What is freemasonary

Freemasonry is a system that uses dramatic ceremonial and symbolism to teach morality, philosophy, and spiritual truth 1 2. In the Craft, the organization is structured into three distinct degrees, enforcing the practice of virtue, the cultivation of reason and science, and the preservation of traditional landmarks 2. It is not itself a religion, nor does it assume the place of one, but functions as a concordat for men of all creeds by requiring belief in a Supreme Being while granting complete liberty of opinion 1 4. Its practical design is to curb intemperate passions, cultivate true friendship, promote charity, and preserve peace among men of varied backgrounds 2 4.

Philosophical interpretations of the system vary according to writer and rite. Wilmshurst reads Craft symbolism as an allegorical diagram of spiritual regeneration, wherein the degree ceremonies represent a progress of self-knowledge and soul architecture aimed at recovering lost spiritual realities 1. Preston stresses its governance and educational framework, which refines human reason through the progressive elucidation of science and moral principles 2. In the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, Pike presents its allegorical methods as a historic defense against despotism and dogmatism, employing finite symbols to teach humility before the Divine 3. Sheppard traces its manner of instruction to the ancient Mysteries, arguing that its allegories teach practical duty to others while offering hope of a future state 4.

Works cited

From the library. Each claim above is numbered to the work and page it came from.

Walter Leslie Wilmshurst The Meaning of Masonry 1920 · p. 1 Wilmshurst defines Freemasonry as a dramatic philosophy of spiritual life and a non-sectarian concordat common to all religious systems.; Wilmshurst interprets the allegorical quest of the Craft degrees as an internal journey toward self-knowledge and divine r

William Preston Illustrations of Masonry 1796 · pp. 3-4 Preston outlines the three-tiered class structure of the Masonic system and explains how its practical government cultivates virtue and science.

Albert Pike Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry 1871 · pp. 227-234 Pike explains the Scottish Rite's use of allegory and symbol as a safeguard against persecution and a lesson in philosophical humility.

Osborne Sheppard Royal and Select Masters p. 71 Sheppard details the moral and social objectives of Freemasonry while connecting its ceremonial initiation methods to ancient ancestral rites.

Where to go next