The Biosophical Institute

by Dr. Patti Bailie and Ellen Ensel

Our country is in the midst of a divisive political campaign with an upcoming consequential election that could affect us for generations to come. Democracy is at stake, but at its core we are facing an election that concerns ethics. Today’s concern is not new. The country has faced this before.

Writing in 1934, during an era of chaos and discord eerily reminiscent of our own, Henry Morgenthau, Sr. identifies the struggles faced by FDR and other leaders dedicated to public service in trying to restore the public’s confidence in government. He recognized the challenges and opportunities for leaders of strong moral and ethical character to bring hope to millions of Americans suffering from physical and spiritual deprivation, and to fight against the forces that would impede their efforts. Morgenthau had been the U.S. ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian Genocide and had no doubt seen his fair share of unethical leadership. He wrote:

“The evil spirits of America are already at work fighting like Lucifer to destroy the great efforts being made on behalf of the people by the unselfish leaders now in control. It is up to us to unmask these marauders and counteract their designs, for if America fails in this last struggle to perpetuate democracy no one knows what will become of the spiritual aspirations of mankind. This is not an open warfare between good and evil but a dastardly attempt to prevent the good that is in us from asserting itself. It takes the great powers that only the government possesses to be thrown on the side of the good to enable them to be victorious” (Morgenthau, 1934, 12-13).

The period between the world wars was one of collective trauma, economic uncertainty and depression. The rise of Fascism around the world exacerbated the scapegoating and demonizing of ethnic and racial groups. Fascism appealed to those who looked to a strong man to solve all of a country’s problems. All of this might sound familiar to us today. When Morgenthau writes that “This is not an open warfare between good and evil but a dastardly attempt to prevent the good that is in us from asserting itself,” it is clear that ethical behavior in our leaders becomes imperative.

The era between the world wars was also a time when peace groups sprang up. Following one war, the intention was not to be embroiled in another, but to find ways to live together according to ethical/social values. One such group was the Biosophical Institute, based on the ideals of a seventeenth-century philosopher, Baruch Spinoza. The Institute was created to help individuals be more peaceful within themselves in order to create a culture of peace in society. In its heyday, The Biosophical Institute held meetings, classes, and lectures on topics such as understanding Spinoza’s Ethics and how his philosophy supported inner peace. The Institute’s founder, Dr. Frederick Kettner, a professor at NYU, was a pioneer in character and peace education.

One of the projects that the Institute pushed for was the creation of a department of peace in the government headed by a Secretary of Peace. Kettner discussed the importance and urgency of character and ethics in those who compose the government. Without ethics in government, true and unselfish leaders cannot rise and peaceful nations cannot exist. Writing in the Bosophical Review, a magazine published by the Institute, Kettner provides the context:

“A true leader is a [person] who is devoted wholeheartedly and unselfishly to the formation of ‘a social order such as is most conducive to the attainment of an ethical character by the greatest number.’

How can there be political progress while parties and politicians are interested merely in their own petty successes and the defeats of their opponents rather than in the welfare of those whom they represent? As long as politics continues to be a means of satisfying selfish and low-minded desires at the expense of other human beings, political retrogression must continue” (Kettner, 1933, 3).

These relevant words from the past remind us of our choices in this election. There are those who don’t care if politicians are unethical, as highlighted in a recent NYT article. But we need to care about ethical behavior in order for democracy to continue and thrive, especially in light of the recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity. Our political choices in this upcoming election need to support those who value democracy and the rule of law. Be wary of those who skirt the law and demonize groups of people, demonstrating their values to be less than ethical. Bringing ethics back to government will be achieved only when the voting public chooses those who inspire us to work together and will represent our interests and values, creating a positive model for future generations.

References

• Kettner, F. (ed.), 1933. Editorial notes. The Spinoza Quarterly, 2(3). New York: The Spinoza Center of Roerich Society.
• Morgenthau, H., 1934. Spiritual development and government. The Biosophical Review, 4(1). New York: Biosophical Institute.
• Schmidt, M. 2024. As election nears, Kelly warns Trump would rule like a dictator.
  nytimes.com
• Sokolove, M. 2024. I grew up in Bucks County, PA. I went back to try to make sense of the election. nytimes.com.

Author Bios

• Dr. Patti Bailie, Trustee of the Biosophical Institute and retired Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Maine at Farmington.
• Ellen Ensel, Trustee of the Biosophical Institute and retired from the United States Institute of Peace.