THE SEARCH FOR A JUST SOCIETY
JOHN HUDDLESTON
GEORGE RONALD 1989
PART I
Front flyleaf
The ancient dream of a just society has inspired countless men and women down the ages. Sometimes emerging in the spontaneous rebellion of ordinary people against tyranny, sometimes led by far-sighted statesmen or philosophers, sometimes manifested in a new religion or expressed in a new law: the search recurs throughout history, undeterred by cynicism or failure. All these struggles – the achievements as well as the failures – have become part of the collective heritage of mankind.
This fascinating book, packed with information, tells the story of that common cultural heritage and describes the provisions in place today and the options facing mankind in the 1990s. What do we, in the last decade of the 20th century, mean by a just society? Where do we go from here?
These are questions which must be answered if the peoples and nations of the world are to rise to the challenges before them and seize the opportunities now being offered on an unprecedented scale to achieve that age-old dream: the coming of a just society.
About the author
John Huddleston was educated in Manchester where he read Modern History, Economics and Politics at the University. For more than a decade he has been a senior staff member at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, where he is Chief of the Budget and Planning Division and an Assistant Director in the Administration Department.
Preface
This book is about the search for a dream. It is an ancient dream, aspired to by countless men and women down the ages. Sometimes manifested in a new religion, sometimes led by far-sighted and noble-minded statesmen or philosophers, sometimes emerging in the spontaneous rebellion of ordinary people against tyranny: the search for a just society recurs throughout history, undeterred by cynicism or past failure. For the long search was episodic and scattered, and concerned itself with limited aspects of a just society as we would conceive it today. Often an aspiration, beginning magnificently, would deteriorate and sink into the sands of history. Yet all these struggles – the failures as well as the successes – have become part of the collective heritage of mankind and have inspired and given strength to those who came afterwards and carried forward the dream, and the search:
“In the passage of time a state of collective human consciousness has been progressively evolved which is inherited by each succeeding generation of conscious individuals, and to which each generation adds something.”
Teilhard de Chardin, The Future of Man, p33
Slowly but surely the drum beat of history has quickened. Attempts to achieve a better society have become more frequent and the range of concerns has become more comprehensive. A crescendo was reached in the 19th century and has continued ever since.
What do we, in the last years of the 20th century, mean by a ‘just society’? Generally, when the term is employed in this book, it means a society which gives freedom to all its citizens and encourages them to achieve their full potential – physical, mental and spiritual. Such a state of affairs has various implications now gaining acceptance by the community of nations as the century draws to its close.
The first and most important of such implications would seem to be an ethical system that inspires a sense of the oneness of mankind, intellectual integrity, and responsibility both for the development of the self and for promoting the welfare of others; that creates a balance between rights and duties. From this basic requirement all others follow.
The provision of physical security, both for the person and necessary personal property, is the second requirement of a just society. This implies the rule of law in relations between communities (including international relations), between the community and the individual, and between individuals. The law should be in accord with the ethical system mentioned above, and must be seen to be just. It cannot be arbitrary or capricious. It should serve the interest of all, it should apply equally to all and should be known in advance to all. It should be administered by an objective and informed judiciary, fair-minded, and concerned for the general well-being. Against those who have been found guilty of breaking the law, it should apply sanctions which are both proportional to the offence and an encouragement to the human spirit rather than a burden on it. The judiciary should be supported by a police force which is itself subject to the law and which views itself as the servant and protector of the community – not an oppressor.
The third broad requirement of a just society is that all citizens have a say in the management of the affairs of their community. This may be achieved directly (as in a referendum) or indirectly (as in the election of representatives to act on behalf of citizens in the supervision and management of government). All adult members of the community should have the right to take part in elections and to vote secretly so that they are protected from intimidation. Equal weighting should be given to the votes of all electors and elections should take place at reasonable intervals. The government should be open in its administration and accountable for its actions to the community it serves. Citizens should be free to think as they wish and to express themselves freely. However, in exercising these rights the citizen should recognize that abuse of privilege, and failure to live by the spirit and rules of the game, will undermine the open society to the cost of all.
The fourth and final requirement now generally agreed as essential to the just society is equal opportunity for all citizens. There should be absolutely no negative discrimination on account of sex, race, culture, economic status or religion. To make this a realistic goal there are at least two subsidiary needs. The first concerns material resources. There should be no extremes of wealth and poverty, and for the benefit of present and future generations there should be protection and conservation of the natural resources of the planet. Secondly, all members of the community should have access to education for the development of the body, the mind, and the spirit.
The first part of this book touches on some of the highlights of the search for a just society from the beginnings of civilization to the end of the 18th century. The second part attempts a general description of the main concerns of progressive movements in the 19th and 20th centuries, and their successes and failures in taking the human race towards a more just society. This part has three sections which deal in turn with progress: (a) towards greater political and social equality; (b) towards elimination of poverty; and (c) towards world cooperation and the abolition of war. The third part of the book starts with a summary of the position today and the alternative paths forward which are available. In conclusion, it suggests that the logical successor of the progressive movements of history is the Bahá’í Faith. With its broad vision, practical approach, and accumulated experience, this movement does indeed give a unique promise of fulfilment of that age-old dream: the coming of a just society.
PART I: THE PAST
Introduction
Part I of this book discusses some highlights in the search for the just society from the beginning of civilization until the end of the 18th century. It is divided into eleven chapters, six of which focus on some of the great religions of the world.
- Scepticism is understandable as a result of the experience of religious institutions in moral and intellectual decline. It is with good reason that religion has been associated with superstition, division, fanaticism, authoritarianism and oppression.
- Nevertheless, such scepticism – no doubt intellectually and spiritually healthy in moderation – should not be a barrier to a fair-minded reading of history or assessment of human society today: the vast majority of the world population still has deep feelings about religion.
- The fact is that religion has been an extremely powerful force in human history since at least the beginnings of civilization; it has played a very significant part in the evolution of the idea of the just society.
- There can be little question that justice was central to the personality and teachings of Jesus, Muhammad, Moses, Buddha and Zoroaster.
The contribution of religion to the evolution of the concept of the just society has been its role in the development of ethics: the basic motivations of the individual and the community, and a sense of distinction between right and wrong. Ethics drawn from the great religions of the past have moderated human greed, selfishness, violence and destruction – all characteristics of the unjust society.
- Religion has: reduced the importance of material considerations; shown concern for the physical and mental well-being of the individual; emphasised the concept of the brotherhood of man, the spiritual equality of all and the sense of family; highlighted the importance of honesty; truthfulness; reliability; responsibility; hard work; caring about others; being kind, charitable, and sympathetic to the poor and oppressed; stable in sexual and parental relationships; tolerance of others; the rule of law; the maintenance of peace; community assistance of the poor; cultural freedom; self-determination; and public participation in the choice of government and its activities.
Chapter 1: Peace through Empire: Egypt and Mesopotamia