Editing Discordianism (section)

== Founding and structure ==
The foundational document of Discordianism is ''[[Principia Discordia]]'', fourth edition (1970), written by [[Malaclypse the Younger]], an alias of Gregory Hill.{{sfnp|Mäkelä|Petsche|2017}} ''Principia Discordia'' often hints that Discordianism was founded as a [[dialectic]] [[antithesis]] to more popular religions based on order,{{sfnp|Siepmann|2023}} although the [[rhetoric]] throughout the book describes chaos as a much more underlying impulse of the universe.{{sfnp|Wilgus|1996|p=33}} This may have been done with the intention of merely "balancing out" the creative forces of order and disorder,{{sfnp|Dennis|2017|loc="Chaos and the Cosmos"}} but the focus is on the more disorderly aspects of the world — at times the forces of order are even vilified.{{sfnp|McCoy|2004}} Disharmony is particularly emphasized, along with its relation to [[Harmonia|harmony]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.iep.utm.edu/d/design.htm#SSH2c.i |title=Design Arguments for the Existence of God |encyclopedia=Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy |publisher=[[University of Tennessee at Martin]] |date=April 12, 2009 |access-date=August 31, 2009}}</ref>

===Organizations===
====Discordian Society====
The most general group, presumably including all Discordians (and potentially others), is the Discordian Society,{{sfnp|McLeod|2014|pp=154–63}} whose definition is "The Discordian Society has no definition".{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1980|p=32}} Its members include many adherents of [[Neopaganism]] and [[Thelema]].{{sfnp|Kelly|2001|p=281}}

====POEE====
The sect of Discordianism founded by Malaclypse the Younger and [[Kerry Wendell Thornley|Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst]] is known as the '''Paratheo-Anametamystikhood of Eris Esoteric''' (POEE), a non-prophet irreligious disorganisation.{{sfnp|McLeod|2014|pp=153–4}} ''[[Principia Discordia]]'' contains some details about the structure of POEE.{{sfnp|Cusack|2016}} In particular:

{{poemquote|POEE has 5 DEGREES:
There is the neophyte, or LEGIONNAIRE DISCIPLE.
The LEGIONNAIRE DEACON, who is catching on.
An Ordained POEE PRIEST/PRIESTESS or a CHAPLAIN.
The HIGH PRIEST, the Polyfather.
And POEE POPE.

POEE LEGIONNAIRE DISCIPLES are authorized to initiate others as Discordian Society Legionnaires.  PRIESTS appoint their own DEACONS.  The POLYFATHER ordains Priests. I don't know about the POPES.{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1980|p=22}}<!--this is a permissible source per [[WP:ABOUTSELF]] -->
}}

=== Episkopos ===
Episkoposes are the overseers of sects of Discordianism which they have created. They speak to Eris through the use of their [[pineal gland]]. It is said in ''Principia Discordia'' that Eris says different things to each listener. She may even say radically different things to each Episkopos, but all of what she says is equally her word (even if it contradicts another iteration of her word).{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1980|p=24}}{{sfnp|Cusack|2010}}

=== Popes ===
According to ''Principia Discordia'', "[[Universal priesthood|every single]] man, woman, and child on this [[Earth]]" is a [[pope]].{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1980|p=36}} Included in ''Principia Discordia'' is an official Pope card that may be reproduced and distributed freely to anyone and everyone.{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1980|p=36}}{{sfnp|Cusack|2010}}

===Saints===

There are also five classes of saints within Discordianism, who are those who best act as exemplars and are closer to perfection.{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1980|pp=9–30}} Only the first of these classes "Saint Second Class" contains real human beings (deceased and alive), with higher classes reserved for fictional beings who, by virtue of being fictional, are better able to reach the Discordian view of perfection.{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1980|p=39}}{{sfnp|Cusack|2010}}

An example of a second-class saint is [[Emperor Norton]], a citizen in 19th-century San Francisco, who despite suffering delusions was beloved by much of the city. He is honoured as a saint within Discordianism for living his life according to truth as he saw it and a disregard for reality as others would perceive it.{{sfnp|Cusack|2010|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aFEfDAAAQBAJ&q=+norton&pg=PT41 41]}}

===Other===
Since the first edition, various approaches to a Discordian [[organization chart]] – called in the work is "disorganization" and later "disorganizational matrix" – have differed from volume to volume, but have included especially the '''House of the Apostles of Eris''', which is inclusive of the founders as the Apostles, of the Golden Apple Corps and Holders of the Sacred Chao, of the priesthood and saints, of the episkoposes, and even of "heretical" or "protestant" internal opponents of some of these, but not inclusive of the popes, legionnaires, disciples, and various other parties.{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1963|p=17}}<!--Work's pages unnumbered; this is the pagination of the PDF.--> A variety of other notional organizations were renamed and shuffled around and often enough replaced, as part of POEE (which did not appear in the first edition).{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1963|p=17}} But the House of the Apostles of Eris continued to be credited as the sanctioning body of the later editions, and remained the top division of the POEE "Eristocracy".

Another recurrent organizational name is the '''Legion of Dynamic Discord''', inclusive of legionnaires, disciples, and evangelists. LODD was also introduced in the first edition{{sfnp|Principia Discordia|1963|p=17}} and survived throughout later versions (as an element of POEE's House of the Rising Podge for the Disciples), as well as in works less centrally associated with Discordianism, such ''The Zenarchist's Cookbook'' which integrates some elements of Thornley's [[Zenarchy]] material and is dedicated (in an obfuscatory introduction) to the LODD.{{sfnp|Zenarchist's Cookbook|2003|p=4}}<!--Work's pages unnumbered; this is the pagination of the PDF.-->