then institutes a new system in which candidates for kingship present themselves to the people, and the one found to be the most perfect will be chosen.

Despite The Mutant King's artistic flaws (like most Thahanese philosophical poetry, it is dry, long-winded, and obscurantist, especially in translation), it was well received by the public of the Throne, and millions read the explosive final canto in the two days between its initial publication and its ban. Thon, charged with treason, was forced into exile, where they penned Ideal Form, which adapted and expanded the philosophical substance of The Mutant King into a poetic monologue which explicitly attacked the idea of Mai's divinity and "objectively perfect" DNA, and called for the creation of a "New Platinum Land," a world in the notion of objective perfection was abandoned and the cult of Varuk Mai was dismantled.

Impact

Thon's artistic and political ideas have inspired followers for generations, particularly among the Thahanese diaspora. Thonist art and its embrace of "the beauty of unbeautiful things" have left their controversial impact on art museums across the Pentarchate and beyond, particularly in Extralegal Space, while Thonist arguments and political theories have been a staple of dissidents within the Throne. The theory enjoyed a renaissance within the Throne during the reign of Varuk Mai MMCV, whose poor leadership inspired doubts in the potency of Mai's genome and a revival of Neo-Platinumous thought, and is an important basis of the ideology of rebel groups such as the Platinum Front.