--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Masonic philosophy embodied the…" description: "\"“The Masonic philosophy embodied the political movement under way in America to promote individual liberty and establish a broad-based national identit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be3/james-wasserman-34035_freedom_the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-poli_2701468.jpg" --- # The Masonic philosophy embodied the political movement… ![“The Masonic philosophy embodied the political movement under way in America to promote individual liberty and establish a broad-based national identity that encouraged fraternity and equality. Masonic ideals helped the young nation to move beyond the familiar model of a hereditary monarchy and…” quote by James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be3/james-wasserman-34035_freedom_the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-poli_2701468.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be3/james-wasserman-34035_freedom_the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-poli_2701468.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be3/james-wasserman-34035_freedom_the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-poli_2701468.jpg) > ““The Masonic philosophy embodied the political movement under way in America to promote individual liberty and establish a broad-based national identity that encouraged fraternity and equality. Masonic ideals helped the young nation to move beyond the familiar model of a hereditary monarchy and stratified aristocracy exemplified by England. It advocated a meritocracy, in which all people were regarded as equal in the eyes of God and under the law, and they were free to develop themselves to the highest degree to which they aspired, and for which they were willing to work.”” [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Masonic philosophy promoted liberty, equality, and meritocracy, shaping America's identity. **In simple terms:** Masons helped build a free, equal society. Key Takeaway Embrace merit and equality in civic life. Themes freedom equality meritocracy Mood optimistic critical Type historical ideological When to use this quote - education reform - community building - government policy - civil rights movements Key Concepts political philosophy social theory Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure true equality? - What challenges arise when merit is measured? A Different Perspective Implementation of meritocracy can be uneven and contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Individual liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-liberty/) [Masonic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masonic/) [National identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-identity/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“The true Mason is not creed-bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as Mason his religion must be universal: Christ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manly-p-hall/the-true-mason-is-not-creed-bound-he-realizes-with-the-divine/) [Manly P. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manly-p-hall/) > [The French Revolution gave us three... powerful ideas, or concepts - liberty, equality and fraternity. But these ideas... are not only right in themselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/the-french-revolution-gave-us-three-powerful-ideas-or-concepts/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [ Democracy is in the blood of Musalmans, who look upon complete equality of manhood \[mankind\]…\[and\] believe in fraternity, equality and liberty. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/democracy-is-in-the-blood-of-musalmans-who-look-upon-complete/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [The goal of the EU is to form a region of freedom, security and justice. Freedom in this connection cannot be just the freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarja-halonen/the-goal-of-the-eu-is-to-form-a-region-of-freedom-security-and/) [Tarja Halonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarja-halonen/) > [“For all his paranoid alarm, Bannon believes that the rise of nationalist movements across the world, from Europe to Japan to the United States,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/for-all-his-paranoid-alarm-bannon-believes-that-the-rise-of/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“Vichy emerged not only from what divided the French but also what united them: pacifism, fear of population decline, loss of confidence in national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-jackson/vichy-emerged-not-only-from-what-divided-the-french-but-also-what/) Julian Jackson > [“Forgetting, I would even go so far as to say historical error, is a crucial factor in the creation of a nation; thus the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/forgetting-i-would-even-go-so-far-as-to-say-historical-error-is-a/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [We are undermining a generation's happiness by depriving them of national identity, religious identity, and gender identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/we-are-undermining-a-generation-s-happiness-by-depriving-them-of/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [The loss of national identity is the greatest defeat a nation can know, and it is inevitable under the contemporary form of colonization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/the-loss-of-national-identity-is-the-greatest-defeat-a-nation-can/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) > [“But the alternative is the return to power of Labour. This is the party which did more than any other to wreck Britain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-craig/but-the-alternative-is-the-return-to-power-of-labour-this-is-the/) [David Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-craig/) > [A waning United States would likely be more nationalistic, more defensive about its national identity, more paranoid about its homeland security, and less willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/a-waning-united-states-would-likely-be-more-nationalistic-more/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [“According to royal doctrine, the king’s role as defender of Egypt (and the whole of creation) involved the corresponding defeat of Egypt’s neighbors (who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-a-h-wilkinson/according-to-royal-doctrine-the-king-s-role-as-defender-of-egypt-and/) Toby A.H. Wilkinson > [Theatre has no national identity. It is something for the world, whether it is Irish, English, or French.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-cusack/theatre-has-no-national-identity-it-is-something-for-the-world/) [Cyril Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-cusack/) > [People are less certain of their national identities or their place in the world. It starts looking different and disorienting. And there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/people-are-less-certain-of-their-national-identities-or-their-place/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by James Wasserman > [I think that what we need is a balance between men and women. I don't believe in the value of the matriarchy as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/i-think-that-what-we-need-is-a-balance-between-men-and-women-i-don-t/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [“Gold is the root-essence of lead. It is considered an implicit component of all metals in greater or lesser degree, based on their density,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/gold-is-the-root-essence-of-lead-it-is-considered-an-implicit/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [Anyone who promises you something that you have not earned is seeking to enslave you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/anyone-who-promises-you-something-that-you-have-not-earned-is-seeking/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [“The high principles of Masonry were particularly welcome in the uncertain times leading up to the Revolution. American society was struggling with conflicting political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/the-high-principles-of-masonry-were-particularly-welcome-in-the/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [God gave us reason. He gave us the ability to reason and also have faith and I think that reason and faith go together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/god-gave-us-reason-he-gave-us-the-ability-to-reason-and-also-have/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [I realized that I had been living a great part of my life like an ostrich, with my head stuck in the sand. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/i-realized-that-i-had-been-living-a-great-part-of-my-life-like-an/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [“Ultimately, the greatest mystery cannot be seen or spoken, it is beyond the grasp of the intellect and all symbolic representation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/ultimately-the-greatest-mystery-cannot-be-seen-or-spoken-it-is-beyond/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [I try to do as much as I can within myself, with my friends, with my family. Talking to people who are motivated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/i-try-to-do-as-much-as-i-can-within-myself-with-my-friends-with-my/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [“The infinite seeks manifestation. It projects itself as the point, defined by its position, one coordinate. Further seeking fulfillment, the point extends outward to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/the-infinite-seeks-manifestation-it-projects-itself-as-the-point/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [We're talking a lot about reason and religion today, but I really hope that the American experiment can continue, because liberty really is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/we-re-talking-a-lot-about-reason-and-religion-today-but-i-really-hope/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [“In 1738, the Pope issued an encyclical banning all participation in Masonry under threat of excommunication.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/in-1738-the-pope-issued-an-encyclical-banning-all-participation-in/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [The English monarchy is at best symbolic, whereas the Saudi monarchy is a bloodline, but it's also showing itself as a very primitive culture.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/the-english-monarchy-is-at-best-symbolic-whereas-the-saudi-monarchy/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) > [If we don't take responsibility for ourselves, someone else will take it for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/if-we-don-t-take-responsibility-for-ourselves-someone-else-will-take/) [James Wasserman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) [Explore all 14 James Wasserman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We live in the greatest country in the world because of the veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/we-live-in-the-greatest-country-in-the-world-because-of-the-veterans/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“No one was more surprised than I to realize that my newfound freedom had been purchased by giving up on eternity and settling for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-jessop/no-one-was-more-surprised-than-i-to-realize-that-my-newfound-freedom/) [Carolyn Jessop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-jessop/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) [Browse all 30,110 Freedom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The Masonic philosophy embodied the political movement under way in America to promote individual liberty and establish a broad-based national identity that encouraged fraternity and equality. Masonic ideals helped the young nation to move beyond the familiar model of a hereditary monarchy and stratified aristocracy exemplified by England. It advocated a meritocracy, in which all people were regarded as equal in the eyes of God and under the law, and they were free to develop themselves to the highest degree to which they aspired, and for which they were willing to work.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Wasserman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-political-movement-under-way-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Freedom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-political-movement-under-way-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be3/james-wasserman-34035_freedom_the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-poli_2701468.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be3/james-wasserman-34035_freedom_the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-poli_2701468.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be3/james-wasserman-34035_freedom_the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-poli_2701468.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Masonic philosophy embodied the political movement under way in America to promote individual liberty…” — James Wasserman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Wasserman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wasserman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The Masonic philosophy embodied the political...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-political-movement-under-way-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wasserman/the-masonic-philosophy-embodied-the-political-movement-under-way-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```