ALBERT PIKE

Interesting reading. No, I have not read Morals & Dogma, but have put it on my "things to read" list.


www.masonicinfo.com...

"If one were to estimate, the numbers would likely be as follows:

Out of the next 100 men who join Masonry world-wide, less than 10 will obtain (either through purchase or from a library) Pike's Morals and Dogma.
Out of those 10, perhaps 8 will actually pick it up to read. (Others will have received it as a gift from a relative or mentor - and simply aren't interested.)
Out of those 8, perhaps 3 will actually finish reading it. (It is, after all, over 900 pages long and has an index of over 200 pages. When's the last time YOU read a book with over 1,100 pages???)
Out of the 3 who actually finish, perhaps one will feel he understands it!"

Agreed. Albert Pike has nowhere near the attraction elsewhere in the world that he does in the US.

I personally know of only one Freemason over here in the UK who has had a copy. And he hasn't read it.

I found an online copy here..

www.freemasons-freemasonry.com...

Quite interesting.

I must disagree with Bro. King (the webmaster of Masonic Info) on this subject. It presents, IMO, a false start on Pike, by insinuating that he�s too difficult to understand by us mere mortals, so we shouldn�t even try!

Pike was a philosopher, and wrote in the language of a philosopher. Now, for one not formally trained in philosophy, his writing may indeed seem strangely worded at times. But his style is no different from other 19th century philosophers, nor is he more difficult to understand than Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Hegel, or any other of the great modern philosophers.

Dr. Jim Tresner, 33�, Grand Cross, wrote a biography called �Albert Pike: The Man Behind The Monument�, wherein he opens the book with:

I�d like you to meet a friend. His name was Albert Pike, and he knew how to live!
Generally, people seem to react to Albert Pike in one of three ways. One group (which usually has not read Pike) says �Ah, Pike!� and then assumes a pose of silent rapture, supposedly at Pike�s overwhelming greatness but actually so no one can ask them anything about him.
The second, larger group says, �Uck, Pike!� and then stomps off. They haven�t read Pike either, but everyone�s told them he�s too hard to understand, so why try?
The third group HAS read Pike, and they say, �Wow! What a man!�

I believe that Brother Tresner is absolutely correct. Contrary to Pike�s critics, I do not believe we moderners are too ignorant to understand Pike�s great works, and his books are meant to be read, not used to take up space and dust on the bookshelf.

Fiat Lvx.


[edit on 3-7-2004 by Masonic Light]

I read a few pages from the 32 degree section of the link I posted (well I had to jump straight to the juicy bits didn't I? ), and it all seemed pretty straight forward. It' easy to see the writing style of the time as you say, Masonic Light.

I may have a proper look sometime.

Originally posted by muppet
I found an online copy here..

www.freemasons-freemasonry.com...

Quite interesting.

Thank you so much for the link! I read the Apprentice section with no difficulty, and must say, gained light.

Have the site bookmarked and will revisit until I complete the entire work.

Thanks again...

Yeah, ATS has a lot of discussion on Albert Pike. Why not grab an older thread and revive an earlier discussion by contributing information.

Here, check these out: albert pike on ats

cheers
ktpr