I have had this notion in my “mind since I first in school touched upon the topic of political theory had an idea about unpacking and examining the notions of politics within the masterwork and tome of the most notable Sovereign Grand Commander of Scottish Rite Freemasonry Albert Pike. And I with to begin this with a reference to a warning placed in the book itself from its preface. “"Everyone is free to reject and dissent from whatsoever herein may seem to him to be untrue or unsound. It is only required of him that he shall weigh what is taught, and give it a fair hearing and unprejudiced judgment."# It is in this spirit I commit to write this work. I write this as a method of weighing one topic in an immense philosophical tome that attempts to apply the symbols, symbolism, and themes of freemasonry to a broader purpose of the most grand masonic project: perfection of the self. Albert Pike was a man who had a lot of personal flaws which he found a need to improve himself on. He is the only General of the Confederate States of America to be honored with a monument in the United States Capital. # As a confederate General he commanded units of Native Americans, with whom his principle skills and not his skills as a general were used by the confederacy. He is accused of being one of the principle founders of the KKK (a topic of some dispute).# He was a noted lawyer, poet, Native American advocate#, Newspaper editor, and writer.# He was a prolific writer in an age where men of note are all prolific writers. He passed the entrance exam for Harvard at the age of 15.# He challenged the standards of education we take for granted today, he challenged the standards of law and power that we today would take for granted. A man of northern sympathies he fought for the south. A traitor to his country he ended up gaining presidential pardon. Before I examined the work I needed to introduce briefly the audience to the man who wrote it.
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http://www.masonicinfo.com/pike.htm
http://www.masonicinfo.com/pikestatue.htm
http://www.masonicinfo.com/kkk.htm
http://civilwarstudies.org/articles/Vol_5/pike.shtm
http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1737
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pike
