One sentence of Voltaire The sentence spoken by noted French thinker, in a statement post mortem, should be cause for reflection for all of us who serve in Spiritism
Orson Peter Carrara

The prolific writer, essayist, deist and philosopher French Enlightenment Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet, Paris, 1694-1778) was well known for his acumen in defending civil liberties, including freedom of religion and free trade. It is one of the many figures of the Enlightenment, whose works and ideas influenced important thinkers of both the French Revolution as the American. It was open advocate of social reform and often used his works to criticize the Catholic Church and the French institutions of his time directing harsh criticism of the absolutist kings and the privileges of the nobility and clergy. By saying what he thought, was arrested twice.

One sentence of Voltaire (Spirit), extracted from instructive interview included by Kardec Spiritist Magazine in September 1859, titled Confession Voltaire offers reflection of spiritualistic importance to our studies and our interface with the knowledge that now we own spirit.

Saith the Spirit, between the lines of the interview: "(...) What I regret is to have lived so long without knowing what on earth could that be, and what it could do. (...) ".

I recommend the reader to read the full interview.

Important details of the experiences of the famous writer should be taken into account in the context of the statement. However, the sentence in question opens up immense prospects of intense intimate questions, so common among us, the question of what we are and what we can do.

Many burdened us with the emptiness inside with rebates listed autopermitidos - that generate countless afflictions - and alleged action programs that never get put into practice.  

The sentence of Voltaire brings us to the question
of citizenship 

The lament of Voltaire also may be ours if not employing the time and opportunity for their growth and opportunities for growth through aid and where we operate.

The sentence of Voltaire, however, brings us to an important topic: citizenship.

The word citizenship, meaning the quality of citizen behavior necessarily connected with the progress and quality of life, including developments in legislation, in international exchanges and advancements in all areas that involve the full development of the human being in his integrity.

The call quality of the citizen recalls dignity of life and behavior, and development work in serving the needs of gigantic frame of civilization, progress, creates new needs and advances in constant search of happiness, harmony and understanding of nature, to himself and, of course, with details on individual lives, family and, by extension, social life. After all, the citizen is the human being himself.

Interesting because when absent citizenship, find pictures of misery, violence and difficulties aggravated by situations and circumstances well known in history.

This is reminiscent of the history of civilization, from its beginnings, to situate ourselves in the current situation, where - despite the difficult frames that still exist - accelerated progress shows the continued effort of many minds that apply to such achievements of dignity in favor of the collective human. 

The French Revolution had repercussions worldwide
 

One of the biggest revolutions in history is the French Revolution, which abolished serfdom and feudal rights, proclaiming the universal principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. That in France, then the cultural center of humanity, in the last decades of the 18th century.

Preceded and influenced by the Enlightenment - the elite cultural movement of intellectuals in Europe - and for American independence, altered the entire political and social of France, with repercussions on world culture and behavior. And, a remarkable fact, on the eve of arrival of Allan Kardec, who codified Spiritualism.

It highlights all planning aiming at preparing the human mentality to a new phase of reflections with the ideas brought by Spiritism, exactly in France.

Kardec matter left on the principles proclaimed by the French Revolution and later published in Posthumous Works (book published in 1890, 21 years after his disembodiment), in which his lucidity and incredible teaching capacity unfold the remarkable subject.

I select some stretches of magnificent chapter that dispense comments:

- "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, these three words are alone, the program of an entire social order (...)"

- "(...) Fraternity, in strict sense of the word, summarizes all the duties of men relative to each other, it means devotion, selflessness, tolerance, benevolence, forbearance; evangelical charity is par excellence and the application of the maximum : act towards others as we would have others act with us. The contrast is selfishness. The fraternity says 'each one for all and all for one'. Selfishness says, 'every man for himself' (...) " 

Pride and selfishness make us neglectful and indifferent
 

- "(...) The fraternity is in the first line: the base, could not exist without it neither equality nor freedom serious; equality stems from the fraternity, and liberty is the consequence of the other two (...)" .

It's exciting to read Kardec say that equality and freedom are daughters fraternity, also emphasizing that freedom is a consequence of the other two.

Indeed! After all, pride, father's selfishness and enemy of equality, creates the false illusion that we are superior to anyone, encouraging vanity and arrogance, with the naive assumption that we are better than others, that nothing they do or when they are subject to discrimination.

After all, the highlights Encoder: "(...) the freedom presupposes mutual trust (...)", which does not exist without brotherhood. And then wisely concludes: "(...) The fraternity gives freedom without freedom of action to all evil passions, which have no brakes. (...) ".

Pride is the great enemy of equality, exactly the false assumption of superiority over others.

What selfishness and pride do?

Make us neglectful, indifferent, arrogant, and worse, lead us to underestimate the value and the efforts of others.

When we keep with us the feeling of brotherhood, we see another - in any respect - on an equal footing and therefore we respect, and here comes the freedom to act with conscience and dignity.

The noble task they have, progressive people

On the other hand, the absence of brotherhood, which creates the unique feeling of personality, meets up or hides at the expense of others, without ceasing - why not developed a sense of equality that creates freedom - and puts us on guard against each other.

Note the reader that all these considerations fit individual in question, in relationship with each other, the family and social environment, and opens the way also huge issues and even international conferences.

In his text Encoder highlights the importance of combating pride and selfishness: "(...) a labor tirelessly to eradicate the virus from pride and selfishness, because that is the source of all evil, the real obstacle to the realm of well (...). "

And ends with this gem: "(...) the men responsible enable progressive movement by study and practice the most effective means."

Now I leave to the reader's reflection: the men who are progressives? We are included in the category of creatures that stimulate progress or are we still dominated by pride to retain, to dominate, to impose and consider ourselves better than others? On the other hand, enabling the movement by the study? Initiatives that trigger progress where we are? And which practices are effective means?

There is a whole program of action to progress from our hands, to fill what we can be and what we can do.

So back to Voltaire: "(...) What I regret is to have lived so long without knowing what on earth could that be, and what it could do. (...) ".

As we face this lament?