Foundations of World Unity

‘Abdu’l-BaháProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 267K words
Chapters: 27

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Foundations of World Unity by `Abdu'l-BaháAuthor: `Abdu'l-Bahá, 1844-1921,Language: English, Class: BP: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Islam, Bahaism, Theosophy, Other and new beliefs, Release Date: Sep 12, 2006

Editor's review

This book is a collection of talks and writings by 'Abdu'l-Bahá on world unity and the oneness of humanity, addressing themes such as peace, justice, the relationship between religion and science, and the elimination of prejudice. The text consists mainly of exhortation and reasoned argument in a dignified yet gentle tone, emphasizing the reconstruction of social order from the standpoint of humanity as a whole. Its strength lies in linking spiritual principles to social reform; rather than closing with abstract dogma, it continually returns to real problems of prejudice, war, and cooperation. Readers interested in comparative religion, peace thought, and cross-cultural ethics can read this book as a primary source and appreciate how the discourse of global unity was argued in the early twentieth century. When reading, pay attention to the speech context and the recurring core metaphors, and avoid extracting only slogan-like sentences.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying Bahá'í thought and comparative religion
Those concerned with peace thought, global ethics, and cross-cultural dialogue
Researchers needing early twentieth-century religious speech texts as sources
General readers interested in the relationship between spiritual principles and social reform

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting strictly annotated and textually verified scholarly editions
Readers hoping for plot-driven narrative or literary works
Readers clearly averse to religious exhortative style

Reading tips

Read by theme: start with the oneness of humanity and the elimination of prejudice, then move to chapters on peace and education.
Mark recurring core metaphors and argument patterns as you read to grasp the whole more easily.
Read alongside contemporaneous peace movement or religious reform materials to understand the speech context.
After each section, restate the main claims in two or three sentences to test whether you have truly understood the argument.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is the core claim of this book?

The core claim centers on the oneness of humanity and world unity, emphasizing the elimination of prejudice, harmony between religion and science, justice, and peace education, and translating spiritual principles into a practical direction for social reform.

Which religious tradition does it belong to?

The author, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, is a major figure in the Bahá'í Faith, and this book belongs to Bahá'í thought literature. It should be read within the history and speech context of that tradition, not as a neutral philosophical treatise.

Can I read it without a religious background?

Yes. The discussions of prejudice, peace, and education have broad general relevance, but readers must accept the exhortative religious style. If you care only about social theory, focus on the chapters on justice and cooperation.

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About the author

‘Abdu’l-Bahá Author · Iranian · 1844–1921

‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844–1921), born ‘Abbás Effendi in Tehran, Iran, was a leading figure of the Bahá’í Faith and the eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh. After long imprisonment in ‘Akká, he was released in 1908 and subsequently traveled to Egypt, Europe, and the United States to spread Bahá’í teachings. His works address doctrinal exposition, ethical exhortation, and memorials of figures of the faith. Representative titles include Memorials of the Faithful, Paris Talks, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, Tablets of the Divine Plan, and Some Answered Questions, along with compiled or translated texts such as Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. His writing, often in the form of talks, letters, and answers to questions, is plain and hortatory in tone and had a profound influence on the spread of the Bahá’í Faith in Europe and America. He died in Haifa in 1921.