Amalgamated historical figures in Illuminatia
Illuminatian culture reveres amalgamated historical figures rather than individual historical figures thanks to a collective effort among Illuminatian society to protect itself against the potential troubles associated with celebration of fallible human individuals who, in addition to laudable qualities, may also be found to represent qualities that society at a given time may not wish to celebrate.
An amalgamated historical figure is a singular identity holding a unique name and is used to represent a collection of individuals making up a particular group of people who carry some significance on a historical scale. Amalgamated historical figures take on a name that is different from any one individual within the group represented. The adopted name might represent a collection of people associated with a governmental or organizational administration, an era of leadership, a cooperative association of individuals, or another group of people who hold some sort of shared identity among each other as well as in the view of society in general.
The amalgamated historical figure was adopted as a cultural standard early in Lucidus mission history, prior to the settlement of Illuminatia. These future predecessors to Illuminatia's settlers understood from earlier earthly history that allowing a culture to celebrate and venerate individuals would likely prove highly problematic and cause conflict among a future Illuminatian culture should those lauded individuals be found to represent qualities that society might wish to reject. Lucidus mission guidelines—while they did not prohibit reference to individual personal historical figures in official documentation and public discourse—at least strongly recommended against referring to historical figures through any mechanism other than via amalgamated acknowledgements.
The amalgamated historical figure protects the collective cultural connection to highly-praised historical events, cultural breakthroughs, institutions, and general extolable qualities, which society may wish to continue to celebrate despite the potential negative qualities of any particular individuals who might otherwise be associated with these events, institutions, and meritorious concepts.
The study of amalgamated historical figures is prominent in teaching, scholarship, research, and learning related to Illuminatian and Lucidian history. [[Amalgamated biography]Amalgamated biographies]] are commonly assigned reading in primary and secondary education.
Illuminatian society accepts that an individual may represent positive and laudable qualities and achievements that should be celebrated as a collective achievement of humanity. But this branch of humanity also understands that high profile individuals may also represent negative qualities which society may at present or at a future juncture may wish to reject. Seeing as that the values that society may laud, reject, or express ambivalence toward may change over time, Illuminatian culture, as an alternative, actively decided to avoid recognizing individuals in a historical context out of a concern that an individual's presently unknown personality features, writings, communique, deeds, or other actions may become known in the future, or that one's known actions, speech, deeds, or traits may be viewed in a different light in the future as society's perspective may change based on changing collective values.
The process of assigning a given name to a particular amalgamated historical figure is an organic, informal process carried out in the court of public opinion over a period of time. Cultural values hold that the name of the historical figure must be unique and dissimilar from any other recognized historical figure in order to avoid confusion. The name also should not be identical to any individuals who are members of the group represented by the amalgamated historical figure. History scholars are looked to as a source to knowledge to provide society a context regarding the name that should be used.
While individuals might become high profile among contemporaries in their present day, Illuminatian society chooses to recognize collective or amalgamated personal figures when attribution is credited on a historical scale.