Bahá'í Faith and auxiliary language
Encyclopedia
The Bahá'í Faith
teaches that the world should adopt an international auxiliary language
, which people would use in addition to their mother tongue. The aim of this teaching is to improve communication and foster unity among peoples and nations. The Bahá'í teachings state, however, that the international auxiliary language should not suppress existing natural languages, and that the concept of unity in diversity must be applied to preserve cultural distinctions.
. The Bahá'í teachings see improved communication
between peoples throughout the world as a vital part of world unity and peace
. The Bahá'í teachings
see the current multiplicity of languages as a major impediment to unity, since the existence of so many languages cuts the free flow of information and makes it difficult for the average individual to obtain a universal perspective on world events.
Bahá'u'lláh
, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, writing in the Tablet of Ishráqát and Tablet of Maqsúd, taught that the lack of a common language is a major barrier to world unity since the lack of communication between peoples of different languages undermines efforts toward world peace due to misunderstandings of language; he urged that humanity should choose an auxiliary language that would be taught in schools in addition to one's own native language, so that people could understand one another. He stated that until an auxiliary language is adopted, complete unity between the various parts of the world would continue to be unrealized. `Abdu'l-Bahá
, the son of the founder of the religion, called the promotion of the principle of the international auxiliary language "the very first service to the world of man" and its realization as "the greatest achievement of the age in conferring profit and pleasure on mankind."
Bahá'u'lláh stressed, however, that the auxiliary language
should not suppress existing natural languages, and that the concept of unity in diversity must be applied to languages. The Bahá'í teachings state that cultural heterogeneity is compatible with unity, and that the Bahá'í teaching of unity requires the embracing of cultural
diversity since humanity is enriched by the various cultures throughout the world. The Bahá'í teachings state that having an international auxiliary language would remove the pressure from the natural aggrandizement of majority language groups and thus preserve minority languages, since each person would keep their own mother-tongue, and thus minority cultures.
, nor any of the various Bahá'í authorities
, have specified which language should be used as the auxiliary language. The predominant language of the time is not necessarily to be used as the default auxiliary language. Instead, the Bahá'í teachings are that the auxiliary language is to be selected or invented by the world's parliaments
and rulers, placing the language in the hands of language planners. Bahá'u'lláh stated that a "world language will either be invented or chosen from among existing languages" and:
Various Bahá'í leaders have made various comments to certain languages and qualities. `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi
made references that potential auxiliary languages be simple and be easy to learn. `Abdu'l-Bahá also praised the ideal of Esperanto
, a constructed language, and there was an affinity between Esperantists and Bahá'ís during the late 19th century and early 20th century. While `Abdu'l-Bahá encouraged people to learn Esperanto, he never stated that it should become the auxiliary language. Also both Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice
, the governing body of the Bahá'ís, emphasized that there is no official Bahá'í endorsement of Esperanto as the international auxiliary language. Today there exists an active sub-community of Bahá'í Esperantists; the Bahá'í Esperanto-League
was founded in 1973, and Lidia Zamenhof
, daughter of Esperanto founder L.L. Zamenhof, was a Bahá'í.
The selection of the existing language or the creation of a new one
each have their advantages; the selection of an existing language allows for a certain portion of the world's population to have already learnt it, but using an invented language would have the advantage of being emotionally neutral.
The Bahá'í teachings see minority group
members as full members of the broader society, and thus see the need for unique cultural needs. Language is strongly attached to culture and the prospect of the extinction of languages to non-dominant languages and cultures is undesirable. The Bahá'í teaching of oneness of humankind retains an emphasis on diversity, and minority cultural rights become a matter of cultural justice, and language rights are seen a subset of those cultural rights. In Bahá'í literature, one's mother tongue is described as "the most profound characteristic of a people", "the garment of the spirit of the people", the "native air which we need for living and dying, which surrounds us from cradle to grave, which is and remains our most personal property."
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
teaches that the world should adopt an international auxiliary language
International auxiliary language
An international auxiliary language or interlanguage is a language meant for communication between people from different nations who do not share a common native language...
, which people would use in addition to their mother tongue. The aim of this teaching is to improve communication and foster unity among peoples and nations. The Bahá'í teachings state, however, that the international auxiliary language should not suppress existing natural languages, and that the concept of unity in diversity must be applied to preserve cultural distinctions.
Teaching and purpose
The teachings of the Bahá'í Faith have a strong focus on the unity of humankindBahá'í Faith and the unity of humanity
The Bahá'í Faith and the unity of humanity is one of the central teachings of the Bahá'í Faith. The Bahá'í teachings state that since all humans have been created in the image of God, God does not make any distinction between people regardless of race or colour. Thus, because all humans have been...
. The Bahá'í teachings see improved communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
between peoples throughout the world as a vital part of world unity and peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
. The Bahá'í teachings
Bahá'í teachings
The Bahá'í teachings represent a considerable number of theological, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Bahá'í Faith by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, and clarified by successive leaders including `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son, and Shoghi Effendi, `Abdu'l-Bahá's...
see the current multiplicity of languages as a major impediment to unity, since the existence of so many languages cuts the free flow of information and makes it difficult for the average individual to obtain a universal perspective on world events.
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, writing in the Tablet of Ishráqát and Tablet of Maqsúd, taught that the lack of a common language is a major barrier to world unity since the lack of communication between peoples of different languages undermines efforts toward world peace due to misunderstandings of language; he urged that humanity should choose an auxiliary language that would be taught in schools in addition to one's own native language, so that people could understand one another. He stated that until an auxiliary language is adopted, complete unity between the various parts of the world would continue to be unrealized. `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
, the son of the founder of the religion, called the promotion of the principle of the international auxiliary language "the very first service to the world of man" and its realization as "the greatest achievement of the age in conferring profit and pleasure on mankind."
Bahá'u'lláh stressed, however, that the auxiliary language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
should not suppress existing natural languages, and that the concept of unity in diversity must be applied to languages. The Bahá'í teachings state that cultural heterogeneity is compatible with unity, and that the Bahá'í teaching of unity requires the embracing of cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
diversity since humanity is enriched by the various cultures throughout the world. The Bahá'í teachings state that having an international auxiliary language would remove the pressure from the natural aggrandizement of majority language groups and thus preserve minority languages, since each person would keep their own mother-tongue, and thus minority cultures.
Choice of language
Neither Bahá'í literatureBahá'í literature
Bahá'í literature, like much religious text, covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia...
, nor any of the various Bahá'í authorities
Bahá'í administration
The Bahá'í administration or Bahá'í administrative order refers to the administrative system of the Bahá'í Faith.It is split into two parts, the elected and the appointed...
, have specified which language should be used as the auxiliary language. The predominant language of the time is not necessarily to be used as the default auxiliary language. Instead, the Bahá'í teachings are that the auxiliary language is to be selected or invented by the world's parliaments
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and rulers, placing the language in the hands of language planners. Bahá'u'lláh stated that a "world language will either be invented or chosen from among existing languages" and:
Various Bahá'í leaders have made various comments to certain languages and qualities. `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
made references that potential auxiliary languages be simple and be easy to learn. `Abdu'l-Bahá also praised the ideal of Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
, a constructed language, and there was an affinity between Esperantists and Bahá'ís during the late 19th century and early 20th century. While `Abdu'l-Bahá encouraged people to learn Esperanto, he never stated that it should become the auxiliary language. Also both Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
, the governing body of the Bahá'ís, emphasized that there is no official Bahá'í endorsement of Esperanto as the international auxiliary language. Today there exists an active sub-community of Bahá'í Esperantists; the Bahá'í Esperanto-League
Bahá'í Esperanto-League
The Bahá'í Esperanto-League is the official organization of Bahá'ís who are Esperantists. It was founded on 19 March 1973 with the approval of the Universal House of Justice.- The Bahá'í Faith and Esperanto :...
was founded in 1973, and Lidia Zamenhof
Lidia Zamenhof
Lidia Zamenhof was the youngest daughter of Ludwig Zamenhof, the creator of the international auxiliary language, Esperanto. She was born 29 January 1904 in Warsaw, then in the Russian Empire...
, daughter of Esperanto founder L.L. Zamenhof, was a Bahá'í.
The selection of the existing language or the creation of a new one
Constructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
each have their advantages; the selection of an existing language allows for a certain portion of the world's population to have already learnt it, but using an invented language would have the advantage of being emotionally neutral.
Mother tongue and unity in diversity
The Bahá'í teaching on an auxiliary international language does not in any way envision the decline of any living language or culture, and does not mandate cultural uniformity. The Bahá'í teachings value and promote cultural diversity by stating that there should be unity in diversity. The term "auxiliary" in Bahá'í scripture means that the international language will be taught in addition to one's own mother tongue, and to be secondary to one's native language. As the auxiliary language is meant to be used for community-external, inter-community communication, it is functionally separate from ones primary language, and thus weakens its ability to compete with the primary language of one's culture, but still allows for reliable bridges to be created between communities.The Bahá'í teachings see minority group
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
members as full members of the broader society, and thus see the need for unique cultural needs. Language is strongly attached to culture and the prospect of the extinction of languages to non-dominant languages and cultures is undesirable. The Bahá'í teaching of oneness of humankind retains an emphasis on diversity, and minority cultural rights become a matter of cultural justice, and language rights are seen a subset of those cultural rights. In Bahá'í literature, one's mother tongue is described as "the most profound characteristic of a people", "the garment of the spirit of the people", the "native air which we need for living and dying, which surrounds us from cradle to grave, which is and remains our most personal property."