Exploring Abdu'l-Bahá's Insights on Strikes and Labor Movement within the Framework of an Integrated Global Economy

About: This paper explores ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s insights on strikes and the labor movement within the broader context of an integrated global economy, drawing on His writings, particularly Some Answered Questions, and situating them in the socio-economic transformations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Adopting a normative-prescriptive approach, the study examines how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá articulated a spiritually grounded, ethically oriented framework for resolving labor disputes, addressing inequality, and promoting social justice. Rather than offering technical economic solutions, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá emphasized the moral and spiritual transformation of individuals and society as the essential precondition for sustainable economic reform. The paper outlines three interrelated dimensions of His economic thought: (1) the ethical-spiritual foundation of economic life, (2) the integration of economic justice with broader principles of peace, unity, and education, and (3) specific teachings on moderation, profit-sharing, and the rights of workers and employers. Historical developments such as the rise of industrial capitalism, socialist movements, labor unions, and the failures of both unregulated capitalism and authoritarian communism are examined in light of His perspectives. This paper offers a philosophical and spiritual reinterpretation of labor, advancing a framework that seeks to identify core components of a theory of labor rooted in the Bahá’í worldview. Moving beyond conventional economic definitions, the concept of labor is examined through the lens of praxis, the dynamic interplay of thought and action that constitutes the essence of human identity and moral agency. Labor, in this view, is not merely a means of production or economic exchange, but a spiritual expression of purpose, responsibility, and social cooperation. The paper outlines five interdependent components of this spiritually grounded theory of labor: the substantive essence of value, reflective thought, purposeful action, instinctual motivation refined through education, and social ethics. Together, these dimensions elevate labor to a form of purposeful devotion and vocation, a catalyst for personal transformation, and a foundation for collective progress. By framing work as both a moral act and a social necessity, the paper argues that labor should be understood as integral to the pursuit of justice, the cultivation of spiritual capacities, and the realization of a cooperative and equitable global civilization. (from sabetbehrooz.academia.edu)