Spiritual Authority and Temporal Power
As was shown in the Doctrine of Castes, a person’s caste is the reflection of his nature, hence of his function in society. These functions, then, form a hierarchical relationship among each other. The first such relationship is that between Spiritual Authority, held by the Brahmins, and Temporal Power, held by the Kshatriyas. This differs from a theocracy, since the Brahmins hold no political power, but would serve instead as advisors to the Kshatriyas.
So, from one perspective, the Brahmins are superior to the Kshatriyas, yet from another perspective, the principles of spiritual authority, or wisdom, and temporal power, or strength, are two aspects of a more fundamental principle. Corresponding to these two castes are the roles of Pope (or High Priest) and Emperor (or King). When the fundamental principle is forgotten, the two roles are held by different men. Yet knowledge and action cannot be separated like that, just as the head that directs cannot be separated from the body that acts. Thus the two roles by right should be joined in a Philosopher King.
Guenon points out that in the story of the Magi-Kings bearing gifts, or in the idea of Christ being both Priest and King, the West was once aware of this unifying principle.
Brahmins
The social function of the Brahmins, or priesthood, is the conservation and transmission of traditional doctrine. Individually, the Brahmin is oriented toward achieving transhuman states, or the Transcendental Man. He follows the path of intellection, or Jana Yoga.
Kshatriyas
The Kshatriyas have two functions:
- Administrative and judicial directed toward the maintenance of internal order
- Military directed toward protecting the social organization from external threats
On the individual level, the Kshatriya is oriented toward the realization of all his possibilities in the human state, or the True Man. (A dim remembrance of this is in the motto of the US Army: “Be all that you can be”.) He follows the path of Bhakti Yoga, and is more emotive. Thus the Kshatriyas need to get “pumped up” with inspirational rhetoric and grand ideas, or else with anger against opponents.
Synarchy
In Synarchy, as described in Campanella’s City of the Sun, and developed more fully by Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, a third function is added, under the authority of the Vaishya caste. This is all economic activity of agriculture, trade, manufacture, medicine, and so on. Of course, this is subordinated to the spiritual authority and temporal order.
Servile Class
The Shudras, or servile class, is in some sense close to the Brahmin caste since it is the unconscious reflection of spiritual authority. Provided there is no false resentment resulting from outside agitation, the unconscious instincts of this caste correspond to the conscious intuitions of the Brahmins. If the teaching function is done well, what the Brahmin knows is identical to what the shudra believes by means of the myths and rites.
Degeneration of the Castes
This harmonious social order is the reflection of the cosmological Unity of Being. The degeneration of castes disturbs this harmony. The Kshatriyas may be unjust, thus creating internal disorder, or they may fail to protect against external threats. Note that these threats are not necessarily military, since they may come in other forms.
The Vaishyas may make economic gain the sole end, so they put their efforts into speculation rather than productive activity. They reject the spiritual teachings on usury, just prices and just wages. Through manipulation of capital they may concentrate wealth in a few hands rather than in a wider distribution. (This is not post facto “wealth redistribution”.)
The other castes may begin to spurn or mock the shudras, creating resentment. Their nous, or intelligence, is only virtual, so they follow the superior castes, which should have actual intelligence (as understood metaphysically). Once this arrangement is broken down, the erotic and thumotic drives lack any constraint.
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