Dr. A. K. Merchant*.
A central challenge facing people today—especially young people across cultures, religions, and nations— is making wise, mature choices amid rapid social change. Family breakdown, peer pressure, consumerism, the cult of individualism, and misleading social media or online content have made decision‑making difficult and confusing. In this context, understanding the nature of human liberty or exercise of free will becomes urgent.
Sacred Scriptures of religion aka dharma affirm that humans occupy a unique place in creation: made in the image of the Creator described as “best of creation”, sarva shreshta praani; ashraful makhlukat, endowed with the capacity to unravel the mysteries of the physical universe. Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, wrote: “All praise to the unity of God, and all honour to Him, the sovereign Lord, the incomparable and all-glorious Ruler of the universe, Who, out of utter nothingness, hath created the reality of all things,… Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him… Upon the inmost reality of each and every created thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self…”
Despite such a lofty position, why do human beings behave negatively? Aggression and conflict are so widespread aspect of daily living that most people have succumbed to the view that such behaviour is intrinsic to human nature and therefore ineradicable.
Followers of Bahá’i Faith, understand the duality of human nature. There is a lower, material aspect governed by instincts shared with animals, and a higher, spiritual aspect that seeks the presence of the Divine. The struggle between these natures explains much of human behaviour. Falling prey to base desires retards spiritual growth and produces suffering and societal turmoil. Cultivating the spiritual self—by resisting temptations and aligning one’s life with divine purpose—yields blessings for individuals and societies alike. The evolutionary path of humanity differs from that of other species. Humans evolve culturally and spiritually through the application of intelligence and moral choice, establishing institutions, creating legal frameworks that reflect advancement of civilizations to higher potentials.
Free will is one of the great mysteries of existence. Unlike other creatures, which are bound by instinct and habitat, humans possess thought, memory, language, intelligence, inter alia. Such capabilities allow people to probe nature’s laws, invent technologies, and reshape their environment—flying without wings, exploring ocean depths, and extending life through science and technology. Free will enable humans to choose whether to obey or transgress natural and moral laws, and it is through reason, disciplined effort and harmonious relationship among the three protagonists of the society namely individuals, communities, and institutions.
When exercised rightly, free will fuel progress; when misused, it brings harm. Absolute, unchecked freedom would undermine social order and collective well‑being. For this reason, a fair-minded examination of the actual utterances of the Founders of the great religions, and of the social milieus in which they were obliged to carry out their missions, provide vital clues for creating peaceful and prosperous societies. Had humanity seen these “Manifestations of God”, as agents of one civilizing process, revealing the Divine will, it would no doubt have reaped incalculably greater benefits from the cumulative effects of their successive missions.
A genuine search for truth, undertaken by each person, helps dispel ignorance—the root of many social ills. Embracing spiritual principles cultivates responsibility alongside rights, reminding people that privileges carry duties toward others.
Civilizational progress often occurs when people respond to the spiritual guidance of their age. Free will should be balanced with responsibility for the common good. From the perspective of the Bahá’í Faith, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh are the twin-manifestations for this Age of humanity’s collective maturity. Their teachings, when embraced after independent investigation, will heal divisions and foster justice, charity, and global unity.
The coming transformation depends greatly on the response of youth as well as the generality of humankind. Young people who internalize spiritual values and act on them can become the agents of change urgently needed to address contemporary crises. When communities prioritize justice, love, and the common good, enmity gives way to friendship and conflict yields to cooperation.
Millions have already committed their lives to sharing the message of unity and service. Those seeking remedies for the deep problems confronting nations may find in the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith a practical and moral framework for healing and progress.
As the new knowledge and latest positive advances in technology are applied with wisdom and compassion, obstacles to human flourishing can be overcome, and the ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam “One Planet, One Family, One Future” can be realized.
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*The writer is a social worker, an independent researcher, & member of the Bahá’i Community of India.
