| One of the principles or tenets of Bahá'í social teaching, it includes the abolition of extremes of wealth and poverty, to be achieved through taxation as well as the spiritual transformation of attitudes so that the rich engage in philanthropy from inner conviction. 'The essence of the matter', said 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 'is that divine justice will become manifest in human conditions and affairs, and all mankind will find comfort and enjoyment in life. It is not meant that all will be equal, for inequality in degree and capacity is a property of nature. Necessarily there will be rich people and also those who will be in want of their livelihood, but in the aggregate community there will be equalization and readjustment of values and interests. In the future there will be no very rich nor extremely poor.'1 One of the institutions established to bring this principle into effect is the Ḥuqúqu'lláh. |
| The Bahá'í Faith provides the spiritual stimulus and framework necessary for the complete restructuring of human society, of which economics is a part. It does not provide a complete economic system or programme of reform: 'There are practically no technical teachings on economics in the Cause, such as banking, the price system, and others. The Cause is not an economic system . . . The contribution of the Faith to this subject is essentially indirect, as it consists of the application of spiritual principles to our present-day economic system. Bahá'u'lláh has given us a few basic principles which should guide future Bahá'í economists in establishing such institutions which will adjust the economic relationships of the world . . . '2 |
| However, there are several practical solutions to specific economic problems to be found in the Bahá'í Writings, such as the creation of a general storehouse of agricultural goods for a community, profit-sharing, the voluntary sharing of one's property with others, the redistribution of wealth so that there are no extremes of wealth and poverty, justice in opportunity,3 graduated taxation, recognition of the importance of agriculture and the abolition of war. |
| [BD 74] |
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