What is Freemasonry?

A system of morality developed and inculcated through the science of symbolism is how Albert Mackey refines the traditional definition of Freemasonry as a system veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols 4. It is built upon three foundational principles: brotherly love, relief, and truth 3.

In Craft Masonry, the teachings focus on the practical relations between brethren, symbolically supported by wisdom, strength, and beauty, and directed toward moral growth rather than physical architecture 1.

While not a religion nor a substitute for one, the Order requires its initiates to hold a belief in a Supreme Being and to observe universal moral truths that underlie all faiths 2. Osborne Sheppard notes the widely held view, supported by Albert Pike, that Freemasonry succeeds the Ancient Mysteries in using allegorical initiation to teach human duty, curb passions, and foster peace among men of every creed 2.

From an esoteric perspective, Walter Leslie Wilmshurst interprets Masonry as a dramatized philosophy of spiritual life and a blueprint for regeneration 3. Under his reading, the allegorical degree work serves to guide the soul back to its divine origin, offering self-discipline by which a Mason may recover lost spiritual truths and realize his divine potentiality 3.