THE BUILDER, NOVEMBER 1927

FREEMASONRY AND THE CRISIS IN CIVILIZATION

By Bro. B.L. Frank, Vienna, Austria

THIS important article by a learned and philosophical Austrian
Mason deserves careful reading and consideration. The idea of two
separate and antagonistic strains in our civilization explains much
that otherwise is obscure and chaotic. Evolution is as possible in
the sense of degeneration as in that of progress, and the unethical
traditions in civilization constantly influence commuitities and
nations to take the lower path. Freemasonry is exhibited as one of
the influences tending to true progress.

We are standing at a crisis in our civilization. The fact is not
only observed by the foremost intellectual men of all nations, but
every educated and thinking man feels that the cultural basis upon
which his life has been founded is shaking. Serious apprehensions
are aroused as to the welfare, both physical and spiritual, of the
next generation.

The very foundations of the complex organization of our
civilization are being attacked and torn down by hostile
influences. The most solid institutions appear unsteady, many are
falling, abysses are opening, differences enlarge and deepen
between men and nations, the sources of development and prosperity
seem to be drying up, a flood of immorality, social, industrial and
political, overwhelms mankind, a torrent of discontent breaks the
fetters of old unbearable oppressions, but also destroys the works
and values of generations, and sweeps men into new tyrannies and
despotisms. And in it all we see the trouble and difficulties
increased by irrationality and wrong-headedness; just as when
confronted by a physical emergency, fire or earthquake, a few only
possess sufficient presence of mind to overcome panic, so the
majority--often guided by unscrupulous leaders--rage against each
other and make the evil worse. And many of the best stand aside
inactively.

In such case can Freemasonry, the upholder of work and morality,
look on idle and hopeless ? An immense field of action lies open
before it; not a new one. Old and familiar tasks have become more
urgent; ends that it was designed to serve throughout the course of
centuries are concentrated in the short space of our own lifetime.
Freemasonry cannot afford to await a future reconstruction, for it
is itself a part of our endangered civilization; Freemasonry must
save itself by helping to uphold the organism of our culture,
threatened indeed, but in great part still standing.

But one question to begin with, what is culture ? Among the many
definitions that have been offered I choose that of the eminent
Swiss sociologist, Forel, as suiting best my purpose. He says:

Culture is the inherited and transmitted accumulation of human
performance and values.

This description is adequate also in respect to the laws of
evolution by which our entire spiritual and material life is ruled.
C. F. Meyer, the poet, a compatriot of Forel, has compressed it
into these brief words:

The Dead rule all Life.

We are, at the same time as we possess, the inheritance of our
ancestors; thus life, and consequently culture, is an inheritance.

Forel's conception also allows discrimination, relatively of
course, between good and bad cultures, corresponding to the ethical
and relative conceptions of good and evil. We shall here be able to
distinguish the ethical, social, useful and good from the
unethical, nonsocial, noxious and evil as genuine contrasts. We
cannot claim cultures or civilizations as positively bad or good,
but only after considering their influence and the predominating
elements of which they are composed; both good and bad components
affect one another within their own circle and moreover act upon
other systems of culture and reciprocally are influenced by them.

THE ROOT MOTIVES OF ANTAGONISM AND WAR

Antagonism and conflict between civilizations may generally be
observed in world history, but Europe, and in especial Central
Europe, has for many centuries been conspicuously the field of
battle between ailen cultures, which there have mingled and
mutually penetrated each other. My own country Austria, and Vienna
in particular, being situated in the very storm center between a
number of cultures bears manifest marks of this conflict and
interpenetration. The mere geographical situation of Central Europe
determines its character as simultaneously the suffering object and
the adjusting swbject between not only East and West but North and
South. Touching only the most salient points we have the conflict
between German barbarism and Roman paganism, Asiatic savagery and
European civilization, and consecutively or simultaneously the
German, Roman, Greek and Judaic-Christian cultures. The effect of
the struggles between these has turned European history into a mere
enumeration of wars.

To the present day there has been no final adjustment or settlement
between these alien and contrasting civilizations, and this fact
alone is sufficient to explain our cultural disharmony. There is no
doubt, for instance, that Greco-Roman culture had much to do with
the development of the German race, distinguished by poets and
thinkers from barbaric tribes, a race which still fosters
humanistic learning and education more than any other nation in the
world, but this is accompanied by the invigoration of pagan
traditions (which of course also survive elsewhere) derived from
the civilizations of Greece and Rome.

This pagan influence in Europe is combatted by Judaic-Christian
Ethicism. As has been said by Prof. Ellwood of the University of
Columbia, "A Society in which power and pleasure are openly avowed
as the ends of individual and group action is pagan." So also was
Rome with its imperialism and brutal individualism, Greece with its
sensuous Aestheticism developed into the Sophistic doctrine of the
good being identical with pleasure, and the Germanic tribes with
their joy in fighting and plunder. These individualistic principles
are easily and without argument to be distinguished as anti-social,
and bad or evil in a Masonic sense. They are opposed by the
fundamentals of Judaic-Christian Culture based on love and mutual
assistance which are social and good.

THE DUAL ASPECTS OF OCCIDENTAL CULTURE

The cultural state of Europe is thus seen to be a temporary stage
of the continuous conflict between the antique pagan and the
Judaic-Christian cultures. The egoistic, anti-social (and therefore
bad) system has been, and will be, in unremitting conflict with the
altruistic, social and good. Europe is the field, and occidental
civilization the object, of this everlasting struggle.

We may now note the characteristics of what for brevity may be
called the "bad" culture.

Lust of power and plunder.

Commercialism and Materialism devoted to acquiring and possessing
material wealth.

Trusts and Tariffs which injure the community for the benefit of
groups and individuals, enhancing the cost of necessities and
lowering the standard of living.

The worship of Mammon, of outward appearance, luxury, idleness, and
immorality, economic, social and private.

Revenge, dueling, drinking, disregard of the beauty of nature,
cruelty to the weak and to animals.

War, the perfecting of murderous weapons and equipment, militarism
and imperialism aiming at the subjugation and exploitation of
weaker groups and peoples.

The joint effect of these manifest themselves in war and class
conflict. They sufficiently characterize the modern barbarian.

Together they result in despite of man.

On the other hand the good culture opposes to these horrors its own
acquisitions.

The Arts and Sciences, and the technics which embellish and
ameliorate human life.

Peace, mutual understanding and tolerance.

Improvement of health, eugenics and care for the coming
generations.

Love of nature and animals.

Social sympathy and ethics, activities useful to the whole
community.

Justice, kindness, tolerance, good-will and mutual assistance.

Together these result in the love of man.

This patent contrast between the good and the evil strains in
civilization as a whole reached a point of tension that arrived
logically at its discharge in the great war. The evil elements,
commercial jealousy, lust of power, envy and vindictiveness between
the nations and their leaders drove the world into the catastrophe
long dreaded and even foretold by thoughtful students of sociology
and history. But the electric tension was not neutralized nor the
atmosphere cleared in the outbreak--this hope, this consolation in
extremis with which men of insight had taken refuge, was cruelly
deceived. The treaties of so-called peace have not solved one
single problem, they have replaced old injustice by new wrongs. The
four war motives mentioned above have not been replaced by motives
of peace, but instead have been augmented by new dangers of
conflict. The masses, pacific at heart, are not yet strong enough
to enforce peace. Cultural disharmony in Europe appears to be
increased to such a degree that we are forced to stand in fear of
a repetition of the atrocious attempt to settle the conflict
between the good and the bad in our culture by violence. This
uncertain, unsettled, fluctuating state of affairs, calling for
clarification and decision, keeping alive the worst fears and
suspicions, is what I understand as the Crisis in Civilization.

THE IMMEDIATE CAUSES OF THE CRISIS

This Crisis originates immediately in the downfall of political
powers and disturbance in economics. The old authorities in the
defeated countries have been abolished, the new ones have not yet
found safe anchorage in the public mind. Democracy has but a
limited significance as an authoritative ideal, and the worshippers
of the old idols are not yet converted to the new gods. Lost ideals
have not been replaced by new, and this combined with material loss
has brought them to despair.

But equilibrium has been lost in the victorious countries, too, the
old authorities have lost their prestige --dictatorships,
parliamentary crises, radical changes of government, debased
currencies and strikes mark various degrees of this far-reaching
disturbance; and these internal wars are also paid for in cultural
values exactly as are external ones.

Culture is menaced, too, by the economic distress of the after-war
period, because it depends to such a degree on material welfare.
Like its implacable adversary, war, civilization needs money, that
accumulation of material wealth which we call capital. Lack of
money hinders the advance of science, makes research impossible and
hampers art and literature, for artist and scientist must both
live. All the higher and finer values of civilization suffer from
a lowering of the standard of life. Culture flourishes only on a
golden ground.

To discuss the possibility of a solution of these difficulties
through war is so alien to Masonic thought that it need not here be
touched upon, but it is obligatory to consider all peaceful
possibilities. The best statesmanship is being directed to this
end. Pacifism, Pan-Europeanism, Reconstruction of Religion,
Socialism, these have all been suggested as remedies, whether as a
pretended privilege of one party or as the spiritual property of
all the well disposed of mankind, and finally, as I firmly believe
and hope, Masonry, the most important intellectual interests of
which are connected with all these movements in its quality as an
element in the "good" culture.

We have nothing to do with party politics as Masons, and we have
nothing to say about them here. We are all living in the world, we
read the newspapers, we know what is passing, and we naturally do
not accept llitical speeches, articles and manoeuvers without close
scrutiny and criticism. But we should acknowledge and encourage
every political idea that aims at internal and external peace, and
consequently at the salvation of civilization. Such as, for
example, the Inter-parliamentary League of Peace, the League of
Nations, and the agreements summed up in the name of "Locarno" and
more recently of Thoiry.

UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES OF THE PEACE TREATY

The dictated treaties of peace broke down the protecting walls
formed by the Germanic Empires against Asia, both physical and
spiritual. The Bolshevism now endangering Europe sprang, as did the
conflict in European civilization itself, from Asiatic culture (or
un-culture?) being influenced by a doctrine alien to its find,
disposition, character and racial conditions; i.e. by Marxian
Socialism. Europe having, for the sake of opportunistic motives,
treated Russia as Eastern Europe instead of Western Asia, is now
helpless and unprotected confronted by the results of its past
poitical attitude.

While European statesmanship is searching for preventives against
revolutionary attempts from the east, America in the west has an
increasing influence toward mitigating our cultural crisis,
official statements of nonintervention notwithstanding. The
American people feels that the politics of the victorious powers
must forcibly lead to war again. It does not agree with this turn
of affairs and takes ostentatious pains to make it lear that the
United States does not intend to meddle with European politics,
because it does not feel disposed to become an accomplice in their
consequences.

But there, nevertheless, exists an effective influence exercised by
America. An ethical wave originating in the United States reaches
our shores. Through the neans of innumerable publications, lectures
and visits both of idealists and practical men, American influence
is felt. The Rotary Club, the Society of Friends, the Odd Fellows
and other associations are spreading their principles in Europe,
and scientists and literary men, and leaders of public and
industrial life communicate their notions of ethical democracy to
us.

It is clearly to be observed, also, how both science and religion
are at work to educate the American people to fight the evil within
the individual as well as to lead the community to a better state,
to solve social luestions from above by incessantly accentuating
the luties of men, as holding possessions, as employers and in the
family; and in many notable instances success is observable. The
obvious means of such endeavors is to educate the public in social
insight and knowledge. We know, too, that in this American Masonry
takes a leading part.

EUROPEAN OPINION OF AMERICA

I feel bound here to venture a remark that I have frequently had
occasion to express in my own circle. Continental Europe is rather
inclined to prejudge the Americans as hypocrites after what has
happened. I strongly reject this view as superficially unjust and
thoughtlessly generalizing. Men who desire to lead mankind to a
better future may be idealists with human insufficiencies, but it
is inadmissible to criticize them as hypocrites because their good-
will cannot keep pace with the cruel emergencies of practical life.
So it was with President Wilson whose idealism was not able to cope
with the shrewdest and most malignantly intriguing politicians that
Europe could pit against him. It must serve us, the beaten and
ruined part, as a sort of comfort to have seen him forsaken as a
compromising weakling by his own people, so devoted to firmness and
solidity.

There is still another proof of America's intention to bring Europe
to its senses. She squarely refuses, or efficaciously limits,
credits to militaristic nations. We know American Masons to be
proud of all the great sons of their country, beginning with George
Washington, and of the Constitution devised by Masons and filled
with Masonic spirit.

Thus Europe in its distress stands between eastern revolution and
western evolution, between the antagonistic extremes of Bolshevism
and Americanism.

The second force tending to preserve culture is Pacifism. This has
followed highly theoretical and sentimental paths, as powerful
antagonistic influences have made reasonable and practical action
impossible. It was allowed to take its own way, it was given,
conditionally, platonic sympathy, and even a Palace of Peace was
erected in its honor at the Hague, but that was almost all. The
Pacifists confronted by the interests of armed dynasties and their
plotting diplomatists, and the violent politics of the ruling
classes had to limit themselves to resolutions in favor of peace.
The means available to the pacific movement were unsuitable and
insufficient and consequently the result was completely negative.

THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE

The German Naumann's idea of "Middle-Europe" was doomed by the
collapse of the Central Powers, especially as it was born of war
necessities. It has been replaced by Coudenhove-Kalergi's Pan-
Europeanism, which while including both the objects of Pacifism and
"Middle Europe" starts from another point of origin. It is not
based on the sense of power, since broken down, it is not
restricted to the economic field, and is based on the political
facts of the actual situation. The Pan-European does not beg any
longer for peace, he claims it in the name of reason. Pan-
Europeanism is the first attempt to replace the theoretical pacific
preaching by a practical organization of the determination or will
to peace. The Pan-European idea disdains to win sentimental support
by flattery, it appeals to reason by logical arguments.
Coudenhove's "United States of Europe" (1) is a precursor of our
Masonic dream of the United States of the globe. Based on facts he
shows us that already Pan-Asia and Pan-America are not too remote
consequences of the realization of PanEurope, and this would mark
the last step to Universal Union. This is one side of the question-
-its shell.

But Coudenhove flatly denies the possibility of solving the crisis
in European civilization without combining with it the
consideration of social problems. He demonstrates the impossibility
of preserving our occidental culture without social justice. This
is the nucleus of the question, challenging the active interest of
Freemasonry.

While Pan-Europe is limited to one, though very important, section
of the social question, the aspirations reaching toward a social
religion touch the totality of mankind.

The existing religions and particularly their practical operation,
do not appear competent to lead to the triumph of the ethical and
social elements of our civilization over the pagan and
individualistic components it yet contains. The search after a
universal religion includes the doubt whether the Mediterranean
religions are strong enough to break the power of those surviving
pagan influences to which the present crisis is to be ascribed.

The world problem, ultimately leading to the great war had
crystallized into rivalry between the Protestant powers of England,
America and Germany. The Catholic powers, to say nothing of the
Mohammedan ones, had previously lost their imperialistic impulse.
We have, ourselves, witnessed the last phases of this crumbling
down, the loss of the Spanish colonial dominions, the foundation of
new states at the expense of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the
Turkish empire. And we have witnessed also the complete failure of
religious ethical influence when we had the grotesque combination
presented of Protestant Germany, Catholic Austria and Mohammedan
Turkey fighting against Protestant England, Catholic Belgium, Italy
and Portugal, Free-thinking France, Orthodox Russia and Buddhist
Japan; all of them accompanied by the official blessings of their
respective priesthoods. Religion, as an element of culture uniting
mankind, had abdicated in favor of Nationalism disuniting humanity,
and had even suffered itself to be prostituted to nationalistic
ends. The whole world is experiencing the consequences of this in
the general lowering of moral standards. Advanced minds, as well as
souls longing for happiness, join in an ardent wish for a new, a
better and more effectual religion uniting men in their efforts to
save cultural values from destruction --for a Social Religion.

NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS

West and East both, in this respect, affect Europe, situated
between them. An article by the Sociologist, Dr. Ellwood, on Social
Religion and Humanitarian Masonry (2) has reached us from America.
He opposes the religion of Jesus and a Social Religion in harmony
with science, freed from the trammels of dogmatism to the paganism
of reactionary churches.

It is most striking to a European to see this Western Christian
meet the Indian scholar, Santayana, in his views: "Christianity is
pure Judaism reduced to its spirituality," and to note Ellwood's
conclusion: "We have to resolve whether in reconstructing our
future we want to follow the leadership of (ancient) Rome or that
of (Christian) Judea."

While Ellwood is disseminating his ideas as an academic teacher by
publications and university lectures delivered to thousands of
students and scholars, information also comes, in the ancient mode
of verbal tradition, of another projected world religion from the
East. It has existed since 1852, and counts already a million
adherents all over the world, Bahaism.

This system arrives by the oriental way of contemplation at the
same conception that Ellwood does in his Social Religion by means
of scientific research. It represents an extract from the teachings
of all the original prophets, it proclaims no dogmas of faith and
admits of no priests. It leaves the interpretation of the
conception of God as an almighty universal Power or Person to the
discretion of every single Bahai. Its chief principles are as
follows:

1. The totality of mankind forms one unity. All prejudice against
men, nations or races must be done away with.
2. All religions must be melted down to form a higher one. One God
- one Religion.
3. Universal Peace must be secured by an all-comprising League of
Nations and an International Court of Arbitration.
4. Every one in every country must learn a common Universal
Language beside his own.
5. Every one is equitably entitled to the material and spiritual
blessings of this life.
6. The Search for Truth is every man's duty. No maladjustment
between true religion and true science is to be admitted.
7. The best Education adapted to individual endowments must be
facilitated for both sexes.
8. Equal rights for men and women. No serfdom to be tolerated.
9. Every one to be obliged to work. People out of work and without
resources to be cared for by the community.
10. The evil effects of the Capitalistic Social Order must be
obviated by a wise regulation of inheritance and a well-devised
socialization.
11. Every community and state to install a House of Justice as an
institution of legislation, administration and public care.
12. Bahaism is the one, only, Universal Religion.

This canon characterizes Bahaism as a super-Religion. It says
nothing unacceptable to the adherent of any other creeds, if he be
not a dogmatist or a fanatic. But in essentials it shows again how
many ideas of social and ethical value run parallel with
Freemasonry, and how near the latter, truly conceived and
practiced, comes to religion. Those who proclaimed two hundred
years ago:

yet 'tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them [i.e.
Masons] to that Religion in which all Men agree,

appear in the light of our modern search for a Universal Religion
as prophets of the highest order.

SOCIALISM CRITICIZED AS A SOLUTION

Socialism strives for a more or less precipitate transformation of
cultural values. As socialism itself has accumulated the human
performances and values of long periods of evolution, it, too, must
be considered a form of culture. It has gained a most important
position by the side of Rome and Judea, from which it influences
occidental civilization as a principle of "good," in the
constructive, altruistic and social sense, yet at the same time as
a principle of "evil" in the destructive egotistical and anti-
social sense; anti-social in reference to the present organization
of society, either employing capitalistic methods or fighting
against Capitalism. Socialism strives to dominate our culture.

Here again it is remarkable how socialistic radicalism decreases
from east to west--from Russia to America. The Asiatic form of the
lust for power and plunder, and the exploitation of the weaker
obviously causes quite other, ruder and more brutal counter-actions
in Russia, Roumania or Hungary than do the politer European forms
used by the Capitalism of the Western Industrial States.
Consequently reaction against radicalism takes different forms in
Hungary with its aristocratic, Germany with militaristic, and Italy
with Roman-machiavellian traditions; the different cultural
foundations do not admit of the same pattern of action on the same
social elements in each case. The simple confrontation of
representative names, Trotzki in Russia, Kun of Hungary, Adler and
Bauer in Austria, Kautzky and Ebert in Germany, Jaures and Herriot
in France, MacDonald in England and Gompers in the United States,
shows at a glance the different results of the same socialistic
impulse when applied on dissimilar levels of culture.

In stating these facts we have to remember that will combines both
sentiment and reason. The further north and west we go in Europe
the more reason is found predominant over sentiment. It is not by
chance that we speak of western civilization standing higher, or
northern nations being more energetic. And so among them the local
position of socialism allows reason to overbalance feeling. The
masses of England and America still find more power and usefulness
in their trade unions than in politics. To be sure the capitalistic
classes of these countries are more positive and less spell-bound
by dogmas. And by the way, in their socialism as in so much else,
the German excels in methods, the Anglo-Saxon, the American, in
practice.

In fact, we see that the socialism of the north and west stands
more reasonably on the basis of evolution, while that of the east
and south, directed by feeling, prefers revolution. Here, where it
chiefly operates by exciting the passions of the masses in order to
attain political and economic power to destroy the present social
order, it supposes itself to be able to abolish the fundamental
principle of Evolution that governs all creation and existence. It
opposes that accumulation of values in which we have seen culture
subsists-- which is Civilization. It renders the crisis more acute,
this belief that it is able to destroy capitalism offhand without
any consideration of the fact that it is an organism, grown
historically in the womb of time, through thousands of years. It
aggravates the evils of the situation by refusing to see capitalism
as it is, a mere transitory phase, a temporary form of economical
development which goes on continually changing as long as human
beings live together.

But social construction cannot be founded upon social negations. It
is wrong and misleading to accentuate the social question as a
class problem merely. It is much more than that, being the common
problem of the human race. When party Socialism attains this
conception it will be able truly to serve mankind, then only will
it act constructively, for then only will it have become ethical in
the widest sense. Thiers, the philosophic President of the French
Republic, said sixty years ago

Socialism will be ethical or it will not be.

The changes in the production of material goods wrought by
machinery, technical development and scientific knowledge created
the capitalism which, united by the evil cultural components of our
civilization, individualism, militarism and imperialism, led to
modern industrialism. An abundance of riches amassed by
individuals, classes and nations have led mankind astray. In regard
to ethics, it has led to hatred and envy and to worship of material
success, to contempt of altruistic ends and disregard of the
spiritual. In the material sense it has led to class conflict and
war.

THE CURE OF BOLSHEVISM

Everyone who wishes to help in saving our civilization must do his
best to remove the fundamental motives of class conflict.
Coudenhove in his Pan-Europe shows most convincingly that an
auspicious solution of the present crisis is only to be hoped for
by digging away the fostering soil in which Bolshevism grows by
social improvement, for Bolshevism is nothing but the radical
extreme of Socialism.

Of course social questions cannot be solved without an opening of
money bags; but unfortunately the possessing, and especially the
ruling, classes do not want to do so, of their own free will.
England has practiced this method for a long time, opening the
safety-valve instead of sitting down on it, as other nations did.
She has understood that class contrasts must be bridged before they
lead to an explosion of open fighting between the possessors and
the non-possessors, the costs of which would have to be borne by
the whole community. Thus it is that centuries have passed since
England has had a revolution. We here get a little insight into
British character and culture, which otherwise are rather
enigmatical to the rest of the world: conservatism not rendering
progress impossible, no class has been inclined to sudden
passionate eruption. The British could only be driven into the
great war because their conservatism had been urged to a pace of
progress and business competition too sensibly-opposed to their
conditions and habits. The attitude of wide circles among them
against socialism may be characterized best by the description,
Social-Liberalism.

Many years back, in 1874, when Socialism was first entering the
realm of practical politics, the philosopher and sociologist,
Friedrich Albert Lang, said:

I take it as certain that the new age will not triumph except under
the flags of a great idea, which wipes out egotism and replaces
restless work for mere individual success by the new goal of human
perfection in human society.

I have had to consider Socialism at such length because it is that
"great idea," or more exactly, will be, when it no longer applies
to one class only, driving it into conflict with all others. Simply
to replace the advantage of one group by that of another, and thus
merely transferring advantage and success, cannot, from a social
point of view, be considered as increasing cultural values or as
enriching or improving civilization.

THE UNITY OF CIVILIZATION AS AN ORGANISM

Post-war events are hammering with painful blows into the minds of
the thinking part of mankind the recognition of the fact that
national welfare depends upon that of the whole of mankind; it
makes no difference that gold, for instance, has passed from
England to America, or Alsatian potash or Lorraine ore to France,
or Silesian iron and coal to Poland, in all cases both winners and
losers are suffering. Injury to social justice, to the supreme
principle of "good" in our culture, has been perpetuated by
employment of the means of the "bad" strain or element in
civilization.

But it is natural that social injustice can create only an unjust
social order, and vice versa. Every injustice is untenable in the
long run; the question is, how long will it last ? To abruptly
shorten this period is the aim and intention of revolution, and its
essence is a sudden, violent and passionate action against a social
order that grows unendurable. Its contrary, evolution, seeks the
same end considerately and deliberately, by slow steps, supported
by reason.

There is scarcely more left of the results of the great French
Revolution than "Human Rights" (more or less theoretical) and the
many other revolutions, small and great, witnessed by our
grandfathers, fathers and ourselves have left scarcely any ethical
gain to us worth mentioning. It is the ethical element only, that
serving the community, augments cultural values, and consequently
raises the level of civilization. The abolition of torture and
servitude, the emancipation of the Jews, the general public school
system, and universal suffrage will serve as proofs of the fact
that lasting cultural values are not due to violent outbreaks but
to reasonable evolution.

A second most important fact is also to be noted. The lasting
results of revolution are never such as are aimed at by the
revolting group itself for group-egotism, but only those of benefit
to the whole community, that is to say, those of altruistic and
consequently ethical value.

THE INFLUENCE OF FREEMASONRY

There thus seems to prevail an intrinsic law which allows us to
predict that of the subversive movements of today, whether arising
from the right or left [as Bolshevism and Fascism], nothing will
remain that is not of benefit to the whole of mankind. And
assuredly the cultural crisis which we are discussing will not be
resolved by revolution but only by evolution. A characteristic
principle of evolution is adaptation, and applied to the whole of
human society this means coordination; or in practice the
adjustment of contrasts. Envy and hatred are not qualified to serve
this end, and so we may hope they will weaken, and finally be
discarded as unsuitable means. And then the question of whether and
in what way the situation of the proletarian and working classes is
to be improved would disappear, and we should approach the question
of questions, how to better Human Society as a unit. Then the
weapons, too, will be ennobled, and the movement, social in a
higher and wider sense, will take another path, that of
enlightenment and veracity, of honest leadership, and most
important of all, fighting the "evil" in our own breasts by a truly
ethical education.

We must see clearly that truly conceived, Socialism is nothing else
but Brotherhood. Socialism embracing mankind is the conception of
the unity in all human society; the very same ideal that is
represented by Masonry, which regards all men as potentially
brothers whom it seeks to unite in the fraternal bond.

A further result arises from this discussion by way of corollary,
and that is the conviction that Freemasonry has nothing in common
with revolution and that its contribution to the preservation of
the highest culture values of our civilization must be in the line
of evolution.

Consideration of the topic of Culture in its general sense shows
that there is no single field of ethical or material action that is
apart from Masonic work; thus the very existence of Masonry forms
a contribution to the reconstruction of civilization. There is no
ethical advance, no spiritual movement, and generally, no
development of mankind without the cooperation of the "good,"
because every thought embracing mankind, and consequently Masonry
rightly understood, issues out of the good and ultimately is rooted
in the sentiment common to all men, the vision of a better world
yet to come. From all other associations and societies embodying
the principle of "good" we differ externally, or in form, only by
the G. S. and W. Internally, and this is the decisive factor, by
the three doctrines of the Masonic Creed, Self Knowledge, Self
Control, and Self Improvement. The primary forms to which all
Masonry may be reduced, however far they may reach, however deep
they may penetrate into the depths, however they may aspire to the
height, run as follows:

For motive, the human longing for happiness
For object, the fraternal union of mankind
For path, the advance of Ethics, the fight against evil and the
practice of good
And finally, for means, that which constitutes the very content of
Masonry and is the final conclusion of Masonic wisdom, Work.

NOTES

(1) Pan-Europe by Richard M. Coudenhove-Kalergi, with a foreword by
Nicholas Butler. Published by Alfred H. Knopf, New York.
(2) The Reconstruction of Religion, a Sociological View, by Charles
A. Ellwood, Ph. D., Professor of Sociology in the University of
Missouri. Published by the Macmillan Co., New York.


Admission to the Light of Masonry should be more than an incident
in a man's life story: it should be a new, and a dominating, factor
of the first magnitude. It cannot take the place of a new birth;
but it may, and ought to, be an apprenticeship in the workshop of
life. There is nothing about the symbol and sign of Masonry that
does not derive its chief, and often its only, meaning from the
fact that it represents the labor ideal of the petitioner, and also
of the brother who has had experience of the wonders of the sunlit
way in which is perfect light. If men do not want to become perfect
builders, let them eschew Masonry; for all Masons are, or should
be, builders first and foremost. Freemasonry represents the ethical
and practical side of religion. It stands for the whole duty of
man. It is a constant reminder of the brothers of the lodge that
they must fear God and keep His Commandments.
[London Freemason.]
