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King AVMA the III
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Finally inheriting the title after 70 years.
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Spiritualism? No.
Dowsing? No.
Has it anything to do with the human body?
Corporeal? The best and least misleading answer is No. (There is a pedantic sense in which the answer is Yes, because “anything to do with” is pretty broad and vague.)
Solipsism?
Solipsism? No—but the audience awakes from its torpor and there is *some applause, mixed with a little laughter* .
-ism scale
On my Marx-Magnet scale©, I'd probably put the various isms that have been suggested in the following order, with Idealism/Solipsism/AOTC being fairly close to each other. All three are invented by humans but could in some sense be fact.

Marxism ... Veganism ... Hypnotism ... Spiritualism ... Creationism/Btheism ... Idealism/Solipsism/AOTC ... ... Magnetism
Is it an idea about the nature of the entire universe?
Is this to do with logic?
Does it relate to death or matters after?
Idea about the nature of the entire universe? Yes! *sustained applause*
To do with logic? No.
Relate to death? The best answer is No, though an indirect argument could be made for Yes.
Would this be taught in university philosophy courses?
Plato's cave?
Has anyone said Existentialism yet?
Does it entail a belief in predestination?
University Philosophy? I'm not an expert in university philosophy curricula, but I'll speculate as follows: the AOTC would show up somewhere in the curriculum but is unlikely to make an appearance in an Introduction to Philosophy subject. The AOTC has an entry in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and Britannica.
Plato's cave? No.
Has anyone said Existentialism yet? No.
Is Existentialism the AOTC? No. (I'd put that more in the vicinity of Spiritualism on the M-m scale.)
Does it entail a belief in predestination? You just had to ask that, didn't you? No.
You're enjoying this aren't you CdM ;^)
Does an old Greek come into this as a major proponent of the AOTC?
The simulation hypothesis?
Enjoying this? Yes and No. Whenever an AVMA takes this long, I worry that either I have made it too hard or that I have inadvertently misled people with a less than perfect answer.
Old Greek? The idea of the AOTC can in some sense be traced back to the very earliest days of recorded philosophy, which of course includes quite a few old Greeks. That said, I don't think the AOTC is associated with a particular OG who was a "major proponent". (It's not like, say, stoicism, where—if you know about the topic—you'd immediately link it to Epictetus.)
Simulation hypothesis? No.
Vitalism?
Deism?
Vitalism? No.*applause of the kind that indicates that even though the answer is in some sense completely wrong, it is also absolutely the right kind of guess*
Hidden textRemember that the audience have been watching this game for decades and have absolutely figured out the nuances of applause.

Deism? No.
Metempsychosis?
O, rocks! she said. Tell us in plain words.
Metempsychosis? No.
Clarification: While "vitalism" (at least as I understand it) is indeed in some sense completely wrong, it is nonetheless oddly close to the AOTC. Raak is definitely thinking along the right lines. Also, the "O, rocks!" quote is not a clue of any kind.
Life, the universe, and everything?
Life, the Universe, and Everything? No. But the AOTC is definitely related to LtUaE. :)
Human exceptionalism?
Buddhism ?
Human exceptionalism? No. *audience laughter*
Buddhism? No. The AOTC, as already noted, is not religious but is a concept that is spiritual/religion-adjacent. The adjacent spiritual/religious idea is present in Buddhism.
Emptiness?
Emptiness? No.
Reincarnationism?
(I always thought vitalism was a sort of margarine)
Reincarnationism? I always thought that was a sort of milk. No.
Does it involve the concept of an immortal soul?
Immortal soul? No.
Panpsychism?
Panpsychism? Yes!! It is indeed the belief that there is (some sort of) consciousness present in everything. Here, have this sentient baton.
Ooohh goody!
That was not an easy one to find! I only got it because of the subject being recently treated on the "In Our Time" podcast. So thanks to Melvyn Bragg and his guests.
The next round is now starting, hold on to the straps. The sentient baton suggests ABSTRACT.
Small print
There are links to Animal and Vegetable, and on the Marx-Magnet scale© CdM it's towards magnetism, although it isn't an -ISM.
Does it begin with P?
P-precedent? No, but don't let that put you off.
Fictional?
Made up? Not fictional.
Something in fundamental physics?
A human interest?
Present only on Earth?
Fun physics? No.
Fun life? No, although humans have and have had a great interest in the AOTC. It's not an occupation, either.
Earthbound? So far as anyone knows, only on Earth.
Life?
Is the AOTC a single word?
Life? Certainly connected, the audience applauds vigorously.
Single word? Also yes.
Death?
Is it an -ology?
Death ? Like life, it is necessary for this concept. Audience are aware and expectant.
Ologious? No.
Procreation?
Procreation? No. Audience still bate their breath.
Sex?
Drugs? Rocknroll?
What my body needs? No to all three. Audience quiescent.
Evolution?
Evolution? No.
To do with food?
Food? No. Audience lethargic.
Were humans aware of this prior to 1900?
Pre-Edwardian? Yes.
An observable phenomenon?
Economic?
Was Aristotle aware of this?
Observable? There are observations of this occurring.
Economic? No.
Aristotelian? Didn't know him personally, but the concept was almost certainly around then.
To do with health/sickness/medicine?
NHS? In a way, yes, but only in a way. Some audience approval.
A feeling or mood?
Lifespan?
Sentiments? No.
Lifespan? No. Audience wakes up, though.
Lifestart? No, but the audience murmurs approval and emits some applause.
A biological process?
Rebirth?
Biology? Arguments start among the audience. Life and death and so forth are all biological, but this is not usually considered to be a biological process.
Rebirth? No, but the audience really like it. Appreciation is shown.
Birthdays?
Birthdays? No. Audience calm.
Reincarnation?
Reincarnation? No, but big applause and cheering from the crowd.
Karma?
Nirvana?
Getting bad things? No.
Getting good things? No.
Adoption?
Eternal recurrence?
Emergence as something different from human? (whatever that's called).
Near-death experience?
Adoption? No.
Eternal recurrence? No.
Alien hatching? No.
Near-death experience? No.
Transmogrification?
Transmogrification? No, but there is some debate in the audience.
Metamorphosis?
Enlightenment?
The Renaissance?
In hindsight I suspect we were a bit slow on the uptake
It's not metamorphosis, enlightenment is nice but completely off beam, "renaissance" is a good try but "the Renaissance" is totally wrong. The audience are collecting tomatoes to throw.
Resurrection?
Cryonics?
Rejuvenation?
Not cryonics, not rejuvenation, but definitely Resurrection! (We started this around Easter, so it seemed appropriate.) Congratulations to CdM, who gets to take this stone baton and roll it away. Don't forget to like, subscribe, or leave a review.
Hidden textI do feel a more honest answer to _Fictional?_ would have been: _Opinions vary_ :)


Here is a straightforward VEGETABLE with an ANIMAL connection.
An Easter egg?
(Chocolate is a vegetable, right?)
Easter egg? No.
A misshapen potato that looks like someone's head?
Potato head? No. *considerable laughter and significant applause*
Chips (without fish)?
Chips? No.
Is it a plant that looks like an animal?
Is it unique?
Plant that looks like an animal? No. But again, *applause*
Unique? Yes.
A wooden scupture?
*sculpture
Part of a plant that looks like part of an animal?
Venus Flytrap?
Wooden sculpture? No. No.
Part of a plant that looks like part of an animal? No.
Venus flytrap? No.
In a fixed location?
Fixed location? Interesting question. If I wanted to be tricky, I'd give a straightforward and honest answer of No. But a more helpful answer is: Yes, when understood in the context of the AOTC.
It is vegetable but does it resemble something that is not?
Vegetable that resembles non-vegetable? Resemble is a tricky word. I’d say more No than Yes as the word is typically used, but—stretching the meaning of resemble to its broader senses—you could plausibly say Yes.

As a ps to my answer to Tuj, the absence of a fixed location in general is certainly useful information as well.
Is it a mask?
Mask? No.
Is the AOTC one word?
One word? No. The AOTC as written is four words including the definite article, but I will accept any suitable identifying phrase.
Is it alive?
Is it associated with a particular season?
Is it legible?
Is it alive? No. But be careful about your assumptions.
Associated with a particular season? No. * a certain tension in the air intimates that the audience almost wants to applaud but knows it shouldn’t*
Legible? No.
Does it exist today?
Does it exist today? No.
Is it fictional?
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