Curitiba/2002

GRAN LOGIA MIXTA DE CHILE

RESP:.LOGIA NELQUIHUE No. 26

 MASONIC ETHIC.

THE MASON, BETWEEN DOUBT AND CERTAINTY

INTRODUCTION.

“Our desires generally is to be a Mason.” (MAGUT)

 Our principles establishes that Masons recognize each other as Brothers, wherever they are dispersed. Nonetheless, it is much more important that we be recognized by others as beings that have evolved both intellectually and morally in society. By this we mean that we be recognize as beings who love truth and justice, and have an advance and integrated process towards man in his daily living. As mason we are to be of such behavior that is quite difficult to be; respectful of public opinion, defenders of free speech, ever ready to unite all men and women, in the practice of a universal morality, promulgating  peace and understanding, without prejudging anyone.  In order to achieve this, it is necessary that each member of the organization gives of him/herself, the road to follow will be arduous, beyond or limited capabilities.

Ethic is that part of philosophy, that has to do with the Moral Science and Philosophy, by this we mean, a reflection about human conduct, both collectively as well as individually, and the normal morals that different behaviors are based on. This has as an end, to achieve human development, cautioning that this process though difficult, ends by reaching the zenith, keeping in mind the different individuals, thoughts, abilities of each one. It is because of this that Masonry, is essential a moral entity.

Masonry as an initiative order, elevates the practice of virtue in each of its members, and a need to project to the world, the rectitude of character of each member towards truth, even the character is not absolute. Masonic ethics is the most perfect moral code that exist for men, because it creates the need for goodness from goodness itself, realizing that the concept of good and evil does not exist in absolute form.

DEVELOPMENT:

In an etymological sense, ethics comes from the Greek word “ETHOS” which defines that which is relative to normal customs. Just as the Hellenes as the ancient Romans ( who develop the term “MORI” which also means customs) judge that this definition is what determined that customs refers to Morality.

Yet we cannot thing of something so profound without keeping in mind the thinking of philosophers like Hegel, Kant, Descartes, etc.

Hegel, differs between Objective Moral, which is the one that determines Norms, laws, customs, and an objective moral that refers to accomplishment as a purely voluntary act, coming from our thinking.

For Kant, morals are acts that one thinks of as doing good primarily. It is autonomous and depends only on the person that is doing it,  his/her reason for being is not external, on the contrary it is internal to the individual.

Descartes, said that man, as part of nature, is a mechanism, that functions according to the rules of nature, obeying the  precise laws of physics which also imposes its moral structure. According to him all man has common sense, and this just as to be in evidence for man to distinguish between good and evil.

Gandhi, said that for us, “moral virtue,  is the conformity between ourselves”, Socrates, manifest that “intelligent man, can also experience the same violent antisocial impulses as the ignorant man; but controlling them better, therefore imitating with less frequency those less intelligent”.

Keeping this in mind each person should be able to distinguish between right and wrong, nonetheless there is no agreement between the various thinkers, if these concepts are something that originates internally or of some external element. Karen Horney ( noted American psychiatrist)  believes that life is full of dos and don’ts, but that no one is compelled to be someone, that as a person does not want to be.

Considering everything that has been said here, it would seems that it would be important to determine for one self, which are the norms that functions and which can be forgotten, without harming others and one self. Only he that can look within can change the error of his way, thereby achieving unconsciously his behavior in this world.

Keeping all this in mind we can conclude that Masonic Ethic, is a compromise between society and the individual. Our Order holds its members to freely accept a moral conduct without regard fanatical, punitive or compulsive behaviors. Masons are armed with deep ethical concepts, that we use to analyze and evaluate our individual actions, bringing together all of humanity.

The Fraternity is the stalwart of Masonry. ¿ What highest standard of Ethics can be found but that one that constitute the basis of solidarity and friendship? On the other hand we cannot forget that one of the characteristic needed to be a part of the Order is to be “a man, free born and of good repute” so it is only hoped that all behave according to these conditions.

Masonry is defined as an “free ethical association, builders of a better man, and through him a better world. Nonetheless Masonry does not dictate morals, nor indicates what is virtue or vice. The word sin is not part of the Masonic vocabulary. Each person is unto himself and therefore must be guided by that judgment that regulates their behavior, realizing that any conduct that deviates from the correct path is the same for all persons of good conduct.

And yet we must not lose sight that as humans we are faced with imperfections, weaknesses and missteps, but those that join our fraternity must learn to overcome such frailties as soon as possible.

For Masonry, the essence of the perfect man, lives in its liberty to be able to rationalize and seek itself, without condition, but to raise itself to a higher standard. Man sets no goal for himself, this has to be discovered by each, no road map is given, no one is obligated to follow, so the Mason will have to follow two types of values; that which is know as the intellectual or logical, which is link to knowledge and is characterized by the incessant look for truth or to reach a true judgment, and others that include all the ethical values and corresponds to the human conduct that can be both good or bad.

THE MASON, BETWEEN DOUBT AND CERTAINTY

“ The search for truth, work that should be the concern of all men, is the work, is the desire of all masons”.  The path of the Order, must help them find the values that dignifies life, and next to them, truth means the crystallization of the human essence”.

This constitutes one of the basics fundamentals of out job as  Masons. The Order permanently have confronting our selves, searching for a harmonic and constant reason of out destiny and existence. The formation of each depends of the habitat in which each lives and cannot be easily put of. Not only would they have to confront adversities with what is at hand, but will also have to understand and love the path that is offered, its costumes, traditions, cultures.

Walking as a Mason initially is not a sure path, since the newly made mason cannot decide which route to follow. This would mean that he would have to proceed within the limits of morality  and ethics guided by his subs conscience, this at first will not be easy. This way he should find out if  he has choosing the right path, after deciding objectively to walk as an entered apprentice during its first year.

These first  steps will not be without apprehensions, fears, faith, failures, whether they be grounded or not, views of an intelligent person, with the power of reasoning, which he would have to constantly face…expressing in a few words his actions will be invaded by doubt… doubt about which road to follow… doubt with respect to have to respond to various adversities…doubt has to have to make the wisest decision, the more just, the more ethical…doubt about whether the answers found will be the “truth” one part of it or only the errors that will force him to continue searching.

Those first steps, fearful and timid before the unknown, will have them face unknowns that will have to be discarded on his journey to the end of human existence. The path being followed will have changed a few times as necessary until the right one is found, that can fulfill its possibilities and the answer being sought found. What he has to keep in mind is that he can never be just an interesting observer, or allow change to dictate his doubts or fears. He is the only one that decide if he is on the right track, for only his conscience can tell me if he has found or not found the right answer, which is none other that his own “response” and not others.

To walk the paths of reflection is to understand that the search has only a minor victory, because he has been able to visualize his work and responsibilities and can only consider as an absolute truth, his existence, because only the G:.A:.O:.T:.U:. gives and takes away.

At this point, he can only, aside from knowing that the only certainty of his existence is that at some point it has to end and therefore will have to look back at his personal life… he can therefore feels satisfied for trying to find himself, to have pondered and evaluated correctly his special condition of being human and for being able to detect the impurities that affects our personalities, to recognize courageously his human defects and humble virtues, to recognize that the answers that are generated do not hold the condition of being absolute truth, and therefore will always have to continue seeking. This is to say that no matter what path is taken, the other certainty, to have is to recognize the truth which is found is the better truth, but not necessarily the truth for all…from here we take the last certainty possible: the necessity to continue perfecting one self every day.

It is obvious that doubt and certainty, are two complementary concepts…which one is exalted the other is overshadowed, and although sadly, after much work, there will always be doubt over certainty.

CONCLUSIONS:

v     We can classify Masonic Ethic as a subjective, progressive, volatile, autonomous rationalist, humanistic, analytical, selective and laical morality.

v     Ethics resides in the here and now where all free and dignified person, must act in the world as a rational being.

v     Ethics guides the life of men and helps him to find his human sides, through the practice of moral virtue. By this we mean that he is guided in a realization of one self and potentials, modifying habits as necessary.

v     Masonic Ethics, affirms the autonomy and the values and principles of morality that all masons should freely practice, always searching its perfection, and to find the happiness for self and mankind.

v     Freemason Ethics, permits that human be seeing as an “ethical animal” because just as morality as the ethical behavior are spiritual expressions that comes from the freedom, reflective, conscious, responsible behavior.

v     The only certainty possible is the one of Knowledge, that the human existence is limited and will always need a permanent search for perfection.

v     The path to follow in the perfection of man, is full of permanent doubts that defines in all moment, the necessity for the search for truth, which is at times so elusive.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

  • Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Masonería, 1977

  • Jose Ferrer Mora: Diccionario de Filosofia, 1999

  • Andrés Gassard: Manual de Masoneria, 1981

  • José Rubén Sanabria: Etica, 1993

  • Francisco José Perea: Manual de Filosofia, 1994

  • César Tejedor Campomanes: Introducción a la Filosofía, 1984

  • Gran Logia de Chile: Revista Masóni

 

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