Hello all, I hope everyone had a great time reading this one. It was so fascinating to me and I'm really glad to be able to run this one as there's many themes that interest me. As usual, summary below and questions in the comments.

Summary

We are set in a world where objects can be animated by nomenclature. The main character, Robert, shows interest in experimenting with two legged, and four legged dolls, testing the limits of their names. The names on each doll is seventy-two Hebrew letters randomly arranged in twelve rows of six.

Robert and his classmates attend a lecture by Master Trevelyan on natural philosophy where they reflect on object names. Lionel, Robert's friend, shows Robert the results of his secret experiment. He's growing homunculi and Robert reflects on what thoughts they could have if they had sense.

Robert goes on to study Nomenclature. He learns about epithets, and how names are a combination of them, he also learns techniques of integration and factorisation. Names are usually broken into two categories, animating a body and amulets but nowadays the distinction is becoming blurred. Upon graduation, he takes up a job as a nomenclator in the leading maker of automata in Europe.

Robert speaks to Harold Willoughby, a master sculptor and asks him if he can craft a piece mold for an automaton with hands and fingers that are functional. Robert wants to make a commercially viable automatous engine for families to use. One way of usage would be to replace child workers at textile mills.

Harold is worried about the automata replacing sculptors and while Robert argues that his ideas will make weavers a venerable profession again. Harold is vehemently against it and says he'll find a way such that no sculptors will work with Robert on this.

Robert mulls over his current predicament while strolling through a market where he meets Davis who is employed by Lord Fieldhurst, a zoologist and anatomist. Davis escorts him to Fieldhurst's estate where he meets Nicholas Ashbourne, a former lecturer at Trinity. They both revealed that while testing fixity within the human species, they found out that humans will only exist for another 5 generations and is the only species where this is so to date.

They come to an agreement that they have to start searching for a solution as soon as possible. Dr Ashbourne proposes to search for the eunonym for the human species and procreate artificially through nomenclature. He has replicated the process in a frog to success, hence he theorises that it's possible in humans. The only thing this will change is the fertilisation of the ovum, everything else will still remain the same, including the need for the mother to guard against agitation. Robert still would like to work on his dexterous automata, and they agree on a mutually benefiting arrangement: The Royal Society will provide support on that project while Robert splits his time between that and finding a eunonym for the human species.

Some weeks passed and Robert speaks to Harold again. Harold mentions that he recommended the trade union to strike against Coade in protest but it was intervened by The Royal Society. Robert moves to Darrington hall where he is given guest accommodations with the other nomenclators on the project. He learns about Ashbourne's tecniques for biological nomenclature and about sexual epithets used for courtesan automata. They use this knowledge to progress on the project.

Since men are no longer needed to procreate, Robert thinks about whether this will result in a commune of women and if such a society would flourish.

Ashbourne tells Robert of the possibilty where the name for inducing foetus formation can result in fertile humans for an additional generation (children of the first generation will still be sterile).

As Robert ponders over the launch of his dexterous automata, he is paid a visit by a Kabbalist named Benjamin Roth. Roth shares that he has developed a name that enables a golem to write the name that animates it, he also asks for Robert's epithets so they may meditate on it for ecstatic reasons. Robert refuses and Roth leaves, angry and unhappy with the outcome of his visit.

They have made some developments on the name when Fieldhurst talks about placing policies in the future to control the lower class from reproducing at such a high rate. They argue about it further, with Ashbourne and Robert disagreeing and Fieldhurst maintaining his stance. After that, Ashbourne and Robert secretly agrees that they'll need to develop a nomenclature which will at least reproduce 2 additional generations.

The following day, Robert goes back to his office and finds Roth tortured and dead, and his office in disarray. He encounters a large man who makes it clear that he is to assassinate him. After attempts to escape and hide, Robert is caught. The man interrogates him, then Davis rescues him, implying that the man was sent by Harold.

After a night's rest, Robert returns to his office and finds a notebook which he determines to be Roth's. In it was the aforementioned epithet, and he finds out that it describes the general notion of reflexivity. A name with that epithet will become a self-designating name. Robert realises that he could use that epithet to ensure that all fetuses will have the ability to reproduce such that humans can have true liberty on this decision.

Have fun discussing, and the next check in will be The Evolution of Human Science on 12th July.