The Origins of Freemasonry

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

7 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/22/2009

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Humanities/philosophy

Oboulo.com selection criteria

$ 14.95 Add to cart

Summary :

Introduction
Operative masons and freemasonry
Freemasons and the Knights Templar
1. Origins of the Knights Templar
2. Beyond the Holy Land
3. Templars and Freemasons
Metaphysical thought in Europe
Conclusion
Bibliography

Abstract

Freemasons have been a focus of interest for centuries, partly because of their secrecy, and partly because they have been linked to esoteric and secret knowledge. One of the most common questions asked about freemasonry is, how did it begin? It may surprise some that this question is hotly debated within freemasonry itself. There are two traditional theories. The first is that Freemasons are a continuation of the trade guilds of medieval builders, and the second is that the Freemasons are a secret continuation of the Knights Templar from the fourteenth century. A more recent and probably more historically based theory is that freemasonry arises out of a combination of various strains of metaphysical or occult thought that came together in seventeenth-century Europe, which could have included ideas brought to Europe by the early masons and Templars. The most likely correct answer to the question of where freemasonry came from is "all of the above." It is likely that all of the influences that have been claimed by Freemasons and scholars-the mason guilds, the Knights Templar, and metaphysical thought-had an influence on the development of freemasonry.Operative Masons and freemasonry
Stonemasons involved in the building trade are called operative masons, while Freemasons are called speculative Masons. In antiquity stonemasonry was not a simple trade, but developed into a fine art in the Greek and Roman cultures. Vitruvius, a Roman architect and thinker of the first century BCE, created what he called the orders of architecture, and his work and writings on architecture were influenced by the Dionysian mystery tradition. Vitruvius believed that in addition to possessing technical skills, architects should be students of philosophy, music, astrology, and similar subjects. The ideas of Vitruvius and his successors were transmitted into Europe when the Roman Empire was extended there. Stonemasons had different levels of expertise.