The first seven pillars are the tenants of Civilism and can be practiced on one’s own. Without these values, the final three pillars would find themselves incompatible with the world. The final three pillars should be pursued but will face far more difficulty without the cooperation of the entire society. In other words, the first seven are specifically directed at the individual while the last three are more so directed at the society. Still, all pillars should be pursued by the Civilist, in moderation, for the extreme application of these pillars will lead them to contradict one another.

1. Practice Moderation
   • Stewardship: Recognize resources are limited but must accommodate a large and currently growing population. Do not consume or hoard much more than you need. Stewardship does not apply to consumption alone, but also to the way in which we dominate our environment. We must replace the resources we consume. Ask any farmer, the soil can only produce so much before it must be replenished. We must consume and restore responsibly.
   • Inherent Hypocrisy of Fundamental and Radical Adherence: Recognize that all philosophies must permit exceptions. Strict adherence to any philosophy, even this one, is liable to lead to contradictions and hypocrisy. Reality is too complicated for fundamentalism to be efficient. Each situation has unique contexts and unique consequences that require unique responses.
2. Practice Kindness
   • The Golden Rule: Treat others how you would like to be treated, as long as this does not conflict with how these others would like to be treated.
   • The Platinum Rule: Commit acts of unnecessary selfless kindness, but do not force this kindness upon others, it must be consensual.
   • Charity: Give away most of what you don’t need. It is okay to have more than you need, but until everyone does, it is unacceptable to have much more than you need. (This is also listed under another pillar).
3. Practice Nonviolence
   • Forgive and Love your Enemies: Beyond practicing mere kindness, nonviolence emphasizes forgiveness and demands love even in the face of evil. It is an essential element to humanity, after all, what beast is capable of immediate and justifiable retribution yet refrains? Only the most civilized. Efficiency requires forgiveness. Absolute condemnation is wasteful – all life forms are capable of contributing to our plight.
     • Violence is only a short term solution to a violent dilemma, and it perpetuates itself. Nonviolence is the pathway to a long term solution.
     • Not all violence is evil, but when violence is utilized as anything but a last resort, then fascism or authoritarianism begins to encroach upon democracy. There are occasions when violence is warranted and necessary but violence should never be flippant and victims of violence – whether they be human or some other animal, or plant even – should be given their due diligence of respect.
4. Practice Caring
   • Respect the Office of Citizen: Participate in the republic and if the republic isn’t working, practice Civil Disobedience but do not practice one or the other. If you aren’t actively trying to participate in the democracy whilst practicing Civil Disobedience, then how can you justify defying the law? You can morally abhor the government and vote simultaneously, you cannot abhor the government and run for the fields for that is a selfish endeavor that adds nothing to the intertwined nature of the human endeavor.
   • Respect Life: Care for all those in your species and care for all which we share this planet with. Regardless of species, no life is better than another. Before we decide to harm a certain species, we must find objective justification for the greater good to do so and then do so respectfully.
     • If you consume meat, do so responsibly. I am not a vegan, however, I recognize the fact that the current animal agriculture system in place is incredibly inefficient and irresponsible. The amount of land required to allow cattle to graze and live in a manner that does not subject them to a torturous existence is far more than we are capable of allocating considering the current trends of meat consumption in the United States. Strive to eat less meat. If nothing else, strive to cut out beef. Going vegan is not practical for most citizens nor do most citizens (like myself) half the integrity to adopt such a lifestyle but we can still be responsible and cut down until we figure out a way to modify the current system and our current diets.
5. Practice Optimism
   • Pygmalion Effect: Recognize that one’s expectations often impact initiative and the outcome. Have faith in your comrades’ endeavors as well.
     • True optimism can breed happiness.
     • Overt optimism can fuel outrage.
       • Do not expect utopia, however, you must pursue utopia. Unsatisfied hope can lead to rage. Yet hope is necessary. Hope for what is impossible, but do not forget that the impossible is impossible. Idealistic ambition can be benevolent, but it can also be negligent and turn malevolent. It is a fine line – thus the need for moderation.
6. Practice Skepticism
   • Curiosity and Empiricism: Flesh out your beliefs, research and investigate facts, and consider opposing opinions in order to avoid ignorant, unempathetic, and misinformed decision making.
     • Skepticism can be practiced alongside Optimism. If you prepare for failure, then be sure to simultaneously prepare for success.
     • Skepticism is not Pessimism or Cynicism. Pessimists and Cynics have submitted to defeat, skeptics are merely attempting to observe the world with a rational, secular mindset and make practical decisions based of their evaluation. A reasonable combination of skepticism and optimism promotes rational and progressive thinking.
7. Practice Hardwork
   • Work hard when pursuing needs and goals.
   • Relax when exhausted – when continuing to work jeopardizes the quality of the goal, rest – but when you can work hard, you should not slack off.
8. Honor the Generous, Respect the Poor, and Shame the Rich
   • A moral human is generous, meaning, they give away at least fifty-one percent of what they do not need. I believe that the truly generous human gives away the vast majority of what they do not need.
     • The reason humans owe their comrades and their society is because no one in civilization, no matter how hard they worked or how little support they had, can accomplish anything on their efforts alone.
   • The rich are those who do not give away the majority of their excesses (no one should hoard more than half of what they do not need).
   • The poor deserve respect as do all humans and all life for that matter.
     • Shame does not have to be abusive. Shame is used by societies to discourage individuals from breaking cultural norms. Shaming the rich merely implies that the hoarding of excess wealth should not be considered appropriate. It should be considered as a socially unattractive behavior. The wealthy should not be persecuted or verbally abused, but rather society should conduct itself in such a way that hoarding excess wealth becomes an anti-social behavior.
   • Charity: Give away most of what you do not need. It is okay to have more than you need, but until everyone does, it is unacceptable to have much more. (This is also listed under another pillar).
     • Wage Ratios: A theory for how to help solve the inflating wealth of the rich and stagnating/declining wealth of the poor: The employee earns a determined fraction of what the employer earns. This would also require republican corporations (see the article on this subject).
9. Practice Republicanism in all Realms of Power
   • In all cultural institutions, such as governments, cults, and corporations.
   • All persons of age must be allowed a share of authority over the institutions they are involved in, especially if their labor benefits said institutions.
   • Members may seek to limit the level of democratic involvement required in certain realms. This is why it is a republic that I advocate rather than an absolute democracy. The systems of the republic must have a means so that power can be conceded temporarily so as to be easily returned (Ex. term limits for a position [not just the politician, but possibly even the political office itself] after which, the position must be reconsidered by the citizens [term limits are a non-issue if elections for said position are regular, if elections are regular and politicians continue to be poor representatives, the issue is not term length but rather the election process]).
   • Republican Corporations: Workers must own and govern their workplace.
     • Allow bottom tier laborers should have a say in who manages them.
     • Allow higher tier laborers should have a say in who orchestrates the corporation.
     • See the article on this issue.
10. Strive towards Communal Metabolic Independency
    • Localization: If a community does not produce their own needs, then they become dependent. Dependency either burdens the independent, leaving them feeling exploited, or benefits the independent, leaving the dependent feeling exploited.
      • This is not possible in all cases, but it must be pursued for economic, environmental, and cultural stability.
      • It is not unreasonable to assume that many of the luxuries we currently enjoy are not sustainable or reasonable. We must come to find the reasonable medium. Rather than reducing the privileges of the poor, this can be accomplished by forcing the wealthy to furnish the regular necessities of those they exploit.