Equality of opportunity is not the same as equality of results, as a matter of fact there is no such thing as equality of results because the result of any action is based on the effort put for such action.
We may equate Masonic ideals with the political ideologies (and their respective nuances) of the 18th Century, but a fair representation of the 19th Century ideologies shows less inconsistency than you suggest, at least in theory.
After all, L'Internationale was composed by a Mason, and the creator of the Pledge was both Mason and socialist.
One can find elements consistent with both Liberal and Conservative political philosophies, just as you can with scripture.
This deserves a lot more space -- and examples -- than I can give here. And I didn't read the original article to which you refer. But I suspect I would agree more than disagree with your assessment.
Equality of the house we live in or what car we drive? Certainly not. Equality of where we all end up? Yes, and if that's what the author meant then maybe he has a point.
IMHO I think the equality referenced many times in Freemasonry signifies that while materially we may differ, we are all equal spiritually. As we should have divested our selves of vices and superfluous things, we should have by the time of our raising become spiritually equal through the initiatic process, we there for meet and treat one another as such. To confuse that with the profane world is misinformed. Its in our ritual, customs, etc. To think its any more than that, is to confuse the purpose of speculative masonry. Again in my humble opinion.
I’d also like to chime in on a subject that might be a bit controversial to some perhaps. The ideas of “some animals are more equal than others” even infects our fraternity. For some, the titles and honors they have gained elevates them above others, which I consider relatively unmasonic thinking. You can’t adhere to the “on the level” when you expect, even demand being addressed by a title rather than brother. As part of official duties, of course decorum requires it, but socially, I’d prefer the company of men who don’t lord their position over others. I had enough of that crap in the military.
I think you've hit the nail on the head with this article, however I take exception with one assertion you made and I'd like to discuss it just a bit.
You state that "If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that in the United States in 2024, we do have equality of opportunity. ... We can succeed, or fail, based on our own choices and labor." and I believe this is naive at best. For instance, a study published in 2019 (1) found "that the greater the extent to which poor black male children were exposed to harsh environments, the higher their chances of being incarcerated in adulthood and the lower their adult incomes, measured in their 30s. A similar income pattern also emerged for whites" so I would argue that what you're born into definitely affects your opportunities to succeed. And the article goes on to note that due to segregation in the study area (Chicago) more black children are exposed to these factors than whites so the black population tends to be significantly more disadvantaged. This is not equality of opportunity, this is the systemic racism we hear so much about but that so many wish to deny exists.
As a (white, for the record) man who grew up poor, I can tell you first hand that it's possible to succeed in spite of adversity but not without a lot of help (and I had all the advantages of being a white male). I'm still saddled with student debt 15 years on (that everyone's complaining about possibly forgiving some of) but that was a necessary evil for me to lift myself and my family out of poverty. I fight health problems (obesity and related) directly related to being poor and not having access to better food growing up and in my early adult years, a gift I unfortunately passed on to my wife and kid over the years as well.
So with respect I think it's dangerous to delude ourselves into thinking that everyone born in the US (let alone the rest of the world) has equality of opportunity. We continue to make strides in that direction but I feel we have a long way to go and I think a big part of what needs to happen is eliminating poverty which may require a bit of those utopian ideals you find unseemly. Social welfare programs that alleviate poverty and properly educate people (we didn't even get into how we keep taking money from education and dumbing down the population, especially in urban settings that are majority black....), etc. and a continued effort to fight racism and bigotry in all forms are vital to ensuring everyone does, in fact, have equal opportunities. We're not there yet.
Well said Dear WB.
Equality of opportunity is not the same as equality of results, as a matter of fact there is no such thing as equality of results because the result of any action is based on the effort put for such action.
Equality of results requires a class of people to determine if that equality was achieved, and to bark out orders at the rest of us until it is.
As Orwell wrote, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
This is un-Masonic.
It is self-defeating. How can unequal classes bring about equality?
Masonry flourished by opening a space for different kinds of men - unequal men - to meet and mix freely for mutual benefit.
The results of meeting equally are going to be unpredictable and so unequal.
That’s the beauty of it.
A lot to unpack here.
We may equate Masonic ideals with the political ideologies (and their respective nuances) of the 18th Century, but a fair representation of the 19th Century ideologies shows less inconsistency than you suggest, at least in theory.
After all, L'Internationale was composed by a Mason, and the creator of the Pledge was both Mason and socialist.
One can find elements consistent with both Liberal and Conservative political philosophies, just as you can with scripture.
This deserves a lot more space -- and examples -- than I can give here. And I didn't read the original article to which you refer. But I suspect I would agree more than disagree with your assessment.
Equality of the house we live in or what car we drive? Certainly not. Equality of where we all end up? Yes, and if that's what the author meant then maybe he has a point.
IMHO I think the equality referenced many times in Freemasonry signifies that while materially we may differ, we are all equal spiritually. As we should have divested our selves of vices and superfluous things, we should have by the time of our raising become spiritually equal through the initiatic process, we there for meet and treat one another as such. To confuse that with the profane world is misinformed. Its in our ritual, customs, etc. To think its any more than that, is to confuse the purpose of speculative masonry. Again in my humble opinion.
MWGM Cameron,
I applaud this invaluable insight within Masonry. Thank you for articulate and thoughtful article.
WM Brian Peace
Agreed!
Excellent article, surprised it had to be said.
I’d also like to chime in on a subject that might be a bit controversial to some perhaps. The ideas of “some animals are more equal than others” even infects our fraternity. For some, the titles and honors they have gained elevates them above others, which I consider relatively unmasonic thinking. You can’t adhere to the “on the level” when you expect, even demand being addressed by a title rather than brother. As part of official duties, of course decorum requires it, but socially, I’d prefer the company of men who don’t lord their position over others. I had enough of that crap in the military.
I think you've hit the nail on the head with this article, however I take exception with one assertion you made and I'd like to discuss it just a bit.
You state that "If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that in the United States in 2024, we do have equality of opportunity. ... We can succeed, or fail, based on our own choices and labor." and I believe this is naive at best. For instance, a study published in 2019 (1) found "that the greater the extent to which poor black male children were exposed to harsh environments, the higher their chances of being incarcerated in adulthood and the lower their adult incomes, measured in their 30s. A similar income pattern also emerged for whites" so I would argue that what you're born into definitely affects your opportunities to succeed. And the article goes on to note that due to segregation in the study area (Chicago) more black children are exposed to these factors than whites so the black population tends to be significantly more disadvantaged. This is not equality of opportunity, this is the systemic racism we hear so much about but that so many wish to deny exists.
As a (white, for the record) man who grew up poor, I can tell you first hand that it's possible to succeed in spite of adversity but not without a lot of help (and I had all the advantages of being a white male). I'm still saddled with student debt 15 years on (that everyone's complaining about possibly forgiving some of) but that was a necessary evil for me to lift myself and my family out of poverty. I fight health problems (obesity and related) directly related to being poor and not having access to better food growing up and in my early adult years, a gift I unfortunately passed on to my wife and kid over the years as well.
So with respect I think it's dangerous to delude ourselves into thinking that everyone born in the US (let alone the rest of the world) has equality of opportunity. We continue to make strides in that direction but I feel we have a long way to go and I think a big part of what needs to happen is eliminating poverty which may require a bit of those utopian ideals you find unseemly. Social welfare programs that alleviate poverty and properly educate people (we didn't even get into how we keep taking money from education and dumbing down the population, especially in urban settings that are majority black....), etc. and a continued effort to fight racism and bigotry in all forms are vital to ensuring everyone does, in fact, have equal opportunities. We're not there yet.
1. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/05/harvard-study-shows-exactly-how-poverty-impacts-childrens-success/