Moral and Intellectual Progress by Georges (spirit)

Moral and Intellectual

Progress

Introduction and Comments by Alexa Pietro

This is a message of the Spirit Georges, published in the

Spiritist Review in 1861. Many of Georges’ messages were
published in the Spiritist Review, and he used to communicate
in the Society of Bordeaux.

This message is very useful and current for talking about the
importance of moral and intellectual evolution in our lives.

Moral and Intellectual Progress

(Sent by Mr. Sabó, from Bordeaux.)

I come to tell you that moral

progress is more useful to achieve,
because it corrects our bad tendencies, and makes
us good, charitable and devoted towards our
brothers.

Jacob’s ladder by William Blake

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 Moral and Intellectual Progress by Georges (spirit)
However, intellectual progress is also useful for our
development, because it elevates the soul, makes us
judge our actions more properly, and this way it
eases the moral progress; it initiates us in the
teaching that God sent to us centuries ago through
many men of various qualities, who came in all forms
and in all languages, to make us know the truth, and
who were nothing less than already advanced
Spirits, sent by God for the development of human
understanding.
But, the time you live in, the light that didn’t shine
but over a small number, will shine for everyone.
Work, then, to understand the greatness, the
power, the majesty, God’s justice; to understand
the sublime beauty of his works; to understand the
magnificent rewards given to the good, and the
punishments given to the evil; to understand, at
last, that the only objective you must
pursue, is that of getting closer to him.
Georges, Bishop of Périgueux and of Sarlat
Excerpt from Allan Kardec’s Spiritist Review, May 1861. Version in
Portuguese available at: http://www.autoresespiritasclassicos.com/
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This message shows that one kind of evolution can’t exist
without the other. According to the doctrine, in a lifetime,
each one of us has for aim working one of these two aspects
more intensely than the other.
The Spirits’ Book has more details:
779. Does man contain in himself
the force that impels him onward in
the path of progress, or is his
progress only the product of instruction?
“Man is developed of himself, naturally. But all men
do not progress at the same rate, nor in the same
manner; and it is thus that most advances are made
to help forward the others, through social contact.”
780. Does moral progress always follow
intellectual progress?
“It is a consequence of the latter, but does not
always follow it immediately.”
a) — How can intellectual progress lead to moral
progress?
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 Moral and Intellectual Progress by Georges (spirit)

present day, abundant encouragement; and it has

“By making man comprehend good and evil; he can accordingly reached a degree of advancement
then choose between them. The development of unknown to past ages.
free-will follows the development of the
intelligence and increases the responsibility of The second is very far from having reached the
human action.” same point; although, if we compare the social
usages of periods separated by a few centuries, we
b) — How comes it, then, that the most are compelled to admit that progress has also been
enlightened nations are often the most made in this direction.
perverted?
Why then should the
“Complete and integral progress is the aim of ascensional movement
existence; but nations, like individuals, only leach it stop short in the
step by step. Until the moral sense is developed in region of morality any
them, they may even employ their intelligence in more than of
doing evil. Moral sense and intellect are two forces intelligence? Why
which only arrive at equilibrium in the long run.” should there not be as
(365-751) great a difference
between the morality
(Allan Kardec's comments) of the nineteenth and
There are two kinds of progress, that mutually aid the twenty-fourth
one another, and yet do not proceed side by side centuries as between
intellectual progress, and moral progress. Among that of the fourteenth
civilised peoples the first is receiving, at the and the nineteenth?

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 Moral and Intellectual Progress by Georges (spirit)

progress, parents and relatives only offer children what they

To doubt of the continuity of moral progress would
be to assume either that the human race reached
the summit of perfection, which would be
absurd, or that it is not morally
perfectible, which is disproved by
experience.
have, society doesn’t encourage it, and for media it is
counterproductive to promote it… Should it be surprising that
things are the way they are?
Let us strive to develop both morally and intellectually,
restraining our instincts, changing our flaws, becoming
inquisitive about everything we are taught, only this way we
will know what is like to be free.

Excerpt from Allan Kardec’s Spirits’ Book. Part 3, Chapter 8, The Law of
Progress. Source: http://www.sgny.org/main/books.htm

Even more than at the Codifier’s time, we can see nowadays

the considerable changes that happened in society worldwide,
For more articles, book excerpts, PDF's and videos about Spiritualism,
in comparison to the past. Who doesn’t see these Spiritism, Philosophy, Science and Art, visit:
improvements, must study some history, avoiding the http://aboutspiritandmind.blogspot.com
blindness of pessimism… We are still far, very far from an http://www.scribd.com/Spirit%20Texts
ideal society, but no one can deny the changes that are
Also available n Portuguese.
happening throughout the world.

As Allan Kardec says above, intellectual progress is still the
most encouraged one, and each act of violence, disrespect,
immorality shows how present education is faulty, especially
because the moral aspect is never taught.
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People only show morality if they learned it in their family, if

they have shown moral tendencies since the beginning, or if
they decide to moralize themselves of their own accord. And
such people are still a reduced number in comparison to the
huge number of people who don’t find any support to have a
positive attitude, after all, education doesn’t focus on moral

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