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'''Humaneness''' is, in Martinus' terminology, the developing faculty by which a living being relates to other living beings with understanding, justice and love. He identifies it with [[Neighbourly love|neighbourly love]]: the practical manifestation of understanding, true justice and equal rights for every individual, state and nation.{{ref|LB3|909}}

Humaneness is the characteristic of the emerging human being. It opposes [[Egoism|egoism]], hatred, revenge and the [[Killing principle|killing principle]], and directs the individual towards the benefit of other living beings. Terrestrial mankind contains beings at many stages of this development. Martinus also describes [[Humanitarianism|humanitarianism]] as a scale of humane qualities: the lower the stage, the more behaviour resembles that of an animal, while love becomes the foundation of higher guidance and culture.{{ref|LB4|1367}}{{ref|LB2|605}}

Martinus presents humaneness not only as an ethical rule but also as an inner direction in human development. Although people have very different ideas about how happiness is achieved, he says that they share a dissatisfaction with their present condition and a longing for something more perfect. This longing increasingly takes the form of humaneness and becomes a goal of humanity's highest ideals.{{ref|LB3|910}}

== Humaneness and the animal principle ==

In Martinus' analysis, the [[Animal-kingdom|animal kingdom]] is governed by self-preservation. Egoism is a necessary virtue there because the animal must protect itself and its offspring. Terrestrial human beings still carry this inheritance, but egoism increasingly conflicts with their developing morality and desire for another kind of existence.{{ref|LB2|520}}

The animal kingdom is the domain of the killing principle. The terrestrial human being is still subject to it, but is no longer an animal in its pure form because resistance to the animal state has begun to arise in consciousness.{{ref|LB5|1768}} Martinus describes an animal or anti-humanistic side and a humanistic side in the terrestrial psyche. The latter enables the being to combat its animal tendencies through humane understanding and conduct.{{ref|LB4|1529}}

One transition stage is the condition Martinus calls ill-temper. As feeling and reasoning begin to restrain the killing impulse, aggression may no longer be released as direct violence but can appear as irritability, insults and anger. In this sense, the developing human being has not yet achieved peace, but has begun to differ from the animal by having more feeling and by being unable simply to kill.{{ref|LB2|334}}

Humaneness is also visible in social institutions. Humane laws, hospitals, schools, public services, peace movements, conscientious objection and protection of animals are described as expressions of human tendencies. Martinus nevertheless calls these tendencies embryonic: present society is a mixture of humanitarianism and animal or heathen tendencies, not the finished human kingdom.{{ref|TEWP 2|25.2}} Force and military power cannot create the peace they claim to defend, because superior force reproduces hatred rather than love.{{ref|TEWP 2|25.3}}

== Development through suffering ==

Humaneness is not created by theoretical instruction alone. Martinus describes [[Suffering|suffering]] as an inner process through which experiences of darkness are transformed into the faculty of humaneness. This transformation makes the being capable of receiving theoretical education and gradually develops into all-embracing neighbourly love.{{ref|TEWP 3|33.63}}

Suffering refines feeling. Through experiences of war, violence and oppression, the being develops an increasing distaste for the mentality that caused them. Through successive physical and spiritual lives, the animal-like human being is transformed into a more perfect human being, and humane nature gains power over animal nature.{{ref|LB4|1367}}

In Martinus' account of [[Karma]] and [[Reincarnation]], actions have consequences that return to the individual, including across previous lives. He says that beings may not remember the earlier causes of an unhappy fate, but that the experience can nevertheless develop sympathy and humaneness. The effects of an action do not disappear because the being cannot remember it.{{ref|TEWP 3|33.64}}

[[Compassion|Compassion]] is an early expression of this development. Feeling gives rise to the urge to help living beings in need, while [[Intelligence|intelligence]] regulates that urge so that it becomes logical. Harmoniously regulated sympathy is what Martinus calls love.{{ref|short book 10|2.2}}{{ref|LB2|455}}

== Feeling, intelligence and intuition ==

A highly developed human being can perceive other beings' sorrow, joy, suffering and unhappiness. Because feeling is brought into harmony with intelligence, the being's response is no longer merely impulsive sympathy but a conscious and logically regulated expression of love. Martinus calls this combination [[High intellectuality|high intellectuality]].{{ref|short book 12|2.3}}{{ref|short book 12|2.4}}

Humaneness also prepares the development of [[Intuition|intuition]]. Martinus says that when the faculty of humaneness has become strong enough that the individual no longer has the heart to do evil, would rather suffer than let others suffer, and no longer responds with anger or bitterness, intuition begins to develop. Together with humaneness and intelligence, it makes cosmic sensory perception possible.{{ref|TEWP 1|4.5}}

Martinus describes intuition as a faculty that gives cosmic glimpses. Such glimpses develop in proportion to the growth of humaneness and intuition; they may make realities such as God or immortality personally experienced for the individual.{{ref|TEWP 2|22.12}}

In ordinary terrestrial people, humane and sympathetic power is still largely theoretical and dependent on conscious will, whereas anger and violence may be habitual functions. The development of humaneness means that the light tendencies gradually become natural and independent.{{ref|LB2|458}}

== Practical expressions ==

As examples of humane tendencies, Martinus points to relief work, hospitals, social support, education, public protection and cultural institutions that protect, support or promote the life of other beings. He describes these human tendencies as embryonic in relation to the finished human kingdom.{{ref|LB5|1754}}{{ref|TEWP 2|25.2}}

The principle also applies to animals. As the humane faculty develops, the being becomes unable to regard the suffering and killing of animals with indifference. Martinus describes abstaining from animal food for humane reasons as an expression of neighbourly love and a movement away from the killing principle.{{ref|TEWP 4|38.8}}

Humaneness has a collective expression in the desire for [[World peace|world peace]]. Martinus warns that war may be presented as the defence of humaneness while remaining opposed to the ideal it claims to serve.{{ref|LB3|916}}

== Forgiveness and enmity ==

A central expression of humaneness is [[Forgiveness|forgiveness]]. Understanding that cruel actions arise from mental blindness and unfinished consciousness gradually replaces indignation, hatred and revenge with a refusal to cause further suffering.{{ref|short book 10|1.14}}

The road to cosmic consciousness therefore goes through training in forgiveness. Martinus says that one must learn to forgive those who have caused injustice or destroyed one's joy of life, including enemies who can at least be admitted into one's thoughts and heart.{{ref|short book 10|1.15}}

Christ's conduct is presented as the model. His forgiveness of his executioners and refusal to retaliate show the difference between might and love. Punishment and revenge cannot lead to happiness; the humane response is to understand the unfinished mentality of the persecutor and not reproduce the same darkness.{{ref|short book 17|4.13}}

== The real human kingdom ==

Martinus places humaneness in the transition from the dark zone of the [[Spiral-cycle|spiral cycle]] to the real human kingdom. Terrestrial mankind has become increasingly satiated with the ideals of killing and increasingly hungry for humaneness, fellow-feeling and peace. This hunger is expressed in the cry for lasting peace and leads towards the next kingdom of the spiral cycle.{{ref|LB4|1581}}{{ref|LB3|910}}

The real human kingdom is the culmination of light on the physical plane and the domain of neighbourly love expressed through art, knowledge, cooperation and culture. War, persecution, massacre and revenge belong to the former animal-oriented epoch.{{ref|LB4|1553}}

Martinus states that the absolute human kingdom does not yet exist on Earth. In his spiral-cycle model, it is a future kingdom resulting from the development of neighbourly love together with the reduction and cessation of egoism.{{ref|TEWP 1|12.2}}

At the level of the perfected human being, putting the neighbour first replaces the struggle to put oneself first. Humaneness then becomes more than an ideal or effort: the individual's highest happiness consists in being of advantage to the neighbour, a condition Martinus connects with being in contact with life and with the Father.{{ref|short book 10|2.19}} In its completed form, humaneness is universal love: the being no longer lives by taking life from its surroundings, but by giving life and promoting the joy of other living beings.{{ref|short book 10|2.20}}

== See also ==
* [[Neighbourly love]]
* [[Karma]]
* [[Reincarnation]]
* [[Cosmic consciousness]]
* [[The Eternal World Picture]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

Humaneness - Revision history

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