The systems of social reform and Spiritism

Paulo Degering R Jr
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by Paulo Degering Rosa Junior

I have been making approaches for some time.1 about the impossibility of linking Spiritism to any political ideology and how harmful and harmful this practice is to the Spiritist Movement. When I defend that Spiritism should not be mixed with politics, I do not mean that it cannot give its contribution to it, but rather that it should not be mixed with the opinions and ideas of systems that, contrary to spiritist morality, , want to change society by force, by imposition, while Spiritism demonstrates that the only way to effect any change in society is by helping the individual to abandon bad habits and imperfections, in a gesture rational, conscious and autonomous.

Anyone who studies Spiritism with some dedication easily understands this principle. However, I still needed to find a true pearl of Allan Kardec, inserted in the middle of a text that, until today, I confess, I had not read or known. The pearl in question is in the publication “Spiritist Journey in 1862”, in “Discourses made at the general meetings of the Spiritists of Lyon and Bordeaux.”, item III:

I just said that without charity man only builds on sand. An example will make us understand better.

Some well-meaning men, touched by the sufferings of a part of their fellow men, thought they found the remedy for the evil in certain social reform systems. With minor differences, the principle is more or less the same in all of them, whatever name you give them. Community life as it is the least expensive; community of goods, so that everyone has their share; participation of all for the common work; no great riches, but also no misery. This was very seductive for someone who, having nothing, could already see the rich man's purse entering the social fund., without calculating that the totality of the riches, put in common, would create general misery rather than partial misery; that the equality established today would be broken tomorrow by the mobility of the population and the difference between skills; what permanent equality of goods presupposes equality of capacities and work. But this is not the point; it does not enter into my considerations to examine the positive and negative sides of these systems. I disregard the impossibilities I have just mentioned and propose to consider them from another point of view which, it seems to me, has not yet concerned anyone and which is related to our subject.

KARDEC, Allan. Spiritist Journey of 1862, my emphasis.

Kardec, as always very lucid in his notes, begins by pointing out the very clear problems that such “social reform systems” would bring to society. However, it does not delve into this, to then attack the moral theme, which is very important, and demonstrating, once again, that its interests, aligned with Spiritism, did not consist in destroying, but in building:

The authors, founders or promoters of all these systems, without exception, had no other aim than the organization of material life in a way that would benefit everyone. The goal is laudable, no doubt. It remains to be seen whether this building lacks the only foundation that could consolidate it, assuming it were practicable.

Community is the most complete self-denial of the personality((One of the principles of Spiritism is the relationship of Spirits with everyone, contrary to the false principle of individuality (N. do E.) )). Each one owing Giving oneself personally, it requires the most absolute devotion ((Moral Duty was something very well defined by Rational Spiritualism, of which Spiritism is the development(N. of E.) )). Now, the motive of self-denial and devotion is the charity, that is, love for others ((Disinterested charity (N. do E.) )). But we recognize that the The foundation of charity is belief ((Charity, to be possible, requires conscience, based on reason (N. do E.) )); that lack of belief leads to materialism and materialism leads to selfishness. A system which, by its nature and for its stability, requires moral virtues in the highest degree, must take its starting point in the spiritual element.. Well done! since the material side is their exclusive objective ((Because they are systems based on materialist philosophies, with their main origin in Aristotle and reproduced with great force by Comte (N. do E.) )), not only the spiritual element is not taken into account, as many systems are founded on a highly avowed materialistic doctrine((Let's see: imperfection can develop due to a complete inability to deal with life's issues, due to a lack of understanding of morals (lack of education). When seeking, for example, happiness in things and situations in life, the being begins to attribute unreasonable importance to the resources necessary to do so. If he does not have them, he feels unhappy (sad), but, judging that happiness is also his responsibility, he may judge that, to satisfy this, he must be It is licit to obtain it from those who have these resources in abundance. It is the materialist way of approaching the subject, reproduced by almost all of these systems (N. do E.) )), or about pantheism, a kind of disguised materialism, a true adornment of the beautiful name fraternity. But fraternity, like charity, is neither imposed nor decreed; it must be in the heart and it will not be a system that will give birth to it if it is not there; otherwise the system will collapse and give way to anarchy.

Ibid. Idem.

Kardec sowed the seed: moral virtues, from which fraternity is born, are not born of a system. They cannot be imposed or decreed. You have to be born from the heart.

Experience is there to prove that don't suffocate neither ambitions nor cupidity. Before doing the thing for men, it is necessary to train men for the thing, how workers are formed, before entrusting them with a job. Before building, it is necessary to ensure the solidity of the materials. Here the solid materials are men of heart, devotion and self-denial. Egoism, love and brotherhood are, as we have said, empty words; How, then, under the empire of selfishness, to found a system that requires self-denial to a greater degree since it has, as an essential principle, the solidarity of all with each and of each with all?

Ibid. Idem.

It is incredible not to see, yet, Kardec occupy space among the names of the highest moral philosophy. But it is not only morality that is forgotten, but also, along with it, rational spirituality.

Simple and without linguistic adornments that only serve to confuse and flatter, says the professor: “Before doing the thing for the men, it is necessary to form the men for the thing”. Always, always, attacking the heart of the matter, since his youth, with just over 20 years old: education. If you want to change society, you have to educate from childhood. Now, in a society where there is no education, but only instruction, what do you want to achieve, if not the results that we are forced to meet, daily, around the world? What can one expect from individuals who are trained, from their very first steps, in the schools of dispute, cheating, reward and punishment, in a word, heteronomy? Certainly, they will not be autonomous and fraternal individuals, much less charitable. And, for Kardec,

Without charity, there is no stable human institution; and there can be no possible charity or fraternity, in the true sense of the word, without belief ((Again, Kardec highlights the importance of knowledge, which underpins reason (N. do E.) )). So, apply yourselves to developing those feelings that, by increasing themselves, will destroy the selfishness that kills you. When charity has penetrated the masses, when it has become the faith, the religion of the majority, then your institutions will become better by the very force of things.; abuses, arising from personalism, will disappear. Teach, therefore, charity and, above all, I preached by example: is the anchor of salvation of society. Only she can realize the kingdom of good on Earth, which is the kingdom of God; without it, whatever you do, you will only create utopias, from which you will only be disappointed..

Ibid. Idem.

You don't have to go much further. Kardec's thinking is quite clear and lucid, and I take it not as an argument from authority, but because it is in full agreement with what I believe to be the best expression of knowledge in morals, philosophy and education, especially with regard to successive and progressive progress. of being, a principle demonstrated by Spiritism.

As long as we continue to fight for social transformations imposed by force, and even violence, we will only create utopias and disappointments. Let's see that the examples of this, after Kardec, are already several, and they swarm around us. In a way, he practically predicted what a good part of the world would face, in the following century, due to the materialist systems and ideologies that still prevail today and which, paradoxically, are defended by a significant part of the Spiritist Movement, which, in In fact, he still hasn't understood the true moral of Spiritism and wants to force others to change according to what external agents define as ideal, and not by conscience itself, in an autonomous and conscious movement.

When it comes to the Spiritist Movement, it is nonsense to see materialist ideas defended within this medium. Let us suppose, quite naively, that a law is created that obliges the rich to share their riches: this will only generate revolt in the spirits who have the imperfection of avarice and, at the first opportunity, in this or in other lives, they will fight to reestablish the power previously possessed. Not to mention the individuals who, accustomed to various vices, will only use shared resources to feast a little more. This is not how a society changes.

Without charity, which is born from the understanding of the morality of the divine law and from the autonomous movement towards the good, man only builds on sand..

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Reading Recommendations (Books)

  1. See the articles "Spiritualism and Politics" and "The silence of the Spiritist Movement in the face of social issues" [↩]

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