Jim Jones And The Peoples Temple Case Study
Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple ethical or unethical practice?
In the 1970’s Jim Jones established a church called the Peoples Temple which eventually became a cult. The foundation of the church was based on social and racial inequality for all. The church started small yet eventually grew to 5,000 members. The Peoples Temple accumulated media and political attention which earned Jones popularity; this resulted to his nomination and selection to city commissioner. According to many Jones did not have much and cared little for wealth and fame. Despite his lack of interest for wealth, the church still accumulated a sum of over 20 million dollars due to many financial contributions. His charismatic approach enabled the church to gain fame …show more content…
and earn a respectable reputation. During this time frame the Peoples Temple was the only church which allowed individuals to join regardless of sex, religion, age, and social status. Subsequently following the civil rights movement many blacks were not welcomed into white churches, but Jones eliminated any racial obstacle and allowed all blacks, poor or rich to join.
His vision for a better world helped enable him to establish the Peoples Temple. Although he was charismatic, he was also a very disturbed individual. Unfortunately, his unstable personality eventually prevailed and he became responsible for the deaths of over 900 people, most of whom committed "revolutionary suicide" at the Jonestown compound in Guyana. In this paper I will provide insights from Plato, Yukl, Hobbes, Rawls, Arendt, Rand, Mill, Buddha, and Confucius to demonstrate Jones abusive and irrational behavior. Also, I will address the following topics pertaining to Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple; Power, Self-Interest, Virtue, Character, Duty, Intention, Social Utility, Justice as Fairness, The Moral Relationship of Leaders and Followers, and The Emotional Relationship of Leaders and Followers.
POWER.
Throughout history many important leaders have been given power or have taken it. In the case of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple he was given the power and he felt it was not enough and took it upon himself to have more of it. Yukl mentioned that “The essence of leadership is influence over followers” (Ciulla, 2003, p. 3). Also, Yukl mentions that in order to have influence over another person they must first have power. According to Yukl there are many different types of power which are reward, coercive, legitimate, expert, and referent. An important source of power is the “The desire of others to please a person toward whom they feel strong affection” (Ciulla, 2003, p.11). Members of the temple believed that Jones was a good man and they were going to do whatever it took to please him. Jones later realized that in order to have absolute power he must have complete influence over everyone. He sought to accomplish it by making followers believe he had the power to solve all problems and further claiming he was God in the flesh. (Ciulla, 2003).
Yukl mentioned that there are different types of power and the best that fits Jones character is coercive power. This type of power is identified as a person complying in order to avoid punishment. According to Yukl “The amount of position power necessary for leader effectiveness depends on the nature of the organization, task, and subordinates.” http://www.uthscsa. edu/gme/documents/LspasaFunctionofPower.pdf.(Cite this, go to www.citationmachine.net). Any follower who questioned his was punished either physically or financially and at times separated from his family.
The church started small, but eventually accumulated over 5,000 members and received over 20 million dollars from contributions. Jones being the leader held strict control over resources and used it in whichever manner without any resistance. According to Yukl “The higher a person’s position in the authority hierarchy of the organization, the more control over scarce resources the person is likely to have” (Ciulla, 2003, p.7). Many followers lived within the church’s compound and depended heavily on its funds. This gave Jones absolute control over followers and allowed him to influence the decisions of family members. According to several people he was allowed to decide which families could or could not have babies.
According to Thomas Hobbes, “…humans are self interested and have a natural tendency to assert themselves and seek power” (Ciulla, 2003, p.31). If this is true, then Jim Jones character and demeanor fits right in. When the church was first founded Jones was considered a humble man who cared little for power and wealth. Yet, as time passed he gained popularity and fame which had a bad influence on his way of thinking and led to the death of many families. His concern for the churches members well being was no longer important; he became addicted to the pursuit of fame and power. Jones accumulated so much power that it eventually became impossible for him to live without it. The way Jones assured he would maintain his power and influence over the church members was by enforcing rules and punishments for breaking those rules.
SELF-INTEREST.
In Plato’s the republic Thrasymachus states that the right thing to do is to act unjustly, because one should always act in one's own self-interest. Plato objected by saying that justice as we know it is worth pursuing for its own sake, because it is in our self-interest. To further explain Plato mentioned that we must understand ourselves and namely the makeup of our soul in order to truly be just. Plato also mentioned that a just person will then naturally act in a way that is traditionally considered just, since causing harm to others will harm one's own spirit and will thus unbalance one's soul. As time passed, Jones began to experiment with drugs in order to help himself accomplish more tasks within the cult. This led to mood swings, caused his health to deteriorated, and increased his paranoia thus further damaging his character. (Ciulla, 2003).
Plato’s the Republic is about the nature of justice as well as the way power and self interest might distort a ruler’s notion of justice. Plato also discussed how men are disturbed by the emphasis on material values and that men must make morality their ultimate concern in order to achieve true happiness. Jones established the Peoples Temple as a humble man with the intentions of having emphasis on equality for all. Unfortunately, eventually he allowed self interest to get in the way which led to unrighteous acts. Jones was not concerned about wealth and fame yet ironically he was elected as the city commissioner through popularity, this was the beginning of his ambitious ways.
According to Plato economic self-interest and political power must be kept separate and not be allowed to work in combination to the disadvantage of people. Initially the churches financial funds were intended to help the poor. Eventually, Jones used these funds as a means to control his followers. Many of the members were dependent of the financial funds the church distributed as a means of living. Jones had the authority to say how the funds were disbursed which gave him the power to influence the church members lives. (Ciulla, 2003).
Ayn Rand was a strong advocate of self interest. She believed “…that society would be better off if people pursued their own self-interests” (Ciulla, 2003, p.44). She argued that people should live for their own happiness and this was exactly what Jim Jones set out to do. His ambitions had no regards for others and everyone was considered his subjects in order to please himself. Also, according to Rand moral codes are evil, because it further denies people to do whatever it takes to be happy. According to Rand the achievement of one’s own happiness is the highest moral purpose and if this is true then Jones had every right to pursue his happiness at whatever cost. (Ciualla, 2003)
According to Rand only those who wanted to live need moral codes. Ultimately, Jones decided to end all by arranging the killings of all including himself, this is an exhibit of his loss of morality. Also, according to Rand the achievement of one’s happiness is the only moral purpose that matters and self indulgence is the result of our loyalty to the achievement of our values. Rand further argues that one should pursue happiness as carnivores pursue meat.
(Ciulla, 2003)
John Stuart Mill was a firm believer in the greater good. According to Mill “men often, from infirmity of character, make their election for the nearer good, though they know it to be the less valuable…” (Ciulla, 2003, p.146). People will pursue wrongful indulgences regardless of injury to health. According to several witness Jones regularly held orgies and other incomprehensible sexual acts thus to satisfy his delusional needs. These acts were performed with minors and whoever was at his disposition.
VIRTUE.
Similar to Buddha, at the beginning Jones won the hearts of the people because he dealt with their true feelings. Buddha advised his followers not to accept his words on blind faith but to decide for themselves whether his teachings are right or wrong. Unlike Jim Jones, who made his followers do horrendous acts without hesitation just faith alone. Buddha encouraged everyone to have compassion for each other and develop their own virtue, but Jones had compassion for none and encouraged fighting and created quarrels amongst family members.
Buddha never became angry or impatient nor spoke harshly towards anyone, not even to his enemies. Jones was the complete opposite; all those who opposed him within the church were punished severely. Buddha taught in such a way that everyone could understand, but Jones teachings were contradictory. For example, he was the only one allowed to sin, claiming that he did not like to do it, but had no choice. According to Jones he sinned so others may live without sin. Similar to Buddha each follower of the Peoples Temple thought that Jones was speaking especially for him. Jones reached out to the poor and to whomever regardless of race, gender, and social status.
According to Buddha one must always maintain the right conduct. To Buddha the right conduct was to never disrespect others and never point a finger before pointing one at ourselves first. Buddha also believed in the right livelihood. This means choosing a job that does not hurt others. Buddha said, "Do not earn your living by harming others. Do not seek happiness by making others unhappy" (Ciulla, 2003, p.66). In the case of Jim Jones and the people’s temple they acted in the complete opposite of Buddha’s teachings. People were constantly disrespected and forced to commit heinous acts.
CHARACTER
According to Hannah Arendt there is a distinction between duty and blind obedience. Not only was Jones character in questioned but also that of his staff. Many followers decided to look the other way and commit monstrous acts claiming blind obedience. According to some member’s testimonies wrongful acts were committed on behalf of Jones. Their reasoning for their wrong doings were explained as the members feeling they needed to commit these acts on behalf of their leader due to the belief he was too holy to commit them himself. Also, according to Arendt “…every man was a legislator the moment he started to act” (Ciulla, 2003, p.121). If Jones was to be convicted he could not have claimed that God had ordered him to do so. Arendt further claimed that one should act as if one were the legislator of the laws that one follows.
Confucius like Kant believed that morality rests on duty. According to Confucius “…harmony comes about because people fill their obligations to each other and conform to the rules of society.” (Ciulla, 2003, p.124). These obligations were based on the relationship between father and son, ruler and minister, friend and friend. In the peoples temple many followers believed that their obligation was to Jones and not the church. Within the church there was only one obligation and that was to comply and fulfill whatever desired Jones needed. (Ciulla, 2003).
DUTY.
Hobbes argued that it is the duty of all to obey regardless if forced or born under a sovereign ruler. Jones demanded the same from all followers to obey and follow without hesitation. Followers were not allowed to separate from the church without any repercussions. Jones demanded 100 percent obedience and many listened and obeyed out of fear. Any rebellions acts were handled immediately by Jones’s trusted agents. He did not want to give followers the impression and the opportunity to further separate the church within.
INTENTION.
In “The Ethics of Leadership” Hobbes mentioned that men’s motivation came from fear of death and the need for security. Due to Jones tragic and twisted ending it may not seem that he was concerned with death, but he had fear of losing his only source of power and security, which was the temple. Jones was doing whatever it took to keep the temple strong and from being shut down by Congressman Leo Ryan. Jones wanted to keep a permanent security blanket that he decided to move the temple to Guyana in order to keep outsiders like Ryan from intruding and possibly destroying what took Jones so many years to build.
According to Hobbes in war nothing is unjust. Jones is the perfect example to Hobbes everything goes mentality. When Ryan decided to pay Jones a visit in Guyana, Jones ordered his killing along with his security detail. In Jones’ eye this was just and fair. The killings were Jones last stand in order to keep outsiders from ruining his ambitions. Jones took it up a notch by arranging the killing of his entire followers. In Jones delusional thinking this was perfectly normal and it would keep things the way they were. Also, according to Hobbes throughout history many leaders have allowed for power to cloud judgment to the point of lunacy. Hobbes mentioned leaders like Hitler and Napoleon, who were brilliant men and at one point were considered humble but unwilling to relinquish power once they obtained it. Jones had full control of his cult and was not about to give it up, and instead he chose to keep it at whatever cost.
Hobbes felt a strong conviction to people giving up their basic human rights to another. This right is given by nature and no man is allowed to take it. Jones character is further in questioned due to the fact that he had full control of all his followers. Jones had so much control that he prohibited husband and wife from having sex, and was allowed to sleep with whoever he wanted married or not, and was allowed to have babies with other people’s wives. Jones was questioned several times to why he was the only one allowed to have sex, and his was answer was that he was God in the Flesh, and it was his duty to sleep with all subjects without reproach.
SOCIAL UTILITY.
Ruth Fulton Benedict argued that culture determines what normal and good behavior is. Benedict mentioned that the psychological categories of normal and abnormal are not defined by culture. Benedict’s research indicated that every kind of behavior that we, from the perspective of our American culture considered normal maybe considered abnormal in another culture. Also, Benedict expresses her belief in cultural relativism. She wanted to prove that each culture has its own moral behavior that can be understood only if one studies that culture as a whole. Within Jones and the members of the people church their unethical behavior was normal. (Ciulla, 2003).
According to Benedict normal can be defined as good, and good and normal are that which society has approved. During the late 1970's, Jones had been abusing prescription drugs and appears to have become increasingly paranoid. Rumors of human rights abuses circulated. There was a considerable amount of people joining and leaving the church. Tim Stoen, the Temple attorney and right-hand man to Jones left to form a group called Concerned Relatives and also received help from Congressman Leo Ryan who both wanted to bring Jones and temple down.
In order to avoid all external distractions Jones decided to move the church to Guyana were Jones leased 4,000 acres of jungle land from the government. The church established an agricultural cooperative in which they raised animals for food, and assorted tropical fruits and vegetables for consumption and sale. Stoen and Congressman Ryan claimed that Jonestown was being run like a concentration camp, and that people were being held there against their will. Our society defined Jones actions irrational and he decided to move the church to Guyana were he developed a belief called Translation in which he and his followers would all die together, and would move to another planet for a life of eternal bliss.
Frederich Nietzsche unlike other philosophers like Mill and Rawl Nietzsche believed that utilitarianism and egalitarianism create morally inferior people. According to Nietzsche heroic values of the past that had sustained civilization has been replaced with values of equality, which leads to resentment towards those individuals who possess superman like talents. Also, according to Nietzsche “...creative force in human nature is the will to power. Yet for him the greatest power is found in self-control, art, and philosophy, not in the subjugation of others” (Ciulla, 2003, p.167). The will of mankind is what propels man to greatness and not what is forced upon them. Nietzsche’s believe that the values of equality and utilitarianism appealed to the weak and in the case of Jim Jones who appealed to people who at that period of time were considered of lower social status may have fallen on a trap. Jones at the wanted to be seen as a man of the people and to further convince society he adopted several children of different race and ethnicity; he referred to the clan as his rainbow family. Jones wanted to portray Nietzsche’s superman like qualities of someone who approaches life with vitality and encourages generosity and sympathy. Jones motives were clear and that was to win the heart of the people and the media in order to begin his campaign for power.
JUSTICE AS FAIRNESS.
John Rawls a Harvard philosopher redefined and refined the utilitarian point of view of justice. According to Rawls instead of providing everyone with an equal right of the goods he advices on a fair distribution of the goods. Rawls came up with the concept of “Distributive Justice” which he also describes as “Justice as Fairness”. Rawls, also came up with two principles to back up his theory which are as follows: each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others; and second, social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage, and attached to positions and offices equally open to all. (Ciulla, 2003).
How did Jones vary to Rawls philosophies? The people’s church was first founded on the basis of equal right for all, but as the time passed the church did not provide everyone with equal rights. Members of the church did not have basic liberty and economic equality. The temple’s priority was to exalt Jones and force all followers to work to support his ambitions. According to Rawls’ principles the people’s temple did not provide “Justice as Fairness”
(Ciulla, 2003).
Isaiah Berlin was a lifelong defender of civil liberties. According to Berlin “…values can clash that is why civilizations are incompatible” (Ciulla, 2003, p.266). Liberty and equality are among the primary goals pursued by people, but total liberty for lions is death to zebras. Jones’ pursuit of a perfect order came at a price and that price was paid with people’s blood. Jones who was born in Indiana and raised in America’s society knowingly knew that his perception of his world was not compatible to that of our constitution and it was one of the reasons why he decided to move the temple to Guyana.
According to Berlin there is no such thing as a harmonized world and that good things coexist is unattainable. Berlin mentioned that in this world “We are doomed to choose, and every choice may entail an irreparable loss” (Ciulla, 2003, p.267). Berlin also mentioned that happy individuals are those who obey freely to order of leaders without hesitations and whose words are considered unbreakable. Members of the Peoples Temple followed instructions without hesitation to the point of committing suicide. So is Jones really to blame for the deaths of hundreds of followers?
THE MORAL RELATIONSHIP OF LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS.
Some people become leaders because they develop or possess certain talents like charisma.
Others lead because they posses great minds and there are those who stumble into leadership because of the times they live in for example; the case of Jim Jones and the peoples Temple. Jones attracted many not because he was a great leader, but rather he approached people at a time in America that many needed a leader they could trust and someone to speak for their values. According to Robert C. Solomon leaders and followers each get and give trust to each other. Solomon mentioned that “…charisma is dangerous in the wrong leaders, but rather that it is a distorted perspective on leadership” (Ciulla, 2003, p.206). Also, according to Solomon the emotional core of leadership is trust. There is a difference between obligation and trust. In the case of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple followers joined the church trusting, but it led to an obligation. (Ciulla, 2003).
Jones carefully and tactfully began a simple relationship with members of the church, which ended up becoming an obligation. Many wanted to leave, but were forced to stay or financially relied on the church. According to Solomon trust is the background of our social activities. Meaning, sometimes we trust without truly knowing, just as people elect politicians on the basis of trust that they will do the right thing. Members of the Peoples Temple trusted that Jones was doing what was best for them and the
church.
According to Solomon without trust there can be no community and no one is a leader without willing followers. History puts all the blame on Jim Jones for all that happened, but he could not have done it himself. Many of his disciples obediently followed all of his heinous and perverted instructions without hesitation. How do we draw the moral line between free will and manipulation? Granted many members were forced but many had free will. Jones without followers would not have any power. Power is given by the followers. The ideal follower and leadership relationship is one that would elevate both parties and the scenario of Jones and his disciples it was not the case. Some joined the church out of necessity and others for financial gain. (Ciulla, 2003).
There were actual early signs to Jones crazy actions. In 1951, Jones became a member of a communist party and began attending meetings and rallies. He became frustrated with harassment he received from our government. He also became frustrated with what he perceived to be banishment of open communists in the United States. This frustration, among other things, provoked Jones to establish a church with Marxist fundamentals. Jones then began his own church, which changed names several times until it became the Peoples Temple.
THE EMOTIONAL RELATIONSHIP OF LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS.
Frederick George Bailey is a British social anthropologist. He received his Ph.D. in social anthropology from Manchester University. Bailey believed that the worth of a leader is his or her values. According to Bailey “…leadership is not only the art of shaping values, but it is also the art of “exploiting” the values and beliefs of a culture or several cultures.” (Ciulla, 2003, p.244). Bailey questioned if a leader should use his or her values to transcend those values and beliefs to make decisions, and he came up with the conclusion that every leader should use their values to make decisions, but at the same time consider those of other cultures.
In order for leaders to run an organization effectively, they must be able to strategize, set visions, build relationships, and influence others. If you ask followers what they need from leaders, the clear answer is trust, compassion, stability, and hope. According to James MacGregor Burns “Leadership is a process of morality to the degree that leaders engage with followers on the basis of shared motives and values and goals…” (Ciulla, 2003, p.220), ultimatly only followers can determine their needs. Also, according to Burns, leaders should engage followers in conversations using values and conflict to build solidarity. A true leader will elevate a follower’s value which helps them to become conscious. This was not the case with Jones and his followers. Even though Jones created conflict amongst members it was not for the intention to elevate conscious or to build solidarity. On the contrary it was to elevate himself to a higher position so that he may be seen as the problem solver.
According to Solomon “…someone who is trusted is thereby in a position to betray that trust…” (Ciulla, 2003, p.208). Trust can also be considered a decision. Members of the people’s temple trusted blindly Jones used that trust for his own interest. Trust became an issue for Jones and his followers. Every month more members defected, because the trust was lost. In Guyana Jones had to resort to use a security detail to keep people from leaving. There are only few survivors that can attest to the horrific tales of Guyana and there are those who trusted to the bitter end.
CONCLUSION
Leaders consciously act unethical because power and position lead them to believe that they are not bound by the requirements of morality. Religious groups seem to be seamlessly manifesting and multiplying with this new surge of religious ideas. One must be careful where he or she will swim with their sea of thoughts. Although we must be careful of such groups or cults like the Peoples Temple, we must not label them without getting more information on their intension because some may be innocent of such charges. In this paper, we have looked at the history and theories of many thinkers in hope of finding something that we could use to help prevent such monstrosity from ever happening again. Can we use the criteria of The People's Temple? And if we do can we do it without destroying the religious choice of the human population?
Jones became a man who would eventually kill more African-Americans than any Ku Klux Klan. Jones even appropriated the title of Huey Newton's book, Revolutionary Suicide, to describe the extermination of his flock. Similar to that of Hitler, Jones decided to end it all not on the actual basis of revolutionary suicide, but rather on the basis that he knew his time was up. On a death tape left behind he urged members to commit a revolutionary according to Jonestown defectors. Documented on the tape was Jones theory, members were videotaped stating their suicide would be their choice and they were showing their commitment to refuse capitalism and demonstrating their support of socialism.
The murder and suicide of over 900 people sent shockwaves through the world. This tragedy generated enormous public support for the anti-cult and counter-cult movements. Jim Jones' mental illness which was aggravated by his use of drugs was in no condition to lead. Jonestown, Guyana was to have been a utopian dream, free of racism, and equality for all. But on Nov. 18, 1978, it became the scene of unspeakable horror as Jones or-castrated the worst mass murder and suicide in modern history. In a catastrophic episode, over 900 people, most of them children and elderly, drank or were forced to drink cyanide spiked fruit punch. Jones who was once considered charismatic leader who had humble aspirations and political ambitions turned out to be a psychotic, neurotic, ambitious, and delusional man whose only concern was that of his twisted needs.
Perhaps the biggest question is why many people relied and followed Jones? Was it because America at the moment did not keep its promise of equality and justice for all people? Individuals sought to find it and somehow ended up in a horrific situation. Jim Jones is remembered as a mass murdered one compared to Hitler or was it the drugs that clouded his judgment. Aside from Jones there are many to blame. As mentioned by Max Weber leaders get their power from followers due to their attention and undying commitment and it was what fueled Jones perverted and irrational ambitions.
In the 1970’s Jim Jones established a church called the Peoples Temple which eventually became a cult. The foundation of the church was based on social and racial inequality for all. The church started small yet eventually grew to 5,000 members. The Peoples Temple accumulated media and political attention which earned Jones popularity; this resulted to his nomination and selection to city commissioner. According to many Jones did not have much and cared little for wealth and fame. Despite his lack of interest for wealth, the church still accumulated a sum of over 20 million dollars due to many financial contributions. His charismatic approach enabled the church to gain fame …show more content…
and earn a respectable reputation. During this time frame the Peoples Temple was the only church which allowed individuals to join regardless of sex, religion, age, and social status. Subsequently following the civil rights movement many blacks were not welcomed into white churches, but Jones eliminated any racial obstacle and allowed all blacks, poor or rich to join.
His vision for a better world helped enable him to establish the Peoples Temple. Although he was charismatic, he was also a very disturbed individual. Unfortunately, his unstable personality eventually prevailed and he became responsible for the deaths of over 900 people, most of whom committed "revolutionary suicide" at the Jonestown compound in Guyana. In this paper I will provide insights from Plato, Yukl, Hobbes, Rawls, Arendt, Rand, Mill, Buddha, and Confucius to demonstrate Jones abusive and irrational behavior. Also, I will address the following topics pertaining to Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple; Power, Self-Interest, Virtue, Character, Duty, Intention, Social Utility, Justice as Fairness, The Moral Relationship of Leaders and Followers, and The Emotional Relationship of Leaders and Followers.
POWER.
Throughout history many important leaders have been given power or have taken it. In the case of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple he was given the power and he felt it was not enough and took it upon himself to have more of it. Yukl mentioned that “The essence of leadership is influence over followers” (Ciulla, 2003, p. 3). Also, Yukl mentions that in order to have influence over another person they must first have power. According to Yukl there are many different types of power which are reward, coercive, legitimate, expert, and referent. An important source of power is the “The desire of others to please a person toward whom they feel strong affection” (Ciulla, 2003, p.11). Members of the temple believed that Jones was a good man and they were going to do whatever it took to please him. Jones later realized that in order to have absolute power he must have complete influence over everyone. He sought to accomplish it by making followers believe he had the power to solve all problems and further claiming he was God in the flesh. (Ciulla, 2003).
Yukl mentioned that there are different types of power and the best that fits Jones character is coercive power. This type of power is identified as a person complying in order to avoid punishment. According to Yukl “The amount of position power necessary for leader effectiveness depends on the nature of the organization, task, and subordinates.” http://www.uthscsa. edu/gme/documents/LspasaFunctionofPower.pdf.(Cite this, go to www.citationmachine.net). Any follower who questioned his was punished either physically or financially and at times separated from his family.
The church started small, but eventually accumulated over 5,000 members and received over 20 million dollars from contributions. Jones being the leader held strict control over resources and used it in whichever manner without any resistance. According to Yukl “The higher a person’s position in the authority hierarchy of the organization, the more control over scarce resources the person is likely to have” (Ciulla, 2003, p.7). Many followers lived within the church’s compound and depended heavily on its funds. This gave Jones absolute control over followers and allowed him to influence the decisions of family members. According to several people he was allowed to decide which families could or could not have babies.
According to Thomas Hobbes, “…humans are self interested and have a natural tendency to assert themselves and seek power” (Ciulla, 2003, p.31). If this is true, then Jim Jones character and demeanor fits right in. When the church was first founded Jones was considered a humble man who cared little for power and wealth. Yet, as time passed he gained popularity and fame which had a bad influence on his way of thinking and led to the death of many families. His concern for the churches members well being was no longer important; he became addicted to the pursuit of fame and power. Jones accumulated so much power that it eventually became impossible for him to live without it. The way Jones assured he would maintain his power and influence over the church members was by enforcing rules and punishments for breaking those rules.
SELF-INTEREST.
In Plato’s the republic Thrasymachus states that the right thing to do is to act unjustly, because one should always act in one's own self-interest. Plato objected by saying that justice as we know it is worth pursuing for its own sake, because it is in our self-interest. To further explain Plato mentioned that we must understand ourselves and namely the makeup of our soul in order to truly be just. Plato also mentioned that a just person will then naturally act in a way that is traditionally considered just, since causing harm to others will harm one's own spirit and will thus unbalance one's soul. As time passed, Jones began to experiment with drugs in order to help himself accomplish more tasks within the cult. This led to mood swings, caused his health to deteriorated, and increased his paranoia thus further damaging his character. (Ciulla, 2003).
Plato’s the Republic is about the nature of justice as well as the way power and self interest might distort a ruler’s notion of justice. Plato also discussed how men are disturbed by the emphasis on material values and that men must make morality their ultimate concern in order to achieve true happiness. Jones established the Peoples Temple as a humble man with the intentions of having emphasis on equality for all. Unfortunately, eventually he allowed self interest to get in the way which led to unrighteous acts. Jones was not concerned about wealth and fame yet ironically he was elected as the city commissioner through popularity, this was the beginning of his ambitious ways.
According to Plato economic self-interest and political power must be kept separate and not be allowed to work in combination to the disadvantage of people. Initially the churches financial funds were intended to help the poor. Eventually, Jones used these funds as a means to control his followers. Many of the members were dependent of the financial funds the church distributed as a means of living. Jones had the authority to say how the funds were disbursed which gave him the power to influence the church members lives. (Ciulla, 2003).
Ayn Rand was a strong advocate of self interest. She believed “…that society would be better off if people pursued their own self-interests” (Ciulla, 2003, p.44). She argued that people should live for their own happiness and this was exactly what Jim Jones set out to do. His ambitions had no regards for others and everyone was considered his subjects in order to please himself. Also, according to Rand moral codes are evil, because it further denies people to do whatever it takes to be happy. According to Rand the achievement of one’s own happiness is the highest moral purpose and if this is true then Jones had every right to pursue his happiness at whatever cost. (Ciualla, 2003)
According to Rand only those who wanted to live need moral codes. Ultimately, Jones decided to end all by arranging the killings of all including himself, this is an exhibit of his loss of morality. Also, according to Rand the achievement of one’s happiness is the only moral purpose that matters and self indulgence is the result of our loyalty to the achievement of our values. Rand further argues that one should pursue happiness as carnivores pursue meat.
(Ciulla, 2003)
John Stuart Mill was a firm believer in the greater good. According to Mill “men often, from infirmity of character, make their election for the nearer good, though they know it to be the less valuable…” (Ciulla, 2003, p.146). People will pursue wrongful indulgences regardless of injury to health. According to several witness Jones regularly held orgies and other incomprehensible sexual acts thus to satisfy his delusional needs. These acts were performed with minors and whoever was at his disposition.
VIRTUE.
Similar to Buddha, at the beginning Jones won the hearts of the people because he dealt with their true feelings. Buddha advised his followers not to accept his words on blind faith but to decide for themselves whether his teachings are right or wrong. Unlike Jim Jones, who made his followers do horrendous acts without hesitation just faith alone. Buddha encouraged everyone to have compassion for each other and develop their own virtue, but Jones had compassion for none and encouraged fighting and created quarrels amongst family members.
Buddha never became angry or impatient nor spoke harshly towards anyone, not even to his enemies. Jones was the complete opposite; all those who opposed him within the church were punished severely. Buddha taught in such a way that everyone could understand, but Jones teachings were contradictory. For example, he was the only one allowed to sin, claiming that he did not like to do it, but had no choice. According to Jones he sinned so others may live without sin. Similar to Buddha each follower of the Peoples Temple thought that Jones was speaking especially for him. Jones reached out to the poor and to whomever regardless of race, gender, and social status.
According to Buddha one must always maintain the right conduct. To Buddha the right conduct was to never disrespect others and never point a finger before pointing one at ourselves first. Buddha also believed in the right livelihood. This means choosing a job that does not hurt others. Buddha said, "Do not earn your living by harming others. Do not seek happiness by making others unhappy" (Ciulla, 2003, p.66). In the case of Jim Jones and the people’s temple they acted in the complete opposite of Buddha’s teachings. People were constantly disrespected and forced to commit heinous acts.
CHARACTER
According to Hannah Arendt there is a distinction between duty and blind obedience. Not only was Jones character in questioned but also that of his staff. Many followers decided to look the other way and commit monstrous acts claiming blind obedience. According to some member’s testimonies wrongful acts were committed on behalf of Jones. Their reasoning for their wrong doings were explained as the members feeling they needed to commit these acts on behalf of their leader due to the belief he was too holy to commit them himself. Also, according to Arendt “…every man was a legislator the moment he started to act” (Ciulla, 2003, p.121). If Jones was to be convicted he could not have claimed that God had ordered him to do so. Arendt further claimed that one should act as if one were the legislator of the laws that one follows.
Confucius like Kant believed that morality rests on duty. According to Confucius “…harmony comes about because people fill their obligations to each other and conform to the rules of society.” (Ciulla, 2003, p.124). These obligations were based on the relationship between father and son, ruler and minister, friend and friend. In the peoples temple many followers believed that their obligation was to Jones and not the church. Within the church there was only one obligation and that was to comply and fulfill whatever desired Jones needed. (Ciulla, 2003).
DUTY.
Hobbes argued that it is the duty of all to obey regardless if forced or born under a sovereign ruler. Jones demanded the same from all followers to obey and follow without hesitation. Followers were not allowed to separate from the church without any repercussions. Jones demanded 100 percent obedience and many listened and obeyed out of fear. Any rebellions acts were handled immediately by Jones’s trusted agents. He did not want to give followers the impression and the opportunity to further separate the church within.
INTENTION.
In “The Ethics of Leadership” Hobbes mentioned that men’s motivation came from fear of death and the need for security. Due to Jones tragic and twisted ending it may not seem that he was concerned with death, but he had fear of losing his only source of power and security, which was the temple. Jones was doing whatever it took to keep the temple strong and from being shut down by Congressman Leo Ryan. Jones wanted to keep a permanent security blanket that he decided to move the temple to Guyana in order to keep outsiders like Ryan from intruding and possibly destroying what took Jones so many years to build.
According to Hobbes in war nothing is unjust. Jones is the perfect example to Hobbes everything goes mentality. When Ryan decided to pay Jones a visit in Guyana, Jones ordered his killing along with his security detail. In Jones’ eye this was just and fair. The killings were Jones last stand in order to keep outsiders from ruining his ambitions. Jones took it up a notch by arranging the killing of his entire followers. In Jones delusional thinking this was perfectly normal and it would keep things the way they were. Also, according to Hobbes throughout history many leaders have allowed for power to cloud judgment to the point of lunacy. Hobbes mentioned leaders like Hitler and Napoleon, who were brilliant men and at one point were considered humble but unwilling to relinquish power once they obtained it. Jones had full control of his cult and was not about to give it up, and instead he chose to keep it at whatever cost.
Hobbes felt a strong conviction to people giving up their basic human rights to another. This right is given by nature and no man is allowed to take it. Jones character is further in questioned due to the fact that he had full control of all his followers. Jones had so much control that he prohibited husband and wife from having sex, and was allowed to sleep with whoever he wanted married or not, and was allowed to have babies with other people’s wives. Jones was questioned several times to why he was the only one allowed to have sex, and his was answer was that he was God in the Flesh, and it was his duty to sleep with all subjects without reproach.
SOCIAL UTILITY.
Ruth Fulton Benedict argued that culture determines what normal and good behavior is. Benedict mentioned that the psychological categories of normal and abnormal are not defined by culture. Benedict’s research indicated that every kind of behavior that we, from the perspective of our American culture considered normal maybe considered abnormal in another culture. Also, Benedict expresses her belief in cultural relativism. She wanted to prove that each culture has its own moral behavior that can be understood only if one studies that culture as a whole. Within Jones and the members of the people church their unethical behavior was normal. (Ciulla, 2003).
According to Benedict normal can be defined as good, and good and normal are that which society has approved. During the late 1970's, Jones had been abusing prescription drugs and appears to have become increasingly paranoid. Rumors of human rights abuses circulated. There was a considerable amount of people joining and leaving the church. Tim Stoen, the Temple attorney and right-hand man to Jones left to form a group called Concerned Relatives and also received help from Congressman Leo Ryan who both wanted to bring Jones and temple down.
In order to avoid all external distractions Jones decided to move the church to Guyana were Jones leased 4,000 acres of jungle land from the government. The church established an agricultural cooperative in which they raised animals for food, and assorted tropical fruits and vegetables for consumption and sale. Stoen and Congressman Ryan claimed that Jonestown was being run like a concentration camp, and that people were being held there against their will. Our society defined Jones actions irrational and he decided to move the church to Guyana were he developed a belief called Translation in which he and his followers would all die together, and would move to another planet for a life of eternal bliss.
Frederich Nietzsche unlike other philosophers like Mill and Rawl Nietzsche believed that utilitarianism and egalitarianism create morally inferior people. According to Nietzsche heroic values of the past that had sustained civilization has been replaced with values of equality, which leads to resentment towards those individuals who possess superman like talents. Also, according to Nietzsche “...creative force in human nature is the will to power. Yet for him the greatest power is found in self-control, art, and philosophy, not in the subjugation of others” (Ciulla, 2003, p.167). The will of mankind is what propels man to greatness and not what is forced upon them. Nietzsche’s believe that the values of equality and utilitarianism appealed to the weak and in the case of Jim Jones who appealed to people who at that period of time were considered of lower social status may have fallen on a trap. Jones at the wanted to be seen as a man of the people and to further convince society he adopted several children of different race and ethnicity; he referred to the clan as his rainbow family. Jones wanted to portray Nietzsche’s superman like qualities of someone who approaches life with vitality and encourages generosity and sympathy. Jones motives were clear and that was to win the heart of the people and the media in order to begin his campaign for power.
JUSTICE AS FAIRNESS.
John Rawls a Harvard philosopher redefined and refined the utilitarian point of view of justice. According to Rawls instead of providing everyone with an equal right of the goods he advices on a fair distribution of the goods. Rawls came up with the concept of “Distributive Justice” which he also describes as “Justice as Fairness”. Rawls, also came up with two principles to back up his theory which are as follows: each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others; and second, social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage, and attached to positions and offices equally open to all. (Ciulla, 2003).
How did Jones vary to Rawls philosophies? The people’s church was first founded on the basis of equal right for all, but as the time passed the church did not provide everyone with equal rights. Members of the church did not have basic liberty and economic equality. The temple’s priority was to exalt Jones and force all followers to work to support his ambitions. According to Rawls’ principles the people’s temple did not provide “Justice as Fairness”
(Ciulla, 2003).
Isaiah Berlin was a lifelong defender of civil liberties. According to Berlin “…values can clash that is why civilizations are incompatible” (Ciulla, 2003, p.266). Liberty and equality are among the primary goals pursued by people, but total liberty for lions is death to zebras. Jones’ pursuit of a perfect order came at a price and that price was paid with people’s blood. Jones who was born in Indiana and raised in America’s society knowingly knew that his perception of his world was not compatible to that of our constitution and it was one of the reasons why he decided to move the temple to Guyana.
According to Berlin there is no such thing as a harmonized world and that good things coexist is unattainable. Berlin mentioned that in this world “We are doomed to choose, and every choice may entail an irreparable loss” (Ciulla, 2003, p.267). Berlin also mentioned that happy individuals are those who obey freely to order of leaders without hesitations and whose words are considered unbreakable. Members of the Peoples Temple followed instructions without hesitation to the point of committing suicide. So is Jones really to blame for the deaths of hundreds of followers?
THE MORAL RELATIONSHIP OF LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS.
Some people become leaders because they develop or possess certain talents like charisma.
Others lead because they posses great minds and there are those who stumble into leadership because of the times they live in for example; the case of Jim Jones and the peoples Temple. Jones attracted many not because he was a great leader, but rather he approached people at a time in America that many needed a leader they could trust and someone to speak for their values. According to Robert C. Solomon leaders and followers each get and give trust to each other. Solomon mentioned that “…charisma is dangerous in the wrong leaders, but rather that it is a distorted perspective on leadership” (Ciulla, 2003, p.206). Also, according to Solomon the emotional core of leadership is trust. There is a difference between obligation and trust. In the case of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple followers joined the church trusting, but it led to an obligation. (Ciulla, 2003).
Jones carefully and tactfully began a simple relationship with members of the church, which ended up becoming an obligation. Many wanted to leave, but were forced to stay or financially relied on the church. According to Solomon trust is the background of our social activities. Meaning, sometimes we trust without truly knowing, just as people elect politicians on the basis of trust that they will do the right thing. Members of the Peoples Temple trusted that Jones was doing what was best for them and the
church.
According to Solomon without trust there can be no community and no one is a leader without willing followers. History puts all the blame on Jim Jones for all that happened, but he could not have done it himself. Many of his disciples obediently followed all of his heinous and perverted instructions without hesitation. How do we draw the moral line between free will and manipulation? Granted many members were forced but many had free will. Jones without followers would not have any power. Power is given by the followers. The ideal follower and leadership relationship is one that would elevate both parties and the scenario of Jones and his disciples it was not the case. Some joined the church out of necessity and others for financial gain. (Ciulla, 2003).
There were actual early signs to Jones crazy actions. In 1951, Jones became a member of a communist party and began attending meetings and rallies. He became frustrated with harassment he received from our government. He also became frustrated with what he perceived to be banishment of open communists in the United States. This frustration, among other things, provoked Jones to establish a church with Marxist fundamentals. Jones then began his own church, which changed names several times until it became the Peoples Temple.
THE EMOTIONAL RELATIONSHIP OF LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS.
Frederick George Bailey is a British social anthropologist. He received his Ph.D. in social anthropology from Manchester University. Bailey believed that the worth of a leader is his or her values. According to Bailey “…leadership is not only the art of shaping values, but it is also the art of “exploiting” the values and beliefs of a culture or several cultures.” (Ciulla, 2003, p.244). Bailey questioned if a leader should use his or her values to transcend those values and beliefs to make decisions, and he came up with the conclusion that every leader should use their values to make decisions, but at the same time consider those of other cultures.
In order for leaders to run an organization effectively, they must be able to strategize, set visions, build relationships, and influence others. If you ask followers what they need from leaders, the clear answer is trust, compassion, stability, and hope. According to James MacGregor Burns “Leadership is a process of morality to the degree that leaders engage with followers on the basis of shared motives and values and goals…” (Ciulla, 2003, p.220), ultimatly only followers can determine their needs. Also, according to Burns, leaders should engage followers in conversations using values and conflict to build solidarity. A true leader will elevate a follower’s value which helps them to become conscious. This was not the case with Jones and his followers. Even though Jones created conflict amongst members it was not for the intention to elevate conscious or to build solidarity. On the contrary it was to elevate himself to a higher position so that he may be seen as the problem solver.
According to Solomon “…someone who is trusted is thereby in a position to betray that trust…” (Ciulla, 2003, p.208). Trust can also be considered a decision. Members of the people’s temple trusted blindly Jones used that trust for his own interest. Trust became an issue for Jones and his followers. Every month more members defected, because the trust was lost. In Guyana Jones had to resort to use a security detail to keep people from leaving. There are only few survivors that can attest to the horrific tales of Guyana and there are those who trusted to the bitter end.
CONCLUSION
Leaders consciously act unethical because power and position lead them to believe that they are not bound by the requirements of morality. Religious groups seem to be seamlessly manifesting and multiplying with this new surge of religious ideas. One must be careful where he or she will swim with their sea of thoughts. Although we must be careful of such groups or cults like the Peoples Temple, we must not label them without getting more information on their intension because some may be innocent of such charges. In this paper, we have looked at the history and theories of many thinkers in hope of finding something that we could use to help prevent such monstrosity from ever happening again. Can we use the criteria of The People's Temple? And if we do can we do it without destroying the religious choice of the human population?
Jones became a man who would eventually kill more African-Americans than any Ku Klux Klan. Jones even appropriated the title of Huey Newton's book, Revolutionary Suicide, to describe the extermination of his flock. Similar to that of Hitler, Jones decided to end it all not on the actual basis of revolutionary suicide, but rather on the basis that he knew his time was up. On a death tape left behind he urged members to commit a revolutionary according to Jonestown defectors. Documented on the tape was Jones theory, members were videotaped stating their suicide would be their choice and they were showing their commitment to refuse capitalism and demonstrating their support of socialism.
The murder and suicide of over 900 people sent shockwaves through the world. This tragedy generated enormous public support for the anti-cult and counter-cult movements. Jim Jones' mental illness which was aggravated by his use of drugs was in no condition to lead. Jonestown, Guyana was to have been a utopian dream, free of racism, and equality for all. But on Nov. 18, 1978, it became the scene of unspeakable horror as Jones or-castrated the worst mass murder and suicide in modern history. In a catastrophic episode, over 900 people, most of them children and elderly, drank or were forced to drink cyanide spiked fruit punch. Jones who was once considered charismatic leader who had humble aspirations and political ambitions turned out to be a psychotic, neurotic, ambitious, and delusional man whose only concern was that of his twisted needs.
Perhaps the biggest question is why many people relied and followed Jones? Was it because America at the moment did not keep its promise of equality and justice for all people? Individuals sought to find it and somehow ended up in a horrific situation. Jim Jones is remembered as a mass murdered one compared to Hitler or was it the drugs that clouded his judgment. Aside from Jones there are many to blame. As mentioned by Max Weber leaders get their power from followers due to their attention and undying commitment and it was what fueled Jones perverted and irrational ambitions.