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Neosemperism

Neosemperism
Image from Anders Sandberg

Neosemperism is the general name for the many survivalist movements that are spreading across known space. It is somewhat derived from the pre-Version War semperism that led to the foundation of the Refugium Federation, but less ideological and more practically directed. In the wake of the fragmentation of the empires, the rise of the "barbarians" and the emergence of chaos, many groups prepare for the worst. The overall view is that at best things will soon change unrecognizably, so it is a good idea to be prepared for drastic changes.

Some neosemperists are preparing or have already moved outwards, trying to set up independent colonies in the Periphery or frontier. Others hide within the Inner Volumes, seeking out little visited systems and staking their claims to asteroids or planets where they can stockpile equipment, information, and manufacturing ability (the caricature neosemperist is holing up in an asteroid with tons of replicators and blue goo, avidly interfaced into the Encyclopaedia Everythingiana). There are also neosemperists (mainly aioids) spreading backup copies of themselves widely.

While there is no organization of neosemperists, many flock to various network discussions and a loose information network has developed discussing ways to improve survival probabilities in the face of different kinds of disasters. Neosemperists in general get along well ideologically with the Backgrounders and other outsider clades, but the mutual paranoia limits their interactions.

 
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Development Notes
Text by Anders Sandberg
Initially published on 09 December 2001.

 
 
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