They are the Future of Humanity

Sunday, January 28, 2018

A New Order of Justice


Justice, which consisteth in rendering each his due, dependeth upon and is conditioned by two words: reward and punishment. From the standpoint of justice, every soul should receive the reward of his actions, inasmuch as the peace and prosperity of the world depend thereon, even as He saith, exalted be His glory: ‘The structure of world stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment’ In brief, every circumstance requireth a different utterance and every occasion calleth for a different course of action.
(Baha'u'llah, Tabernacle of Unity: 40)

While justice “consisteth in rendering each his due”, the concept of equity—“every circumstance requireth a different utterance and every occasion calleth for a different course of action”—broadens and relaxes the strictures of the equality of law, making true justice.  Equity may demand that more be given to some than what may be, by law, due to them, because they have been deprived of equal opportunity and resources.  Equity restores the balance and moderates the selfish impulses of those already blessed with social advantage.  The Master stated: “The Kingdom of God is founded upon equity and justice, and also upon mercy, compassion, and kindness to every living soul.” (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha: 158)
Now equity itself, while the axial principle, or fundamental human value, in justice, is brought about through two other powers working in tandem.  The first of these is consultation, but consultation does not function alone.  In our discussion of the kerygmatic, we saw that consultation is paired with compassion.  I wrote there: “…compassion works collectively to build the unity of a group. It is itself an unique form of knowing and generating knowledge. Baha’u’llah says compassion is of equal importance to consultation in the meaningful exchange of thought: “The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion...”(Tablets of Baha'u'llah: 126) 
Their relation with justice as the inner faculty which discerns truth, and with the consultative processes that operate within the outer institutions of justice to educe and train that faculty, is further strengthened when we look at the larger statement.  Baha’u’llah wrote: “The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion and the canopy of world order is upraised upon the two pillars of reward and punishment.” (Tablets of Baha'u'llah: 126)  Consultation and compassion are connected with intellect and the power of understanding, i.e. the recognition of spiritual principle: “The Great Being saith: The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with the two luminaries of consultation and compassion. Take ye counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding.” (Tablets of Baha'u'llah: 168)
As the faculty that discerns truth and orders society, justice “traineth the world.”    Perhaps this is why it is the “best-beloved of all things” in His sight.  When it is a consistent system of rewards and punishments, justice and equity are life-giving, as are all other spiritual faculties when functioning properly.  Baha’u’llah tells us: “That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the world. Inasmuch as for each day there is a new problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such affairs should be referred to the Ministers of the House of Justice that they may act according to the needs and requirements of the time.” (Tablets of Baha'u'llah: 27)
“The structure of world stability and order,” He further asserts, “hath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment. And in another connection He hath uttered the following in the eloquent tongue: Justice hath a mighty force at its command. It is none other than reward and punishment for the deeds of men. By the power of this force the tabernacle of order is established throughout the world, causing the wicked to restrain their natures for fear of punishment.” (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah: 163-164)
Yet, what society today embodies both of these ideals?; which community uses both wings of justice to fly?  In a stinging indictment of many penal systems, ‘Abdu’l-Baha remarked: “They build prisons, make chains and fetters, arrange places of exile and banishment, and different kinds of hardships and tortures, and think by these means to discipline criminals, whereas, in reality, they are causing destruction of morals and perversion of characters.” (Some Answered Questions: 271)
The best means of achieving justice is through moral education.  The Master again: “The communities must punish the oppressor, the murderer, the malefactor, so as to warn and restrain others from committing like crimes. But the most essential thing is that the people must be educated in such a way that no crimes will be committed; for it is possible to educate the masses so effectively that they will avoid and shrink from perpetrating crimes, so that the crime itself will appear to them as the greatest chastisement, the utmost condemnation  and torment. Therefore, no crimes which require punishment will be committed.” (Some Answered Questions: 268-269)  He is not so sanguine as to believe that crime can be completely eliminated.  But His category of crimes that do not require punishment is suggestive of the kind of community that can be built.
One final point needs be made regarding the proper training of the faculty of justice.  I will let ‘Abdu’l-Baha make it, and only say to the reader to pay attention to His last phrase: “As to the difference between that material civilization now prevailing, and the divine civilization which will be one of the benefits to derive from the House of Justice, it is this: material civilization, through the power of punitive and retaliatory laws, restraineth the people from criminal acts; and notwithstanding this, while laws to retaliate against and punish a man are continually proliferating, as ye can see, no laws exist to reward him.” (Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha: 132)  What might be the result of laws that reward citizens for righteous actions?  Again, crimes for which punishment is not required, and laws that reward for good actions are ideas that grow from the principle of the oneness of humanity and its correlate, in this context, of equity—taking account of extenuating circumstances.
Basically there are two types of justice, retributive and distributive.  Loosely, the first is punishment, the second, reward.  Both are necessary, but in individual psychology as in collective life, the retributive mentally emerges first, while some idea of distributive emerges later with socialization.  (See, for example, Jean Piaget, The Moral Judgement of the Child) But this chronology indicates that distributive justice is, spiritually, the higher form.  Real distributive justice has as its goal unity, the just distribution of goods, services, opportunities and wealth in society.  Hence it centers round equity as its axial principle.
Socially, equity and justice depend first upon a personal sense of justice among the rulers.  “The heaven of statesmanship is made luminous and resplendent by the brightness of the light of these blessed words which hath dawned from the dayspring of the Will of God: It behoveth every ruler to weigh his own being every day in the balance of equity and justice and then to judge between men and counsel them to do that which would direct their steps unto the path of wisdom and understanding. This is the cornerstone of statesmanship and the essence thereof. From these words every enlightened man of wisdom will readily perceive that which will foster such aims as the welfare, security and protection of mankind and the safety of human lives.” (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah: 166)  But there is emerging today a third kind of justice.
If humanity had the inner faculty of justice better developed there would be no need for so many laws, because previous ones would not need abrogation; and all such laws would be in harmony with that which is immanent in human nature, not the desires of the ruling classes. True justice would also preserve the universal relations of human society, as all would be in harmony with Wisdom.  That is, justice would no longer be either retributive or distributive, but restorative, putting relations in manifest unity and, thereby, renovating the conditions of existence.  The balance of social forces, classes and aspirations would be dynamically set upon the primary ideal of the oneness of humankind, much as proper bodily health comes from the balance of foods and nutrients.  It is necessary for the world's peace and prosperity that societies have laws that reward people for their good actions.  This is but true manifest justice.  Baha'u'llah, in our opening quote stated: From the standpoint of justice, every soul should receive the reward of his actions, inasmuch as the peace and prosperity of the world depend thereon.  This innovation alone would cause a great change in people’s attitude toward the law and authority, and direct their behavior along productive lines, certain, as they would be, of proper reward.
World civilization cannot be built without institutions of justice at every level.  The best means of bringing forth the faculty of justice is good moral education.  They go hand-in-hand.  We read where rulers must daily weigh their own actions in the balance of justice and equity, then rule over their subjects.  But justice in a globalizing world cannot be established without a universal code of morality, agreed upon by all people, that sets out what is right and wrong for everyone.  Morality, too, is intimately connected with both individual and social transformation. 
Another way that the word of God can be discovered and recognized is through the moral faculty.  We turn to that next.

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