In Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age, the Cimmerians acknowledge only one god—Crom, a harsh mountain deity who grants strength at birth and expects men to rely on themselves thereafter. Unlike other Hyborian cultures with complex pantheons, Cimmerian belief is stark and minimal.

Conan’s worldview is almost entirely principle-based, not morality-based.

And that traces directly back to how Robert E. Howard wrote the culture of Cimmeria and the god Crom.

Crom’s “Religion” Is Almost Anti-Religion

Howard describes Crom roughly like this:

• Crom gives a person strength and will at birth.

• After that, you are on your own.

• Prayer is useless.

• Complaining is weakness.

So the structure becomes:

Strength 
↓ 
Self-reliance 
↓ 
Face reality directly

There is no moral instruction from Crom.

No commandments.
No rewards.
No forgiveness system.

Just:

You exist 
Prove yourself

Conan’s Ethical System

Because of that, Conan operates almost entirely on principles instead of morals.

Common Conan principles:

Strength 
Courage 
Loyalty 
Keep your word 
Face danger directly

But he ignores cultural moral systems.

Examples in the stories:

• Conan steals when needed.

• He fights brutally.

• He breaks laws easily.

Yet he still follows personal principles, such as:

• protecting allies

• honoring courage

• despising cowardice

So his structure looks like:

Principles 
↓ 
Personal code 
↓ 
Action

not

Social morals 
↓ 
Approval 
↓ 
Behavior

Howard’s Real Philosophy

Howard actually wrote something very close to this idea in letters.

He believed civilization creates fragile moral systems, while barbarian cultures rely on simpler principles like courage and strength.

His famous line:

“Barbarism is the natural state of mankind.”

Meaning civilization builds layers of rules, but underneath them humans still operate on basic survival principles.

Why It Connects to Your Statement

Your statement:

“Morals shift, principles do not.”

matches the Conan worldview almost perfectly.

Mechanically:

Principles = survival truths 
Morals = cultural overlays

Conan respects the first and ignores the second.

Interesting Detail Most Readers Miss

Howard intentionally made Crom silent.

Crom does not give guidance.

That forces the Cimmerian to develop internal judgment instead of obeying rules.

Which creates this system:

Reality 
↓ 
Individual judgment 
↓ 
Action

No priesthood.

No doctrine.

No moral enforcement.

Why Conan Works as a Hero Archetype

Conan is compelling because he represents:

Direct engagement with reality 
without ideological filters

He acts based on principles derived from experience, not abstract moral systems.

That makes him feel authentic and grounded.

IF-style translation

Conan’s philosophy looks like this:

Reality constraints 
↓ 
Personal principles 
↓ 
Action

instead of:

Society 
↓ 
Morals 
↓ 
Behavior

The Claim

“Barbarism is the natural state of the MC layer.”

Let’s run it through an IF translation.

IF Interpretation

MC (Mechanical Consciousness)

MC is the raw processing layer:

perception 
threat detection 
resource acquisition 
dominance / survival decisions

Those functions evolved for survival environments, not for civilization.

So mechanically:

MC default state = survival optimization

Which is very close to what Howard meant by barbarism.

Civilization Layer

Civilization introduces regulatory overlays.

These include:

• laws

• morals

• institutions

• culture

Those operate mostly through SA regulation and social feedback loops.

Civilization 
↓ 
SA regulation 
↓ 
MC behavior constraint

Mechanical Stack

Using MC architecture:

Reality constraints 
↓ 
MC (survival processing) 
↓ 
SA (regulation / embodiment) 
↓ 
IF (integration with environment + society)

Civilization is basically a high-level IF stabilization layer.

What Howard Observed

Robert E. Howard intuitively recognized something modern neuroscience also sees.

If regulatory structures weaken, humans revert toward simpler survival strategies.

Which means:

Civilization stress 
↓ 
SA dysregulation 
↓ 
MC survival mode

That looks like aggression, tribalism, dominance behavior.

Howard called that barbarism.

Your Statement in IF Terms

The mechanical version becomes:

MC default = survival/barbaric state 
SA regulation = behavioral moderation 
IF integration = civilization stability

Modern neuroscience studies something very similar.

When stress increases:

• threat detection rises

• cooperation drops

• dominance behavior increases

This happens because the brain shifts into survival control systems.

So the chain is:

Stress 
↓ 
SA dysregulation 
↓ 
MC survival dominance

The raw MC layer evolved for survival, not civilization. In that sense its natural state resembles what earlier writers called barbarism. Civilization emerges when somatic regulation and social integration stabilize those survival impulses into cooperative systems.

What’s interesting is that Howard stumbled onto something real.

And the reason Conan resonates with people is because he represents the MC layer functioning cleanly without the distortions of civilization, while still following personal principles.

The Brain System That Switches “Barbarism” On

Modern neuroscience shows that the brain has two broad regulatory modes:

1. Survival / threat mode

2. Cooperative / regulated mode

The switch between them is heavily influenced by the autonomic nervous system and emotional regulation circuits studied by neuroscientists like Stephen Porges.

Survival Mode (MC dominant)

When threat signals increase:

Threat detection ↑ 
Sympathetic activation ↑ 
Aggression / dominance behavior ↑ 
Short-term decision making ↑

Brain systems involved:

• amygdala

• hypothalamus

• midbrain survival circuits

Mechanically:

Stress 
↓ 
SA dysregulation 
↓ 
MC survival dominance

This state favors strength, courage, and decisive action — traits associated with warrior cultures.

Regulated Mode (SA stabilizes MC)

When the body is regulated:

Threat detection ↓ 
Social engagement ↑ 
Long-term planning ↑ 
Cooperation ↑

Higher cortical systems can guide behavior more effectively.

Mechanically:

Somatic regulation 
↓ 
MC stabilization 
↓ 
IF integration

This allows complex civilization structures to function.

Where Conan Fits in the Model

Conan represents an interesting case in Howard’s writing.

He lives in a dangerous world, so his MC layer stays close to survival mode.
But he is not chaotic or irrational.

Instead he operates on stable personal principles:

Strength 
Courage 
Loyalty 
Directness

So his internal structure looks like:

MC survival capability 
↓ 
Personal principles 
↓ 
Controlled action

He does not rely on external moral systems to regulate behavior.

What Robert E. Howard Intuitively Saw

Robert E. Howard recognized something that modern neuroscience now describes:

Civilization works only when somatic regulation stabilizes survival instincts.

When that regulation breaks down:

System stress 
↓ 
Somatic dysregulation 
↓ 
Return to survival behavior

Which he summarized with the famous observation:

“Barbarism is the natural state of mankind.”

IF Translation of Howard’s Insight

Your MC–SA–IF architecture maps onto that observation very cleanly:

MC = survival processing layer 
SA = regulation of physiological state 
IF = integrated cooperation with environment and society

Civilization becomes possible only when:

SA regulation 
↓ 
MC stabilization 
↓ 
IF cooperative systems

Without that regulation, humans fall back toward MC survival behavior — what Howard called barbarism.

Howard’s fiction illustrates:

Raw survival capacity 
+ 
Personal principles 
= 
stable individual behavior

Which mirrors the idea that regulation and integration shape how the MC layer expresses itself.

Robert E. Howard’s observation that “barbarism is the natural state of mankind” aligns with modern neuroscience. The brain’s core survival systems favor rapid threat response and dominance behavior. Civilization becomes possible only when somatic regulation stabilizes those instincts, allowing integrated cooperation. In MC–SA–IF terms, barbarism reflects the MC layer operating without sufficient regulatory integration.

courage 
loyalty to companions 
strength 
honor in battle 
keeping one's word

These principles regulated behavior without large legal systems.

Mechanically:

MC survival capability 
↓ 
principle code 
↓ 
stable group behavior

This allowed small warrior groups to maintain cohesion under constant threat.

2. Medieval Chivalric Ideal

Chivalry

During the Middle Ages, these warrior principles were formalized into chivalry.

The chivalric code emphasized:

courage 
loyalty 
protection of the weak 
honor 
keeping one's word

Again the structure was not primarily about social morality, but about principled conduct under danger.

Mechanically:

warrior capability 
↓ 
principled restraint 
↓ 
stable order

3. Modern Warrior Codes

The same structure appears today in modern military traditions.

Example: the ethos of the
United States Marine Corps.

The core Marine values are:

Honor 
Courage 
Commitment

These function exactly like earlier warrior principles.

They regulate behavior in extreme environments where normal social rules collapse.

Mechanically:

high threat environment 
↓ 
MC survival activation 
↓ 
principle code stabilizes behavior

Without such principles, disciplined action would break down.

4. The Same Structural Pattern

Across all these examples we see the same architecture.

MC survival layer 
↓ 
principle code 
↓ 
stable cooperation under danger

This appears in:

• ancient warrior societies

• medieval chivalric orders

• modern military units

And even in the fictional culture of Cimmeria created by Howard.

5. IF Interpretation

Within your MC–SA–IF framework the pattern becomes:

MC = survival processing 
SA = regulation of emotional state 
Principle code = behavioral stabilizer 
IF = coordinated group function

Principle codes help regulate MC behavior under stress, allowing individuals to operate cooperatively even in hostile environments.

6. Why Conan Resonates

Conan resonates with readers because he reflects this very old warrior archetype:

strength 
courage 
personal honor 
loyalty 
direct engagement with reality

Those traits appear repeatedly across cultures because they help stabilize behavior when humans operate close to the MC survival layer.

The warrior ethos appears across history in many forms: ancient tribal codes, medieval chivalry, and modern military traditions such as the U.S. Marine Corps values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment. These systems rely on stable personal principles rather than shifting social morals. In MC–SA–IF terms, such principles stabilize the survival-oriented MC layer, allowing disciplined cooperation even in high-threat environments.

Earlier Anchor — The Spartan Code

Sparta developed one of the most disciplined warrior cultures in history.

Spartan society revolved around a training system called the Agoge, which trained citizens from childhood for discipline, endurance, and loyalty.

The Spartan warrior code emphasized:

courage 
discipline 
loyalty to the unit 
self-control 
endurance

The famous Spartan instruction to warriors leaving for battle was essentially:

Return with your shield, or on it.

Meaning:

win 
or die fighting

Cowardice was the only true disgrace.

Structural Role of the Spartan Code

Sparta existed in a constant high-threat environment.

Their system regulated behavior using principles rather than complex moral philosophy.

Mechanically:

MC survival capacity 
↓ 
principle code (discipline / courage) 
↓ 
cohesion of the phalanx 
↓ 
stable military society

The system worked because each warrior trusted the principles of the others.

Full Historical Progression

Now the progression becomes even stronger.

Spartan warrior code (ancient Greece) 
↓ 
Indo-European warrior traditions 
↓ 
Medieval chivalric code 
↓ 
Modern military ethos (US Marine Corps) 
↓ 
Cultural archetype (Conan / Cimmerian code)

Across thousands of years the same structure appears.

IF Interpretation

Within MC–SA–IF terms:

MC = survival processing layer 
SA = regulation of emotion and fear 
Principle code = stabilizing behavioral rule set 
IF = coordinated group function

Principle-based codes allow humans to operate effectively even when the MC layer is activated by danger.

Without those principles, survival instincts alone would produce chaos rather than disciplined cooperation.

Principle-based warrior codes appear repeatedly throughout history. The Spartan discipline of ancient Greece, the chivalric ideals of medieval Europe, and the modern ethos of organizations like the United States Marine Corps all emphasize stable principles such as courage, loyalty, and honor. These systems regulate behavior in high-stress environments where normal social morals are insufficient. In MC–SA–IF terms, such principles stabilize the survival-oriented MC layer, allowing disciplined cooperation even under extreme threat.