Does Freemason good or evil?

Critics have historically accused Freemasonry of serving as a subversive political instrument seeking state power and civil influence 4. In response, Masonic authorities maintain that such charges are unjust libels, pointing to the Craft's founding Constitutions which explicitly forbid political meddling and mandate that members remain peaceable, law-abiding subjects 4.

In the Craft, the lodge's primary focus is moral self-improvement and practical benevolence, operating under the explicit motto to "Do Good" 2. Lodges engage in ethical instruction and active charity, funding relief for impoverished members, orphans, widows, and needy outsiders 23. Though continental lodges in France and Italy were observed to sometimes stray into political or anti-religious tendencies, the fundamental code of the fraternity remains centered on humanitarian service and personal virtue 3.

In the Scottish Rite, Albert Pike takes this moral duty further, describing the Order as a force dedicated to human welfare, liberty, and political justice 1. Pike argued that Masonry teaches that power exists solely for the good of the people and instills a duty to resist tyranny, defend civil and religious freedom, and relieve oppression 1.