maintainance of degrees in society
Editorial introduction
No society runs on identical people. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says so plainly: a body needs the eye and the hand alike, an army needs its generals and its infantry, and the order of the world cannot rest on the dream of absolute sameness. Yet the image turns at once toward a harder demand. Every rank is to perform its duties, rights are to be equal, and all are servants of one kind God, so that the true measure of any arrangement is whether each member, from the highest to the lowest, lives in comfort and welfare. Paul’s picture of the body, where the parts thought weaker receive the greater honor, sharpens the same point [1]. Difference exists for mutual care, never as a license for exploitation or a claim to personal superiority. To take this seriously is to look again at how labor and management might share their fruits, how profit might be divided with justice, and how real differences in human capacity can be woven into an order in which no one is forgotten.
But Baha'u'llah has laid down a great foundation for a system which, although it advocates the oneness of humanity and upholds the common weal, will preserve the various ranks. Every rank should perform its duties. Rights should be equal and all are the servants of one kind God.
Differences in station will also remain and no breach will occur in this respect. Gradations of rank are without doubt one of the essentials of society. Society is like an army. An army requires field marshals, generals, colonels, captains and privates. It is utterly impossible for all professions to be equal. Preservation of rank is necessary. But each individual in the army must live in perfect peace and comfort. Likewise, a town requires a mayor, judges, merchants, men of means, craftsmen and farmers. Of course, these ranks must be observed, otherwise the general order would be disrupted.
The world of humanity may be looked upon as an army. An army must have generals, must have the marshal, the sergeant, the captain, the corporal, likewise the infantry. All the army cannot be the infantry or soldiers and all cannot be sergeants. There must needs be degrees. But the point of importance is that each individual member of the army enjoy the utmost ease and happiness.
"Notwithstanding this, it does not mean that all are equal. It cannot be so. For this reason, the prominent ones, the rich and the poor, will all be at ease. The people of the world are like an army. It has a general, officers and privates. It cannot be possible for all to be privates or all to be officers. Each of these ranks is necessary.
The King appoints one to be his prime minister, another to be his greatest general, another a soldier, and so on from the highest to the lowest. If all were generals or all were soldiers, there would be no kingdom.
Consider the material kingdoms--can all subjects of kings be of the same station? No! Some must be grand viziers, others generals, captains, soldiers. There must be many classes. Is this injustice? Each is honored in his own place. Oppression only is shown when He gives what is not due.
The point was then presented as to whether all men would eventually progress to the same stages of perfection. 'Abdu'l-Baha said that this is a matter of Divine Will. That although the Theosophists dwelt upon Karma and ultimate perfection, this was not to be expected, as degrees of existence must always be presented.
For instance, if all men were kings there would really be no kings, as a kingdom requires ministers, soldiers, subjects, etc., etc. The goal to be reach is perfection according to kind or station, and this perfection is happiness.
Absolute equality amongst men: this would be impossible. There is needed some organization which will bring about an order in this disorder. Absolute equality is a mere dream and impracticable. If absolute equality existed the whole order of the world would be destroyed. In mankind there is always a difference in degree... There must be degrees in the organization.
The order of the world requires that there be classes. People cannot be equal because they are different in their creation - some are of the highest degree of intelligence, some are average, and some are completely devoid of intelligence. Now, can someone of the highest intelligence be equal to someone who has no intelligence at all? The human world is like an army - an army needs both generals and soldiers. Is it possible for everyone to be generals or officers, or for everyone to be soldiers? Certainly ranks are necessary.
For example, in a government administration today there are many officials. One is a minister, another a commander, another a secretary. All benefit from the sovereign's favors, but each according to his rank and station. In one country there cannot be ten ministers of foreign affairs or ten ministers of the interior. Affairs would become disordered. Likewise in God's system, He hath chosen the Prophets from among humanity to guide mankind; they are distinguished above all others.
But it is impossible for all to become equal. If there were no workers, no master craftsmen, and all were wealthy, the affairs and order of the world would be suspended. No one would do masonry or carpentry or butchery anymore.
Laws are needed which can both preserve the ranks of individuals and secure peace and stability for them be-cause society is like an army, which needs a general, captains, lieutenants and privates. Not all can be captains nor can all be soldiers. The grades of responsibility are essential and the differences of rank a necessity. Just as a family needs old and young, master and mistress, servants and attendants, likewise society needs organization and structure.
In the Cause of the Blessed Beauty there is muvasat, which is higher than musavat (equality), but the difference lies in that it must be by free choice and willingness, not by compulsion, and ranks must be preserved. At the level of ranks, equality is not possible. The world is like an army which must have both commander and marshal and soldier; all cannot be commanders, nor all soldiers. Ranks must be preserved, but each, in his own station, must have comfort--not that one should have every variety and kind of bounty while another lacks even plain bread.
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
...one ought not to enquire whether one thing is less than another but whether it is, as itself, sufficient: for all things ought not to have been equal.
It is clear from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, as well as from those of 'Abdu'l-Baha and the interpretations of the Guardian, that the proper functioning of human society requires the preservation of ranks and classes within its membership. The friends should recognize this without envy or jealousy, and those who occupy ranks should never exploit their position or regard themselves as being superior to others...
For thought and discussion