# The Missing Moral Dimension

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Suresh Sahadevan, The Missing Moral Dimension, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> The Missing Moral Dimension
> Suresh    Sahadevan
> 
> Introduction
> 
> Many areas of our social fabric today are fashioned by policies which
> are largely materially efficient and technically sound. These sectors can
> be as diverse as economic growth and technopreneurship as well as
> health and education. Despite the characteristic progress that we see or
> are expected to see with such policies, there is however, for me, an
> uneasy feeling that something is missing, something fairly vital: a
> dimension that also pays heed to graciousness within and between
> individuals, a dimension that, though it may not immediately and
> directly result in revenue, efficiency or productivity, is crucial, in the
> longer run and indirectly, for these same objectives. I believe that our
> government is also aware of this missing dimension in our society - as
> exemplified by our Prime Minister's recent analysis regarding the need
> to develop graciousness in our society:
> 
> "Singaporeans cannot just be materialistic, self-centered and impatient
> to get rich quick. My vision is a Singapore where every citizen strives to
> make Singapore a better home, where people are considerate and well-
> behaved towards one another, where everyone is well-educated, trained
> and employed, gracious, happy and enjoying a high quality of life.
> Graciousness, honesty and care for one another are important features of
> a civilized society."1
> 
> Technically sound and materially efficient policies, while good for
> promoting economic welfare and external comfort, are still inadequate to
> address certain inner, value-centered or moral needs. Moreover,
> awareness of this moral dimension increases and the actualization of the
> 
> Goh C.T., A Better Home for All, in: Speeches - Bimonthly Selection of Ministerial
> Speeches, Singapore: Ministry of Information and the Arts, 1996, 20 (4), pp. 4-8.
> 34               THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> highest human potentials becomes more possible as society achieves a
> basic level of stability and prosperity.2 With a little reflection, one
> realizes that this dilemma is not peculiar to Singapore alone and no
> developed society has truly solved it. In this brief presentation, I would
> like to attempt an analysis of what I regard to be a withered and
> withering moral dimension in our manifold endeavours. This paper
> argues that the saga goes beyond any specific society or individual; it is
> our collective and historical narrative of a continually evolving humanity
> and the main objective of this analysis is to suggest a possible approach
> to moral recovery.
> 
> I think it is also important at the outset to state what will not be covered
> in today's talk. I am extremely aware how a topic such as this closely
> interfaces with moral philosophy, but the latter will be largely avoided.
> One reason is in the interests of time, but more importantly, from what I
> have come to know about contemporary moral philosophy, it has
> actually failed to provide us with clear answers to the central questions
> of moral enquiry. I can only adumbrate upon this failure in this
> presentation but the interested reader can refer to some excellent books
> describing in-depth the historical reasons leading to the philosophical
> difficulties as well as the pervasive and paralyzing moral relativity of
> 3,4
> our age.
> To transcend the failure of moral philosophy requires, I believe, a return
> to the theological foundations of the moral dimension. Historically,
> these foundations occupied a dominant position in the governance of
> society and it will be instructive to briefly review the reasons why
> spiritual perspectives have become marginalized in many developed
> nations. A return to the metaphysical origins of ethics requires a new
> spiritual paradigm that will not result in the same prejudices and errors
> which were enacted in the name of religion in the past. Once moral
> clarity and justification can be restored through a spiritual basis, then
> moral responsibility can be re-exercised in all our manifold endeavours,
> improving the ethos of our social life.
> 
> Maslow AH. The Farther Reaches of Human Nature, p. 7.
> Maclntyre A., After Virtue.
> Maclntyre A., Three Rival Versions of Moral Enquiry.
> The Missing Moral Dimension                          35
> 
> With regards to the new spiritual paradigm, as well as how it can bring
> about moral recovery, I shall quote several times from the Baha'i
> writings. Those who know the Baha'i Faith reasonably well will
> immediately realize that the quotations refer to spirituality or religion in
> general and not just specifically to the Baha'i Faith. For those unfamiliar
> with the Baha'i Faith, a few introductory words are necessary. The
> Baha'i Faith, with its birth in 1844, is the youngest of the world's
> religions and its central message is that divine revelation is periodic,
> continual and progressive with each revelation reaffirming the eternal
> changeless spiritual laws already enunciated by earlier religions. At the
> same time it has brought new social laws that may differ from its
> predecessors, since social laws have to be relevant for the changing
> needs of an ever-advancing human civilization. It is with this central
> tenet of progressive religion that it espouses its three cardinal principles
> of Oneness of God, Oneness of Religions and Oneness of Mankind.
> Thus the Baha'i Faith makes no distinctions between religions in terms
> of any being better or superior. All religions and all prophets are equal
> in status and their purpose, when understood and practised properly, is
> to morally support an ever-evolving civilization. These perspectives will
> have to be kept in mind in the discussion.
> 
> Moral Atrophy
> 
> The first part of today's talk focuses on some of the important reasons
> that have led to the atrophy of the moral dimension in our lives and our
> interactions with one another. I believe there are three main reasons:
> firstly, the regarding of "facts" as being superior to "values" (which,
> ironically, is in itself a value judgement); secondly, the problem of
> moral subjectivism or relativism, and lastly, psychological factors
> pertaining to moral commitment and freedom.
> 
> Facts vs Values
> 
> From the period of Enlightenment onwards, a progressive belief has
> occurred in all urbanizing parts of the world that the route to success fór
> humanity in all its endeavours is through the scientific method, which is
> 36          THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> founded upon empiricism and rationality. Science has repeatedly
> demonstrated its ability to both predict as well as control various natural
> events, resulting in material comfort for all of humanity. This
> spectacular success of science has produced a rather unique mode of
> thinking that now influences all of us: the way to solve all problems is
> by employing the scientific method to first define problems in objective
> terms, then solve them objectively through empirical and rational
> methods and thus arrive at objective solutions. Objectivity - meaning
> observability, measurability and hence testability - is so fundamental to
> the scientific attitude that there is now a pervasive inclination in many
> developed and developing societies that whatever is non-observable and
> non-measurable is less important or, worse still, not important. Facts are
> thus prized over values since the former are characteristically
> objectifiable and quantifiable and hence amenable to further analysis
> and application, but the latter are typically not so.
> 
> Philosophers and scientists have pointed out, however, that the
> foundations of scientific objectivity are themselves theory-laden and
> resting upon certain very non-objective and non-testable assumptions
> such as the principles of lawfulness of nature and finite causation.5,6 But
> these expositions have by and large gone unheeded and instead, there
> exists a widespread, but unjustified certitude in the abilities of a theory-
> and value-neutral science to solve all the problems of humanity. That
> such capabilities, even if true, are restricted to the measurable domain of
> our existence and therefore have only a limited and finite role (since the
> totality of our life experiences includes also the important, but non-
> quantifiable, inner world of emotions and meanings) is seldom, if ever,
> reflected upon.
> 
> With the attitude that the study of human values rank second to the study
> of scientific facts, compounded further by not having objective, testable
> approaches to solving moral disagreements, ethics have become
> relegated to a secondary role in our society. Thus the moral dimension
> comes into our lives nowadays in a less immediate, less direct and more
> watered-down mode, typically associated with the sanctions imposed by
> society's legal institutions. They define for us our minimal codes of
> 
> Khursheed A., The Universe Within, pp. 84-93.
> Maxwell SE, Delaney HD. Designing Experiments and Analyzing Data, pp. 6-11.
> The Missing Moral Dimension                            37
> 
> conduct and relationships and are largely characterized in contractual
> terms. Moral inspiration and excellence of character are not within the
> courts' purview and thus not the social focus of our lives. In fact, such
> notions appear archaic and anachronistic, and their direct relevance have
> become questionable in the face of the overwhelming need to strive for
> technical excellence and wealth acquisition.
> 
> Subjectivism and Relativism
> 
> The lack of objective standards in morality leads to moral subjectivism.
> The truth of an ethical stand is to be perceived subjectively by each one
> of us. Such moral convictions that originate from within can be powerful
> enough to guide our actions, but the justifications for these convictions
> cannot be measured nor tested. In sum, moral subjectivism implies that
> when an individual thinks something is ethically justified, he cannot - as
> long as he is not. breaking any legal statutes - be proven wrong,
> scientifically. Even when a law is violated, the wrongness of that action
> can only be classified as such by predefined legal statutes and not be
> established by an empirical or rational analysis of the underlying ethical
> stand that prompted the wrong action.
> 
> It is in this way that moral truth also becomes relativistic - relative to the
> individual or culture concerned. Embedded in this concept is that each
> individual is entitled to his own notions of what right and wrong is, and
> that he does not have to be accountable for his ethical stands. It is hardly
> surprising then that such relativism in moral standards has rapidly led to
> a state of having no standards whatsoever, with each individual only
> promoting his self-interests, especially in a social environment that gives
> the message that everyone is only worth his marketable talents and that
> nobody else is going to be responsible for him or to care for him.
> Another consequence stemming from moral plurality is that since
> nothing conclusive can be proven scientifically within the ethical realm,
> there is no need to waste so much time, and care so much about, moral
> issues. Thus, what moral relativism almost always leads to is moral
> indifference and if the contemporary media is anything to go by, moral
> indifference is pervasive.
> 38            THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> If we accept the simple definition that what we mean when we use the
> word "moral" involves the caring or concern for others, then both the
> fuzziness of ethical standards through moral relativism and the
> consequent moral indifference lead relentlessly to our present situation -
> a situation where progressively (or more accurately, regressively) we
> care less and less for others. In summary, ethical relativism marks the
> failure of modern moral philosophy's self-set tasks from the beginning
> of the Enlightenment to use empirical reasoning alone (and avoid
> teleological, non-scientific reasoning as exemplified by the religious
> approach to ethics) to derive for humanity its required set of moral
> standards.
> 
> Psychological Matters
> 
> Over and beyond the philosophical history of ethical plurality, a related
> characteristic of many urbanized societies is the psychological
> weakening of the individual's will to be committed to, and struggle
> towards, a moral lifestyle. As Fromm has pointed out, many people
> today shun away from effort, commitment and discipline (and all of
> these traits are crucial for the leading of an ethical life); the causes of
> this "no effort - no pain" doctrine7 are several, including the culture
> emanating from technical progress that has cumulatively been liberating
> the human race from hard work. Fukuyama, in articulating the
> perspectives of Nietzsche, has observed how as humanity moved
> historically from authoritarian, aristocratic regimes towards more
> tolerant, democratic cultures, the climate of discipline in society
> correspondingly withered, resulting in an ascent of mediocrity.8
> Facilitating this trend further are the elaborate developments within the
> media industry that have often emphasized superficial personality over
> depth of character, creating in the process an impression that a happy
> life generally is an easy life, both physically and psychologically.
> 
> For a significant segment of our society, the contemporary fuzziness of
> ethical standards conveniently provides an excuse for moral laxity. One
> can now argue that moral standards themselves are contentious and
> 
> Fromm E., The Art of Being, pp. 24-26.
> Fukuyama F., The End of History and the Last Man, pp. 300-312.
> The Missing Moral Dimension                          39
> 
> unclear and that there is therefore no logical justification for expending
> effort or discipline to maintaining any high moral standards. One can
> also state that the very concept of obeying a set of eternal moral laws
> runs counter to the fundamental precept of man's inner freedom, an ideal
> that all liberal societies cherish and uphold. Again, as Fromm has
> pointed out, the underlying spirit of anti-authoritarianism that
> characterizes such clamours for freedom, while they may have had
> certain valid historical origins, is largely these days a rationalization for
> unrestrained fulfillment of all forms of passive whims, rather than
> valuing opportunities to creatively develop an active will.9 Needless to
> say, such insights are not part of mainstream social awareness.
> 
> All the above factors have resulted in a moral vacuum and what has
> stepped in to fill this void, so as to still give life purpose, meaning and
> direction, is promotion of self-interests. In fact, nurturing, advancing and
> fulfilling self-interests are now considered to be valid, rational and
> legitimate activities at all levels of society, and they have been
> predominantly responsible for the contemporary "culture of
> Narcissism".10
> 
> Moral Recovery
> 
> Reconceptualizing Religion
> 
> The above analysis focussed on how philosophy and science have failed
> to give the moral dimension of our lives a good objective grounding as
> well as how, in conjunction with some of the peculiarities of a modern
> lifestyle, they have been unable to provide the necessary impetus for
> moral commitment. This state of affairs has arisen because Science and
> Philosophy were thought to be more than capable substitutes for
> Religion which traditionally had always been the acknowledged
> fountainhead of morality. The consequent narcissistic and self-centred
> culture is unsurprisingly producing a calculative, manipulative and
> uncaring atmosphere. In the interests of reversing this trend, it is
> 
> Fromm E. The Art of Being, pp. 26-29.
> Lasch C , The Culture of Narcissism.
> 40         THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> necessary at this stage to ask whether one can still turn back to Religion
> to redeem that moral dimension for all of us, as individuals and as
> society. To properly answer this question we need to be aware of the
> important reasons that caused the dethronement of Religion in the first
> place.
> 
> The main problems were related to the according of initiative and power
> to the leaders of religious institutions and their subsequent corruption.
> The misuse of power by ecclesiastical leaders resulted in hypocrisy and
> injustice and with the constricting atmosphere of religious intolerance,
> the individual believer was powerless to protest against any corruption
> or unfairness. Also agonizing was religious prejudice that was largely
> fomented by the same leaders and the cruelties and mayhem inflicted
> against members of another religion. Thus what transpired as power in
> Religion, which was originally meant to be the experience of the love of
> God, was the subjugation to, and injustice from, religious institutions.
> Hence, when the advent of the scientific revolution displaced Religion
> from its central role in society, many resolved never to allow such
> patterns of religious power and prejudice to dominate society again.
> 
> This background awareness and understanding is crucial as we are now
> poised to reexamine the usefulness of Religion in restoring the moral
> dimension of our lives. Is it possible to reaccept Religion while
> simultaneously avoiding the horrors and ills of the past that Religion has
> itself perpetrated? If the answer to this is "no", meaning that the horrors
> and harms of Religion have been, are, and will always be inevitable,
> then we might as well stop the enquiry here. A remedy, by definition,
> must not be as bad or worse than the problem it is trying to rectify. It
> will then also be pointless to examine more closely the relevant
> conceptual links between morality and religion. Thus our first step is to
> wonder whether it is possible for Religion to reoccupy a central role in
> our society - can it do this sensibly, moderately and usefully? To address
> this matter, imagination is the needed faculty.
> 
> Imagine a conceptualization of Religion that accepts all human beings
> and religions to be equal, coming from the one and same Source. This
> oneness of religion is to be understood through a principle called
> progressive revelation - that Divine revelation periodically comes to
> mankind from God, with each religion arriving at a time when the
> The Missing Moral Dimension                         41
> 
> preceding one is waning in its influence. Revelation comes through a
> Prophet-Founder, and all Prophet-Founders are deemed equal, with none
> being superior over others. Each Revelation has at least two aspects: (a)
> the eternal - which comprise the core spiritual principles that are
> essentially timeless and universal in their application and (b) the social -
> which comprises the specific laws governing social conduct and matters
> relevant to the era that the Revelation occurs in. The latter, unlike the
> former, varies from religion to religion, since the social laws have to
> meet the changing needs of an ever-advancing human civilization. Such
> differences between religions, however, are secondary and should never
> be the grounds for dissension or division. In fact, imagine a Religion
> where one is encouraged "to look into all things with a searching eye",
> and discern the underlying oneness behind the varied forms of reality.11
> 
> Over and beyond this vital oneness of God, religion and man, imagine a
> conceptualization of Religion that exhorts independent investigation of
> truth by all individuals .without bias or fear and encourages individual
> initiative and enterprise. The role and function of religious institutions
> are clearly defined and the relationship between the individual and
> institution specified, each recognizing and respecting the responsibilities
> of the other. No individual is given power over other people. The
> authority of the institutions is that of the institutions' and not of the
> individuals' who comprise the institutions and these individuals
> themselves are prayerfully elected regularly with no campaigning or
> partisan politics. Above all, imagine a Religion which encourages
> excellence in moral, scientific and artistic endeavours and sees scientific
> enterprise as not being in opposition with spiritual strivings; a Religion
> which does not negate the world, requiring from its adherents service
> towards humanity, and yet at the same time reminding everyone that the
> realities of this life do not constitute the Ultimate Reality, that worldly
> participation therefore must always be coupled with an attitude of
> spiritual detachment.
> 
> If such a Religion or understanding of Religion were possible would we
> allow ourselves the possibility of its re-acceptance to our society and to
> ourselves? I venture that to the many who are reflective and fair-minded,
> the answer to this question will be "yes" and this is exactly the
> 
> Baha'u'llah, Tablets ofBahau'llah, p. 157.
> 42             THE SINGAPORE BAHÁ'Í STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> understanding of Religion that the Baha'i Faith provides12 - not just of
> itself but about Religion in general, embracing in the process, the truth
> of all Religions before and after.
> 
> It needs to be emphasized that even when Religion is reinstated to a
> central position in our society, its ability to improve the moral dimension
> of our lives is tied up then with how we truly practice its core principles.
> In other words, even when we can call ours to be a religious society, the
> mere presence of that word "religious" will not result in any
> transformations till we ourselves are willing to be transformed
> spiritually, in accordance with the central teachings of Religion. This
> means, amongst other matters, our readiness to voluntarily impose limits
> to the promotion of self-interests and for us to be genuinely concerned
> with, and help improve the welfare of others. However, the willingness
> to incorporate a spiritually-based code of ethics into our lives requires
> that we are also clear about Religion's perspectives on moral
> justification and moral commitment and it is to this that we now turn.
> 
> Moral Justification
> 
> If we can sufficiently re-conceptualize Religion as above, to the point
> that we are not intrinsically prejudiced against its possible return to our
> lives, then what is necessary at this stage is to examine underlying
> concepts in Religion's basis for moral justification and its enjoinders to
> moral commitment. Firstly, the issue of justifying the truth of moral
> actions. If we accept the framework that there are 4 approaches to truth
> in general13. (1) Truth that you feel, (2) Truth that you are told, (3) Truth
> that the senses reveal and (4) Truth revealed through reason, then the
> moral truth of Religion is given its grounding primarily by (2) - the
> Truth that you are told. Both (1) and (4) are also involved - eventually
> the truth that has been told to us requires further verification from our
> capacities to reason and feel; but essentially they only serve to
> corroborate, and by themselves, are unable to derive the truth of
> morality.
> 
> Hatcher W.S., Martin J.D., The Baha'i Faith.
> Fernandez-Armesto F., Truth.
> The Missing Moral Dimension                       43
> 
> What does it mean, "Truth that you are told" in the context of Religion?
> It is the acknowledgement of the truth of Religion as given by the
> revelation of its Prophet-Founder. In other words, the truth of Religion is
> predicated upon, first and foremost, the truth of its Prophet-Founder and
> not, as many may have believed, the truth of God, who, by definition, is
> inaccessible and incomprehensible to all of us. A fundamental concept
> elucidated in the BaháT Writings is how the knowledge of the Divine
> Messengers is tantamount to the knowledge of God, and is in fact, the
> only mode made available for humanity to know God:
> 
> "... The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being hath ever been, and
> will continue forever to be, closed in the face of men. No man's
> understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a token of
> His Mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving kindness, He hath
> manifested unto men the Day-Stars of His divine guidance, the Symbols
> of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified
> Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso
> recognizeth Them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call,
> hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of
> their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself..." M
> 
> To establish the veracity of the Divine Messengers is a more accessible
> first step than to grasp the elusive, non-objectifiable and indefinable
> concept of God and once this crucial step of recognizing the truth of
> Religion's Prophet-Founders is taken (and its details are further
> discussed below), then moral truth, as enunciated by the Prophet,
> becomes grounded, attains "objective" standards and very importantly,
> allows for the evaluation of which actions are to be regarded as moral
> and which are not.
> 
> The use of the word "objective" in this context, however, requires
> careful consideration. There is objectivity insofar as the source of truth
> is still outside of ourselves, not rendering morality therefore to be a
> totally arbitrary subject matter, but the objectivity of this realm is still
> not the same as scientific objectivity. For one, it is non-measurable and
> thus beyond any scientific analysis, and secondly, as one of its
> corroborating steps, it requires from us also a feeling for the truth of its
> 
> BaháVlláh, Gleanings from the Writings ofBaha'u'llah, pp. 49-50.
> 44             THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> contents which, from an empirical scientific perspective, is neither
> necessary nor sufficient for tmth verification. Lastly, the objectivity of
> moral tmth, even when understood as springing from the tmth of
> Religion's Prophet-Founders, still allows for a subjective latitude in the
> interpretation of moral principles and their specific application in our
> daily lives. These interpretations and applications can still differ from
> individual to individual in accord with their varying inclinations and
> capacities to understand and practise moral tmth. Diversity is thus
> allowed for in the spiritual context but what needs to be observed is that
> the variations of moral expression are not totally random. Figuratively,
> there is a well-defined centre, and the types of action classified as moral
> oscillate within a fixed band around this centre. This model of tmth, as
> fluctuations within a band from the centre is again at variance with the
> classical notions of scientific tmth where fluctuations of understanding
> or practice about core principles are not typically accommodated.
> However, the variations of moral expression as allowed for by Religion
> are such that limits are still imposed upon moral subjectivity and thus,
> unlike the consequences of post-modem moral philosophy, the world of
> moral behaviour in the Religious paradigm never becomes total anarchy.
> This, in essence, becomes Religion's greatest contribution to moral
> clarity.
> 
> Once the tmth of the Prophet-Founder is acknowledged, the question of
> which moral standards do I follow and why becomes non-existent. The
> believer strives to follow faithfully the revealed standards of God as
> pronounced by the Prophet. The .crucial question then is how do we
> recognize the tmth of the Prophet-Founder? The capacity to recognize
> this tmth is deemed by Religion to be potentially residing in all of us.15
> This capacity however, remains a potentiality until we choose to
> investigate this tmth and undertake its necessary search for ourselves.
> The choice to seek out the tmth is given to us and that choice has to be
> exercised by ourselves - nobody else can do it for us. For those who
> decide to undertake that investigation or search, ardour is a needed
> quality16 - a lackadaisical, semi-hearted attempt will be foredoomed to
> failure. Another extremely important prerequisite is that our hearts and
> minds must be open, unprejudiced and freed from all forms of
> 
> Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 143.
> Baha'u'llah, Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, p. 7.
> The Missing Moral Dimension                       45
> 
> attachments,17 and continual exercises of honest and even courageous
> self-reflection are needed for the seeker to be in this state.
> 
> In such a spirit of search, the truth of the Divine Messengers is
> established by exploring the life history of the Prophet Founders and by
> studying Their revealed words.
> 
> "Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His own
> Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to
> recognize either the one or the other, He hath established the words He
> hath revealed as proof of His reality and truth."18
> 
> Thus for us who are not in a position to witness the Prophets directly in
> Their process of Revelation, the only recourse available to us to
> determine Their truth are the historical accounts of Their lives and,
> where available, Their revealed Words of God. What always features
> prominently in a fair-minded reading of the life history of the Prophets is
> the degree of personal sacrifice (in some instances, to the point of death)
> They endured for the sake of upholding the truth of God's Revelation for
> humanity and it is precisely this sacrifice and the reasons for the
> sacrifice that the seeker has to contemplate upon. With reference to the
> Word of God, it is Religion's singular claim that the Word of God has
> special powers capable of inspiring and transforming the inner spirit of
> the true seeker. Thus the interaction of the seeker with the Prophet-
> Founder's revealed words coupled with a knowledge of His life and
> sufferings, all in the spirit of the seeker's humility, openness and
> detachment, would be sufficient for the seeker to make a decision about
> the truth or falsehood of the Central Figure. The fact that many, for all
> sorts of reasons, still will not or choose not to recognize this truth of the
> Prophets is itself recognized by Religion. The onset of the spiritual
> journey (which begins with the belief in the Prophet - at least in this
> earthly life) is deemed by Religion to come to different people at
> different points in time (and it need not be during this existence either).
> The nonbelievers are left to their own devices, and discord or
> disagreement with them is forbidden to those who would claim
> themselves to be believers of Religion. In fact, for the believers, many
> 
> BaháVlláh, Kitáb-I-íqán, p. 192.
> Baha'u'llah, Gleanings form the Writings ofBaha'u'llah, p. 105.
> 46             THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> tasks await them, all centering around the realities of moral
> commitment.
> 
> Moral Commitment
> 
> I have tried to explain how the recognition of the truth of the Prophet-
> Founder is the religious justification for morality. The recommended
> approach for determining this truth (reading and reflecting on the
> Prophet's life history as well as His revealed Word of God) has also
> been touched upon and it will be realized that this judgement of truth
> requires from the seeker both his reasoning faculty as well as what can
> crudely be termed as his feeling for truth. As the final part of today's
> talk, we will look at moral commitment and Religion's influence on it.
> Earlier, the progressive weakening of the "moral will" in many of
> today's societies was depicted and linked to moral relativism as well as
> an individual's psychological preference for freedom and inclination
> towards self-centredness. Let us see now what Religion's solutions to
> these challenges are.
> 
> The clearest reason for moral commitment is again linked to the truth of
> the Prophet. As the Baha'i Writings make clear, recognition of that truth
> enjoins upon the seeker a two-fold obligation: steadfastness in his belief
> and obedience to the laws as revealed in Religion.
> 
> "In this Day whosoever is guided...to...the station of recognizing the
> Source of divine commandments and the Dayspring of His Revelation,
> hath everlastingly attained unto all good. Having reached this lofty
> station a twofold obligation rested upon every soul. One is to be
> steadfast in the Cause... The other is observance of the divine
> ordinances which have streamed forth from the wellspring of His
> heavenly-propelled Pen. For man's knowledge of God cannot develop
> fully and adequately safe by observing whatsoever hath been ordained
> by Him and is set forth in His heavenly Book."19
> 
> Baha'u'llah. Tablets ofBaha'u'llah, p. 268.
> The Missing Moral Dimension                        47
> 
> In other words, recognition of the Prophet-Founder's status, in addition
> to justifying and making clear the moral standards, also means
> commitment to a moral lifestyle. But Religion also offers other
> perspectives that are linked to moral commitment.
> 
> The central challenge of a moral lifestyle is that it demands that we go
> beyond the pursuit of self-interests, that we actively work towards the
> fulfillment of others' needs. While this may certainly have the potential
> to effect excellence in one's character, that excellence may not
> necessarily (especially, in the short-run) result in any tangible benefits.
> However, it is such material success that most of us are caught up with,
> that gives our life direction and meaning, and its overwhelming
> importance is the fundamental message that secular societies passes onto
> all their citizens.
> 
> How Religion transcends this challenge is in educating its adherents that
> what they deem to be this life is not the only reality, that over and
> beyond this life, there is another, Ultimate Reality; and in relation to this
> Ultimate Reality, moral excellence, and not earthly success, constitutes
> the true (albeit long-term) victory. There is nothing wrong with earthly
> success or its related striving as long as it is accomplished through moral
> excellence, as a result of which the believer is inwardly detached from
> such attainments. As Maclntyre has pointed out, from early historical
> times there has been an awareness that both virtue and victory are facets
> of excellence that human beings are inclined to strive towards, and the
> pursuit of one can certainly collide with the demands of the other.
> Religion's answer to this dilemma is clear: the acquisition of virtues
> must always be given priority over the pursuit of worldly achievements.
> 
> However, detachment is one topic that is extremely easy to talk about,
> compared to its actual practice. As stated above, the Religious
> perspective is that this earthly life is not truly the ultimate reality since
> everything around us is impermanent, transient and fleeting - be they
> relationships, possessions or responsibilities: the "changes and chances
> of life".21 It would thus be foolish to set our hearts on, and overwhelm
> our minds with what is intrinsically a transitory life. However, such an
> 
> Maclntyre A., Whose Justice? Which Rationality?, pp. 30-46.
> Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 258.
> 48         THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> inner reorientation is radically at odds with conventional social
> perspectives. All around, people hunger for riches, fame and power but
> without reflecting on the impermanence and instability of these goals: I
> may finally be able to attain my dream-level of wealth, fame and power,
> but can I be sure that tomorrow these will still remain with me? In a
> nutshell, practising spiritual detachment will certainly bring the
> individual beyond the established pursuits and beliefs of modern society.
> 
> Yet neither should detachment be understood to mean negation of life
> and withdrawal from the manifold duties or responsibilities that it
> throws in our direction. As contemporary Religion would have it, no
> longer can the believer practise detachment by leading an ascetic life.
> Thus detachment is not to be understood as an external deprivation of
> sorts - it is, in essence, an inner re-orientation and there is therefore
> nothing wrong about experiencing happiness or being wealthy while
> adopting a moral lifestyle, so long as the individual does not become
> attached to that happiness or wealth. Participation in life is extremely
> important to be able to attain one of the central goals of Religion: to be
> of service to mankind. In fact, if the purpose of life as defined by
> Religion is the acquisition of virtues, then the reason for that acquisition
> is for us to be better able to serve mankind and any such service
> demands an immersion into, and involvement with, one's society.
> 
> What is interesting then in the practice of an ethical lifestyle is the
> juxtapositioning of love (or service) and detachment. There appears to
> be an apparent tension or paradox in these two concepts.
> Conventionally, one associates love with attachment and detachment
> with the contrary. But I believe the love that Religion envisages is
> something quite different from what we ordinarily understand the word
> to mean. This love or compassion is the natural expression of our inner
> love of God and it is non-possessive. The way in which concomitant
> detachment makes this love-state different from the conventional love-
> state is that truly nothing is expected in return. There are no calculations.
> The question "What's in it for me?" becomes meaningless and non-
> existent. These are some of the features of the moral standards that
> Religion enjoins its adherents to have, and be committed to.
> 
> The above explications about detachment only make clearer the
> significant difficulties of its practice. Thus the spiritual individual
> The Missing Moral Dimension                          49
> 
> cannot escape the experience of a profound aloneness when striving to
> practise a detached ethical lifestyle which runs counter to current social
> norms. The only way of preventing that aloneness from becoming a
> negative loneliness is again in the sincere practice of detachment in the
> first place. But this still does not remove the difficulty of becoming
> spiritually detached. However, Religion has an answer to this difficulty
> and it resides in the experience of the love of God.22 It is this love that
> will inspire and empower an individual to undertake ethical detachment
> and still remain psychologically integrated and healthy. At the practical
> level, this love of God translates into love or compassion for our fellow
> beings for the sake of God, the Creator of all. And it is this experience of s
> love or compassion that generates a feeling of lightness or gentleness to
> what could otherwise be a severely austere lifestyle of obedience to
> ethical rules and detachment from secular demands.
> 
> So far under the topic of moral commitment we have discussed how it
> naturally follows from the initial step of recognizing the truth of the
> Prophet-Founder. Moreover, the difficulties of leading a moral lifestyle
> in the midst of secular societies were touched upon, emphasizing in the
> process, the importance of detachment and compassion and their
> apparent conceptual tensions. Throughout the discussion we have briefly
> mentioned how for moral commitment to be realistic and fruitful, and
> how for detachment and compassion to be practised healthily and
> meaningfully, the underlying inspiration of the love of God is crucial.
> What remains now, as the last part of today's talk, is to address the issue
> of how this love of God can come about in all of us.
> 
> In answering this question, we should also reflect upon how unique
> Religion is, compared to all other branches of human knowledge in
> effecting changes in moral behaviour. All other relevant disciplines can
> only, at best, describe ethical behaviour, they cannot motivate, inspire or
> transform. Even psychology, which comes closest to this task, is
> essentially descriptive of the humanistic importance of leading an other-
> oriented as compared to a self-oriented lifestyle; its prescriptive scope,
> on the other hand, is very limited and where it exists, is primarily
> cognitive in nature, lacking inspiration. Religion, however, clearly and
> boldly states that spiritual transformation is a potential reality in all of us
> 
> 22   'Abdu'1-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 301.
> 50            THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> and that the starting point of this transformation is the knowledge of God
> which, as described earlier, is tantamount to the knowledge of the
> Prophet-Founder, and in particular, the revealed Word of God. It is
> Religion's singular claim and promise that as long as an individual, with
> openness, sincerity and courage, interacts with the Word of God, the
> Writings will inspire and transform the seeker and create within him the
> mysterious love of God.
> 
> "Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is endowed with
> such potency as can instill new life into every human frame, if ye be of
> them that comprehend this truth.. ,"23
> 
> "Is it within human power... to effect in the constituent elements of any
> of the minute and indivisible particles of matter so complete a
> transformation as to transmute it into purest gold? Perplexing and
> difficult as this may appear, the still greater task of converting satanic
> strength into heavenly power is one that We have been empowered to
> accomplish... the Word of God, alone, can claim the distinction of being
> endowed with the capacity required for so great and far-reaching a
> change"24
> 
> "The words of Baha'uTlah... have a creative power and are sure to
> awaken in the reader the undying fire of the love of God."25
> 
> The individual thus becomes inspired and motivated to turn away from
> his self and to turn towards God because of the Beauty of God. The
> extent to which this love can be attained in our lives varies from one to
> another, dependent on the earnestness of our endeavours as well as His
> Grace. To then maintain this transformed state or even grow further, we
> are required to daily interact with the Word of God through prayers and
> meditations and put into sincere practice divine ordinances. In this way,
> by inspiration, faith and deeds, the individual's moral commitment
> becomes strengthened.
> 
> J
> Baha'u'llah, Gleanings form the Writings of Baha'u'llah,, p. 141.
> Baha'u'llah, Gleanings form the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 200.
> On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, The Importance of Deepening Our Knowledge and
> Understanding of the Faith, pp. 34-35.
> The Missing Moral Dimension                          51
> 
> Conclusion
> 
> This presentation has described the missing moral dimension in many of
> our individual and social endeavors and has ascribed the phenomenon to
> the downfall of the true practice of spirituality, a downfall precipitated
> by the corrupt past practices of Religion as well as an unwarranted
> conviction about man's intellectual capabilities. Also central to this
> paper is the belief that for moral recovery to be effected realistically and
> lastingly, Religion has to be reinstated to a central position in the lives
> of both individuals and society. Admittedly, this can only be if both the
> structure and functioning of religious institutions are different from the
> past (without altering the spiritual content of love) so as to ensure that
> its historical errors will never be repeated.
> 
> However, even the above-described repositioning of Religion cannot, by
> itself, reinvigorate our current moral climate. Such re-energizing can
> only occur if we ourselves are prepared to practise the true precepts of
> Religion. Thus we ourselves must want and be ready to be transformed,
> become progressively less self-centered and more compassionate
> towards others, in thoughts as well as deeds. Only then can the
> empowering influence of Religion be realized. Of course, the need for
> Religion has been approached in this paper from the standpoint of
> today's withering moral dimension, but ultimately, the truth of Religion
> can never be determined this way. That ascertainment, by necessity, will
> have to come at a more personal level and it requires from the seeker a
> willingness to undertake an independent and unbiased search for truth.
> Aspects of such a search and its end points (knowledge and love of God)
> have also been briefly addressed in this presentation.
> 
> Acknowledgements
> 
> Many thanks to my wife, Ang Ing Ing, for helping me with the
> development of ideas as well as the patient preparation of the manuscript
> through all its many versions. Dr Anjam Khursheed encouraged this
> effort right at its inception and towards the end, provided insights that
> were useful in the final revision. Needless to say, the paper's remaining
> 52         THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
> 
> inadequacies are the author's responsibility; all I can say is that this
> work could have been far worse.
> The Missing Moral Dimension                        53
> 
> WORKS CITED
> 
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> 
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> 54        THE SINGAPORE BAHAT STUDIES REVIEW
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>
> — *The Missing Moral Dimension (Used by permission of the curator)*