Microeconomics, thus far

I am taking a microeconomics course this term and started writing a paper about the Baha'i idea of it; I started writing it hoping to use it for a paper this term but found out I would not be able to, which I do not mind because I was still able to gather relevant quotes about it and organize my Baha'i thinking around the subject. Any thoughts and quotes one knows related to the subject would be VERY MUCH appreciated to help me survive this semester with my soul intact and GPA alive.



Bahá'u'lláh, Prophet-Founder of the Bah á'í  Faith, said that "arts, crafts, and sciences uplift the world of being, and are conducive to its exaltation" and allowed the charging of interest (need reference) and so generally supported economic entrepreneurship. His Son, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Who He appointed as His interpreter after His death, exhorted that an international law should be established that one-fifth of all of the profits of a company be distributed among the people working in the company so that "the employee may strive with his soul in the work." (Abdu'l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p. 43) and the remaining four-fifths of the income should belong to the capitalists and states that their rights should be protected by laws. It calls for everyone to engage in productive work and the economic life of society, to the degree of prohibiting monasticism and stating that "the best of men are they that earns a livelihood by their calling"  (Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words); in that same statement it also emphasizes the importance and upholds the naturalness of each person pursuing a specialized occupation; the Faith also supposes that all elements of life are interdependent (Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 77), upholds the "oneness and wholeness of the human race", and testify that "every soul [has] its particular aspiration." (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 212) and enforcing this implication of each individual engaging specialized work is the fact that specialization of labor is a move away from the animal condition and He said that "to behave like the beasts of the field is not befitting man, who has been created to occupy so exalted a station." These Writings also imply that man has free-will, which the Faith explicitly upholds (Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 247).

Addressing labor resources: 'Abdu'l-Bahá said that "education is essential and all standards of training and teaching throughout the world of mankind should be brought into conformity and agreement; a universal curriculum should be established and the basis of ethics be the same," He also said that all children in the world should by taught by that curriculum (Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í  World Faith - Abdu'l-Bahá Section, p. 240), enjoined the creation of universities "for the study of high sciences." (Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í  World Faith - Abdu'l-Bahá Section, p. 416), said that "Partaking of knowledge and education is one of the requisites of religion." (Abdu'l-Bahá, Divine Philosophy, p. 26), and upheld that "ignorance and lack of education are barriers of separation among mankind" (Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 300). Addressing capitol resources: Bahá'u'lláh said that "special regard must be paid to agriculture. Although it hath been mentioned in the fifth place [among five principles], unquestionably it precedeth the others," (Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 90) that "the knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with words," (Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 26) 'Abdu'l-Bahá said that the science of medicine is "extremely useful," (Lights of Guidance, p. 285), and The Universal House of Justice, the elected international head of the Bahá'í  Faith ordained by Bahá'u'lláh, said some of the outcomes and purposes of the establishment of universal peace would be the extensions of "the range of human inventions and technical development" and "scientific research." (The Universal House of Justice, The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh, p. xii) Addressing land resources: The Universal House of Justice upholds "the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet." (The Universal House of Justice, The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh, p. xii)

Bahá'u'lláh states that "equity is the most fundamental among human virtues," that "the evaluation of all things must needs depend upon it," (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 202), and in explaining it that "if ye stay not the hand of the oppressor, if ye fail to safeguard the rights of the down-trodden, what right have ye then to vaunt yourselves among men? What is it of which ye can rightly boast? Is it on your food and your drink that ye pride yourselves, on the riches ye lay up in your treasuries, on the diversity and the cost of the ornaments with which ye deck yourselves? If true glory were to consist in the possession of such perishable things, then the earth on which ye walk must needs vaunt itself over you, because it supplieth you, and bestoweth upon you, these very things, by the decree of the Almighty. In its bowels are contained, according to what God hath ordained, all that ye possess. From it, as a sign of His mercy, ye derive your riches. Behold then your state, the thing in which ye glory! Would that ye could perceive it!"  (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 252) He also, speaking to the poor, said that "this is a duty which, in this most great Revelation, hath been prescribed unto every one, and is accounted in the sight of God as a goodly deed. Whoso observeth this duty, the help of the invisible One shall most certainly aid him." and, speaking to the rich, said "know ye that the poor are the trust of God in your midst. Watch that ye betray not His trust, that ye deal not unjustly with them and that ye walk not in the ways of the treacherous." In those and in stating He provides for the utmost of efficiency and also, in a novel thought, ensures that no labor resources are lost or reduced in their capacity because of difficult circumstances, as such the lack of food currently inhibiting the progress of about one-sixth of the earth's population (The United Nations World Food Program, http://www.wfp.org/hunger ); for example, a person who works as a shoe-maker who comes upon hard times would be able to continue working as such while being supported by the rich until the situation becomes better or he or she becomes trained in another occupation. This also implies that there is a certain level of human's basic needs beyond which thinking about oneself is not a requirement, which is reinforced by His statement: "be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity."

Bahá'u'lláh supports the concept a market economy in which individuals and corporations maintain its equilibrium. He said "ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth goodly and wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves and others may profit therefrom." (Bahá'u'lláh, The Persian Hidden Words, 80) and that "that which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment." (Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 26). Regarding justice, he said "O SON OF SPIRIT! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes." (Bahá'u'lláh, The Arabic Hidden Words) which implies that each and every individual must investigate the value of things for him or herself. He establishes the concept of value in all things, including types of work done, saying "Your nails and eyes are both parts of your bodies. Do ye regard them of equal rank and value? If ye say, yea; say, then: ye have indeed charged with imposture, the Lord, my God, the All-Glorious, inasmuch as ye pare the one, and cherish the other as dearly as your own life." (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 188) He said "O people of Baha! It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in some occupation -- such as a craft, a trade or the like." (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 30) and that "We have exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God"; (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 30) He also said that "whoso observeth this duty, the help of the invisible One shall most certainly aid him" (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 202) and that "results depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient unto you." (Bahá'u'lláh, The Persian Hidden Words)

The Faith also speaks about the need for government regulations and personal choices in economic decisions as Bahá'u'lláh said "As the body of man needeth a garment to clothe it, so the body of mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom." (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 81) It gives a framework for the importance of different decisions, in such statements as "waste not your hours in idleness and sloth, but occupy yourselves with what will profit you and others" and "the most despised of men in the sight of God are they who sit and beg. Hold ye fast unto the cord of means and place your trust in God, the Provider of all means." (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 30) and by the Founder's announcing that His son was the perfect Exemplar of all of the virtues He had enjoined upon us (The Universal House of Justice, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 3), thus providing both His Writings and a living Image by which we could weigh decisions. It also says that "Should anyone acquire one hundred mithqals of gold, nineteen mithqals thereof are God's" (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas) to be given to an elected body who should "Take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly." (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 29), that "in it there are benefits and wisdoms beyond the ken of anyone but God, the Omniscient, the All-Informed." (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 55) and states that in ordaining that law God "hath desired to purify what ye possess and to enable you to draw nigh unto such stations as none can comprehend save those whom God hath willed." (Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 55) It also encourages giving if one has the means and that "O MY SERVANT! The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all worlds." (Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words) Its Writings also say that "We must be like the fountain or spring that is continually emptying itself of all that it has and is continually being refilled from an invisible source." (Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 32). In terms of government, 'Abdu'l-Bahá said "it is impossible for a country to live properly without laws. To solve this problem rigorous laws must be made, so that all the governments of the world will be the protectors thereof." (Abdu'l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p. 43)


Bahá'u'lláh holds everyone to uphold and advance these virtues by saying that "The Pen of the Most High hath decreed and imposed upon every one the obligation to teach this Cause." (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 313) 'Abdu'l-Bahá said that "Some men and women glory in their exalted thoughts, but if these thoughts never reach the plane of action they remain useless: the power of thought is dependent on its manifestation in deeds." (Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 18) and Bahá'u'lláh provided the measures by which we can judge our actions with the Words "Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other" (Bahá'u'lláh, The Arabic Hidden Words) and "blessed is he who prefers his brother before himself" (Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í  World Faith, p. 184).  Bahá'u'lláh also said that "the betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct" (qtd. by Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 24) and 'Abdu'l-Bahá assured us that "as we work, so will strength be given unto us." (Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 54)

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P.S. A further thought: if one person has sufficient means they will give to the local fund in order for it to be distributed among others in need, through the channels of the dependencies to the Mashriqu'l-Ahdkar: the school and orphanage, the hospital, the dispensary, the hostel, the university, and the home for the aged. If the local fund has money left over, that will transfer up to the national fund, and can transfer back down to communities in nedd, and if a national fund has money left over, that will transfer up to the international fund, from which funds will transfer back down to those countries and communities in need, keeping the whole world in equilibrium as all "carry forward an ever-advancing civilization."