The Eternal Quest: POH - 4 - Capital and Employment

The Eternal Quest

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The content of this post is directly from the work of The Lucis Trust.

www.lucistrust.org

This Study can be found here:

http://www.lucistrust.org/en/content/download/4742/56621/file/POH4[2007].pdf

The Problems of Humanity: Building Right Human Relations

Study Four: Capital, Labor and Employment

Seed Thought for Meditation

Human unity, human understanding and human fair play — these are the only concepts upon which to construct the new world and bring to an end the exploitation of one section of humanity by another.

Key Statements

The key to humanity’s trouble (focusing as it has in the economic difficulties of the past two hundred years and in the theological impasse of the orthodox churches) has been to take and not give, to accept and not share, to grasp and not to distribute. This has involved the breaking of a law which has placed humanity in a position of positive guilt. War is the dire penalty which mankind has had to pay for this great sin of separateness.

I would like to suggest three key principles for a new economic order geared to creating wealth and well-being for people and the Earth.

It must be conserving for the Earth’s resources and environment.

It must be enabling for people. Instead of systematically creating and extending dependency, it must systematically favor self-reliance and the capacity for self development.

It must be organized and understood as a multi-level one world economic system, with autonomous but interdependent parts at all levels. James Robertson

Work Proposals

v Continue with the daily meditation work.

v Read from the suggested list of resources.

v Create your own list based on your particular interests, and for further in-depth study of the issues presented within this study set. Newspapers, magazines, books, and the internet convey a wealth of information and details about current affairs. The UN publications are a particularly rich source of information.

v Begin a study group wherein group meditation, discussion and action can be brought to bear on this particular problem. If meeting up with others physically is difficult, you could consider forming a group online. World Goodwill also hosts discussion forums on the problems that can be found online at: www.lucistrust.org/en/forums

Questions for Consideration and/or Discussion

Having studied this Set on the problem of Capital, Labor and Employment, read the relevant chapter in the book Problems of Humanity, and any other material bearing on this subject which you find interesting and creative. Then answer for yourself the following questions:—

1. Do you see any evidence that the belief in human unity is growing? What effect would a widespread belief in human unity have on the relations between capital and labor in your community, your nation and the world?

2. What are the most positive signs — in your own community, in your own nation, in humanity as a whole — of goodwill being applied in relations between labor and capital?

3. What role can an individual play in supporting the principles of sharing and co-operation?

4. It has been said (a) that the love of money is the root of all evil and (b) that money is a great spiritual asset. Reflect on your own attitude to money. Why do you think attitudes to money are of such central importance in the transition to the New Age?

5. In what way can the law of Supply and Demand be implemented so that there is justice for all and plenty for all?

6. What do you think are the outstanding characteristics of our present civilization? What standard of living will seem essential to humanity in the New Age?

7. Can Labor, Capital and Management form a workable agreement or synthesis of some kind? In particular, how do you consider the human factor in industry should be handled?