Universal Brotherhood
Theosophical Siftings
Universal Brotherhood
Vol 2, No 5
Universal Brotherhood by Alexander Fullerton
A paper read before the Aryan T.S. of New York, by Alexander Fullerton Published by the Theosophical Publishing Services, Duke Street, Adelphi 1889. Reprinted from “Theosophical Siftings” Volume 2 The Theosophical Publishing Society, England
THE term “Universal Brotherhood " is obviously an extension to the whole human family of the idea in the word “brother", a child of the same parents as is oneself. It suggests at once the thought of equal rights, common interests, mutual affection, and responsive care. Moreover, it incites an exhilarating conception of what might be the state of things throughout the earth if family tenderness were the law of all life, if race and tribal animosities were ended, and if everyone felt a wrong perpetrated on a foreigner as keenly as if perpetrated on a relation. This is the true view of human solidarity, and a vivid apprehension of it would abolish national wars, social outrages, and personal injustice. Its unlimited influence in securing peace and good-will was seen by the founders of the Theosophical Society, and they proclaimed it as the very first of their and its aims, not as a gracious sentiment, not as a pleasing phrase, but as a principle of action, a means of social regeneration. If we did not believe in it, there would be no Aryan society, there would be no meeting tonight. And yet the very fact that it is a principle and not a sentiment warrants some examination into its nature. If a principle, it must have a root, must sustain analogy to other principles, must be capable of practical uses, and also must be subject to limitations and just restrictions. As the term “Universal Brotherhood " is derivative, we may properly look for these in the primary, and thus infer facts as to the universal human family from facts in the domestic families which epitomize it. Now, when we come to search for that which
Universal Brotherhood
Vol 2, No 5
Universal Brotherhood by Alexander Fullerton
A paper read before the Aryan T.S. of New York, by Alexander Fullerton Published by the Theosophical Publishing Services, Duke Street, Adelphi 1889. Reprinted from “Theosophical Siftings” Volume 2 The Theosophical Publishing Society, England
THE term “Universal Brotherhood " is obviously an extension to the whole human family of the idea in the word “brother", a child of the same parents as is oneself. It suggests at once the thought of equal rights, common interests, mutual affection, and responsive care. Moreover, it incites an exhilarating conception of what might be the state of things throughout the earth if family tenderness were the law of all life, if race and tribal animosities were ended, and if everyone felt a wrong perpetrated on a foreigner as keenly as if perpetrated on a relation. This is the true view of human solidarity, and a vivid apprehension of it would abolish national wars, social outrages, and personal injustice. Its unlimited influence in securing peace and good-will was seen by the founders of the Theosophical Society, and they proclaimed it as the very first of their and its aims, not as a gracious sentiment, not as a pleasing phrase, but as a principle of action, a means of social regeneration. If we did not believe in it, there would be no Aryan society, there would be no meeting tonight. And yet the very fact that it is a principle and not a sentiment warrants some examination into its nature. If a principle, it must have a root, must sustain analogy to other principles, must be capable of practical uses, and also must be subject to limitations and just restrictions. As the term “Universal Brotherhood " is derivative, we may properly look for these in the primary, and thus infer facts as to the universal human family from facts in the domestic families which epitomize it. Now, when we come to search for that which