Morality is for unity

On the need for a spiritual revolution

Just 30 years ago it seemed that racism was diminishing, human rights generally were gaining ground, and nations were learning to cooperate better than ever before. Values supporting such advances had steadily gained in mass support since the end of World War 2. But now, those values are under attack and the advances they brought seem in danger of disintegrating. We are in a moral crisis.

How can we overcome the present confusion? To answer this question we need to deeply examine and reconsider the moral views in circulation.

Creating unity at the level of thought

The concept of morality is framed differently by various influential schools of thought. Some emphasize individual rights, some emphasize the welfare of society as a whole, others emphasize the cultivation of personal virtues, and yet others emphasize obedience to the laws of God or the requirements of reason.

Each of these framings has merit in its own sphere but there are tensions between them that manifest in conflicting ideologies such as libertarianism and socialism, fundamentalist religion and rationalism, pluralism and various types of racial or religious supremacism, collectivism and the self-improvement mindset. This multiplicity of competing ideologies suggests that it's going to be hard to chart a way out of our difficulties given the lack of agreement on the basic principles of morality.

In this light it can be seen that disunity at the level of thought is at the heart of our problems.

A useful lens to clarify the purpose of morality is that of its ability to unify. In fact, versions of this unifying purpose are implicit in all the schools of thought I mentioned above. The principle of individual rights protects the unity of individuals in themselves, in the sense of their wholeness and inviolability. The principle of the rights of society guards society against disintegration. The cultivation of virtues enables individuals to flourish and to contribute to the general good, thus supporting both their personal integrity and social cohesion. The concept of obedience to the laws of God implies unifying one’s will with the will of God, and this includes developing a benevolent attitude towards all God’s creatures. The concept of adherence to the dictates of reason bears on the unity of the mind and the universality of fundamental principles across all divisions of culture and nationality. All schemes of morality are reaching for unity of some sort.

By looking at the unifying power of morality across all domains, we begin to see a comprehensive picture of what morality is for, which can be summed up in the word “unity”. If this is right, then a code of morality that causes disunity is defective. This implies that any form of morality that superficially imposes unity on one level, but violates it on another, falls short. For example, a balance needs to be achieved between individual rights and the rights of society as a whole; an ideology that exalts one group to the detriment of others does not pass the test. Tyrannical forms of government which impose “unity” through injustice, are morally bankrupt.

Unity as the driving impulse of the universe

The movement towards higher states of unity can be seen as the trend of evolution. To my way of thinking, the universe is a single, vast, interconnected system. One of the outcomes of this vast system is the appearance of life on earth, and the appearance of rational conscious life in the form of humankind. Every stage of the emergence of life has brought forth beings of higher complexity; that is to say, elemental building blocks, through interaction according to the laws of nature, have formed over time into new configurations at ever higher levels of unity.

From this observation, I infer a teleological purpose for the existence of the universe; namely, to manifest wondrous forms of life at ever higher stages of unity and provide the conditions for their flourishing.

In nature, one can discern the purpose of anything by what it does. For example, the purpose of wings is to enable birds to fly. Each creature has evolved its particular features, such as wings, in order to adapt to a particular niche in the environment. So, if an eagle is unable to fly due to injury, it is hampered from performing its purpose. An eagle ought to be able to fly. A kind person who comes across an injured eagle will want to help it recover.

Similarly, we can infer the purpose of the universe from what it does; from the results of its activity. In at least one case, it has produced conscious beings who are capable of rational thought. (If my theory of the purpose of the universe is right, conscious life must have emerged elsewhere too, for how could its purpose be manifested only on Earth, one infinitesimally small speck in the vast cosmos? I mention this just to show the scope of the hypothesis.)

Having said that the purpose of the universe is to produce wondrous forms of life, I acknowledge that there's something unfathomable about this purpose; something that can only be seen by the heart. This is why I included the word “wondrous”. Ultimately, the purpose of the universe can’t be put into words. It can only be contemplated in awe. Although awe awakens at the point where words fail, it is a human emotion and in that sense is a perceptive response to reality.

So, the picture I’m offering here shows that morality’s foundation objectively rests on the nature of the universe itself, but is also ineffable, unable to be adequately grasped by thought. Therefore, we are forever on a journey of discovery towards a better understanding of how we should live. We can acquire genuine understanding, but the range of our understanding at any given time is small compared to the immensity of truths that could be known.

Good and evil

The question of morality is principally an issue for humans. The ability to consciously redirect one’s behaviour is evidently quite limited in animals but is central to the “mission” of being human. We have the capacity to choose cruelty or kindness, deception or honesty, prejudice or tolerance. Through these choices, we rise or fall.

Because of our unique ability to make choices, the domain of good and evil is principally human and does not pertain to the operations of nature. For example, nature is not committing an “evil” when a movement of tectonic plates causes a destructive earthquake. These kinds of events arising from natural forces can be seen as merely transfers of energy. The lion that kills a gazelle is not “vicious” but is acting out of instinct in the arena of life where all creatures are part of the cycle of eaters and eaten. But when humans cause destruction by acts of violence, this is evil because it is intentional and falls far below the dignity of a rational being.

Acts of violence by humans on humans always aim to terminate the victim’s capacity to enjoy the full blessings of their existence. (By violence I mean not only physical violence but also psychological aggression, economic injustice, etc.) When we commit violence we are operating at the instinctive level of the struggle for survival, not rising to the spiritual level of cooperation and reciprocity.

The emergence in history of families, tribes, nations and civilizations demonstrates the ever-expanding power of cooperation latent in the human soul. Our ability to cooperate has spread out in wider and wider circles over time. In the present age, cooperation is advancing on a global scale, although its development is greatly hampered by inherited structures that prioritise the nation-state. International relations are conducted in a semi-anarchic framework of every nation for themselves, without sufficiently legitimized and powerful global institutions to keep order and coordinate action for the benefit of all humankind.

I submit, then, that the most acute moral challenge of our times is to expand our consciousness of the oneness of humankind and to participate in building a world that is united at every level from the family to the planet.

The need for a spiritual revolution

Modern scientific knowledge has given us tools to become far better at “being human” than in any previous age of recorded history. It is an extraordinary privilege to have been born into a time when such vast resources are available to enhance all dimensions of life; including health and longevity, psychological wellbeing, economic prosperity, artistic expression, intellectual exploration, and many others. Yet our commitment to fully tapping into these resources and spreading their benefits equitably is stuck in antiquated habits of thought.

The potential for unity is held back by divisive forces generated by excessive attachment to our in-groups based on nationality, race, class, religion, and ideology.

In order to overcome the divisive forces, a spiritual revolution is required, and indeed is already underway. A ferment of dissatisfaction pervades the world, indicative of a state of desperate spiritual search. And seekers everywhere are actually finding answers, though slowly and painfully. People everywhere are engaging in titanic struggles to make themselves whole within themselves and to reach out across boundaries.

So, where might we find insights to better succeed in our struggles? What approach have we not yet tried?

Science can help but it's not sufficient. The modern scientific mentality has brought many benefits but it has a dark side, which is its association with a materialistic philosophy of the nature of reality. This philosophy regards all phenomena as outcomes of the blind forces of the physical universe. It is opposed to the teleological description of the universe that I offered above.

A consequence of materialism is doubt about the authority of moral standards. If we live in a universe without an inherent purpose, there is no bedrock for moral standards except for our own unreliable preferences. Elaborate materialist moral philosophies have been constructed but their authority is unconvincing as they must bootstrap their bedrock from human preferences, which, from the materialist perspective, are ultimately just an accident of nature. By contrast, through religion we can see a purpose for our existence that comes from beyond ourselves, and this provides a much more coherent and weighty foundation for moral awareness.

Nevertheless, much of religion has lost credibility today due to its association with irrationality and divisiveness. Although religion accomplished great things in the past by cementing civilizations together, its vitality has dimmed as its doctrines have ossified and its followers have entrenched themselves into opposing camps.

I suggest that scientific and technological progress will continue to be a double edged sword, causing both good and harm, until a new world view comes to prevail where science and religion work in harmony. The insights that come from profound religious contemplation are equally important as science for the development of prosperous societies that are infused with altruism and justice. But first, religion has to rise to the challenge.

The heart of every religion is a message of love and truth so it's a tragedy that so many religious institutions and communities have been captured by dogmatism, exclusivism and anti-scientific beliefs. This has clouded their radiance. Look deeply into the teachings of figures like Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha, in a historical perspective – and it's evident that they all made enormous contributions to the advancement of ethical understanding and released immense society-building energies.

I don't think science and the present day materialist conception of reality possess the power to save us, while religion seems to have squandered its strength – so what can we do?

Restoring the vitality of religion

What hasn't been tried with serious enough attention is a re-examination of religion focused on clearing away the debris of outworn traditions and sounding the depths of its insights.

The first key to the success of such a process is to perceive the unity underlying all religions. The second key is to understand the story of religion as it has evolved over history in different places, in each case meeting varying needs. Turning these two keys will release the power of religion from its captivity under the control of backward-looking forces.

Religion can be seen as a single social phenomenon that is realized in different forms in different places at different times.

It is relatively easy to see the commonalities between religions in their core ethical teachings and their advice on how to transcend the sufferings we are prone to as mortal beings. It is more difficult to see how certain harsh religious laws promulgated in the distant past have any relevance today. It is also difficult (I mean impossible) to reconcile a literal understanding of certain scriptures, such as the Bible’s book of Genesis, with modern science.

But if we take an evolutionary view of religion, we can see that it has always functioned by speaking the language of its particular times and galvanizing the moral development of its followers in accordance with the demands of that moment. We need to re-evaluate the concepts behind inherited religious doctrines and the contextual purposes behind ancient religious laws.

For example, the stories of creation in Genesis convey deep meanings allegorically. They are not scientific accounts, but moral lessons. In fact, they are allegorically so rich that I doubt they were intended as literal accounts when first conceived.

The harsh religious laws of the distant past and the stories endorsing vicious behaviour towards enemies reflect a time when tribal societies were struggling against each other for survival. It was an age when love for those of one’s tribe or nation was paramount. When Jesus, and later Muhammad appeared, they greatly expanded the range of human sympathy.

The extension of religion’s unifying power has been a long and gradual process. The purpose of religion can be seen in the process, not by focusing on the situation that existed at some past time, as if that were the golden ideal.

I suggest that religious believers have a profound responsibility to conduct a reassessment of our beliefs. If we identify as followers of truth and light, we have a duty, for the sake of God and humankind, to assiduously clear away superstitions and misunderstandings that obscure the radiance of religion. By this means, its moral authority will be restored and it will become an unstoppable force for unity the world over. This will help us to see what religion might say in the language of our times and in response to the needs of our age.

Yet such a process of profound reassessment of religious meaning looks daunting. A powerful catalyst is needed in order for it to happen. I believe the Bahá’í Writings supply such a catalyst, in their concept of religion as a single tree with many branches. This concept is mapped out in the Bahá’í Writings in considerable depth and detail; for example, showing the underlying unity between religious doctrines that appear contradictory on the surface.

There will always be diversity of thought because individuals and cultural groups naturally see things from their own unique perspectives. But at the present juncture, diversity of thought has gone to extremes, with dangerous ramifications. The meeting ground of shared values is being devastated by divisive forces.

The solution is not for one group to gain dominance and impose their world view on others. What will succeed is for a common understanding of basic principles to emerge and win allegiance by its persuasive and practical efficacy. By “basic principles”, I mean core principles that support living together in peace.

The aim of the Bahá’í Faith is not to force its way to a dominant position in the world, but to induce a spiritual revolution by enabling the kind of dialogue between peoples that leads to unified understanding.

The Bahá’í teachings and their implementation by the Bahá’í community give me profound hope that humankind can dig its way out of its present misery and learn to flourish as a single, united family.

Featured image

View of the interior of the dome of the Bahá’í House of Worship of the Pacific (Apia, Samoa).

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