The Idea of Interuniversalism

To form a healthy and lasting identity, the first step is understanding the nature of personal identity—every person must know who they are, where they’ve come from, and what role they are meant to play in the greater order of existence. Without possessing an inherent identity, no creature can exist within the coherent and interconnected system of being. This is because, within the structure of creation, everything finds meaning through its relationship with others, and no being can be defined independently and standing alone. Thus, identity is essential for presence within the system of existence; it’s a fundamental quality that stretches from the tiniest particle to the vast reaches of the cosmos, and is an inseparable part of every creature within the vast expanse of the universe.

Nowadays, many people have come to recognize their intellectual identity — yet they still fall short of reaching their insight and knowledge-based identity. Because of this, human relationships tend to revolve more around intellectual self-interest than around a deeper understanding of the truth of human nature and existence. In today’s world more than ever, amidst political, economic, social, and cultural crises, humanity finds itself in need of knowledge-seeking and spiritual inquiry—especially to preserve human identity, along with the noble integrity and dignity of humanity.

In an age when the dragon of science, with flames of artificial intelligence, stands on the verge of devouring humanity, the threat of falling into the depths of modern slavery feels more present than ever. This kind of slavery not only reduces the human being to a mere barcode, but also strips them of any true identity and meaning.

As the age of ‘Modern Slavery’ approaches—and the human being suddenly realizes they have lost everything and been reduced to an entity devoid of identity, known only by an ‘International Code,’ and valued no more than a number—they realize in disbelief, that they have lost their uniqueness, integrity, and decorum in the cosmos. It is only then that they realize what a profound and authentic identity they have lost—while unaware that returning to it was their only path to salvation. In this regard, as long as humanity fails to understand the philosophy of their creation, they will neither attain an authentic identity nor their true status.

Interuniversalism recognizes human rights beyond national borders and extending across the whole Earth. According to this perspective, the Earth’s resources and wealth are the shared heritage of all people and should not remain in the hands of a limited few. This perspective has emerged with the aim of rethinking human rights at a new level—the rights that not only seek to recognize human dignity but also lay the groundwork for a fairer and more humane world. Ultimately, the human being must live on Earth in a way that does not cause oppression and their manner of life does not sow the pain of inequality and longing in others and they should not fall victim to oppression, social injustice, or inequality either. On the other hand, the Interuniversalism approach emphasizes a free and liberated human being; a freedom that is not merely a slogan, but is embodied in everyday life.

If humankind reaches the understanding of the ‘Uni-body’, freedom will no longer carry a personal, ethnic, or tribal meaning. Instead, freedom finds its true meaning in the liberation of humanity from all forms of captivity, slavery, and domination of one human over another. Freedom that neglects human dignity and integrity will ultimately lead to the violation of the rights of some individuals and the destruction of the Earth and the environment. And in this way, humankind, in the name of freedom, once again finds themselves in captivity.

In this view, a free human being is someone who is not trapped by addiction, dependency, or false conditioning, and does not trade their dignity for earthly bonds. As long as humanity remains entangled in these dependencies, they cannot forge a stable and elevated identity for themselves; because they are constantly compelled to reshape their life around the demands born of their captivity.

Freedom, without ‘identity’, becomes destructive and fails to be constructive. True freedom requires the containment of undesirable elements; in other words: ‘Freedom is the control of undesirable and obstructive elements.

Freedom is a fundamental right of every human being. However, within a society, this right takes shape through certain boundaries and regulations designed to prevent conflicts and collisions between individual freedoms. For example, while everyone is free to park their car, that freedom comes with traffic rules and proper parking guidelines to ensure public order and protect the rights of others. Without such structure, the result would be disorder, disruption of others’ lives, and social tension.

Similarly, every individual has freedom over their own body, including the choice to drink alcohol. However, if that person decides to drive while intoxicated, they would endanger the lives of others. This is where the ‘Conflict of Freedoms’ Principle comes into play [asserting that]: no one’s freedom should threaten the freedom or life of another. This is where the law steps in to protect public interests and ensure the safety of society.

Individual freedom is meaningful only to the extent that it doesn’t infringe on public freedom. In other words, the freedom of the larger unit (society) takes precedence over that of the smaller unit (the individual), because social coexistence requires mutual respect for the rights of others. For instance, a person might engage in a certain behavior at home that is legally permitted, but the same behavior may not be acceptable in a public space because it would infringe on the rights of others. No one has the right to litter on the street, even if they do so in their own home, because such behavior deprives others of their right to a clean environment and may trigger legal consequences or public backlash.

True freedom doesn’t mean the absence of limits—it means shaping human relationships based on mutual respect and social order. It’s this order that safeguards human integrity and ensures a healthy, collective way of life. Therefore, all human beings have the right to a healthy environment, to modern and advanced human rights, and to a fair share in the Earth’s natural resources. They also have the right to live free from traditional and political forms of enslavement, as well as the modern, technological, and drug-related slavery.

While it may currently seem unlikely and unrealistic that the powerful elites of the world would allow such rights to be realized, we must understand that humanity will, sooner or later, awaken to a fundamental truth, that the Earth belongs to all. Those who benefit from this one-of-a-kind planet in the entire cosmos must recognize that all its inhabitants deserve an equal share in its blessings. Only then can poverty and the social problems arising from it, be eliminated from the face of the Earth.

As humankind journeys toward self-recognition, they come across various kinds of identity—all of which contribute to the formation of their overall identity. These include nominal, personal, familial, ethnic, racial, national, and even virtual identities. Among them, national identity, which reflects people’s nationality, is considered one of the most significant identity markers in human societies. In many instances, this type of identity may serve as a foundation for respect and human decency—or, on the contrary, it may become a cause of discrimination, degradation, and devaluation. Yet among these various layers of identity, there exists a more fundamental one that is often overlooked: “Global Identity”—that is, humanity’s existential belonging to the Earth. Out of countless galaxies and billions of planets, humanity inhabits a unique planet called the Earth; and this connection has shaped specific physical, mental, and psychological traits, which would have undoubtedly been different had they lived on another planet, like Mars or Jupiter.

Nevertheless, human kind has never become aware of their fundamental identity and has never recognized Earth as its true home. Their perspective has remained confined to the city and country, without realizing that before being a citizen of a nation, they are inhabitants of a single planet. Earth is our shared home; and if it faces any threat, the lives of all humans are at risk regardless of borders and nationalities. Despite all these realities, humanity has not been able yet to elevate their perspective to the level of “Cosmopolitan Identity” and realize that their unified body stands on the soil of a single homeland

From a more sublime perspective, the human being belongs to the cosmos and what is known as the universe. The one who does not understand their place in the universe and makes no effort to comprehend it—such as where they came from, where they are going, and what they should be seeking in the universe—and whose identity is limited to eating, sleeping, and biological needs, is, in fact, devoid of any true identity within the creation.

The human ability to define and evaluate identity is a unique trait—one whose true value will soon be realized; since the identity of other beings is shaped through the human being’s view and capacity to assess, compare, and assign meaning. Other than the human beings, no creature is aware of their identity and knows where they are headed or what place they hold in the universe. In fact, it is only the human being who possesses a set of inner abilities—tools that enable them to grasp the concept of ‘identity’, choose a path for their life, and be idealistic. For they seek to attain an elevated identity and find a meaning for life through it.

For thousands of years, the human being has remained oblivious to self-knowledge, their place in the universe, and the recognition of their exceptional value—as the creator of meaning and value. However, there is the possibility that by journeying the outside world and returning to the inner world and reviving their cosmopolitan identity, they transform the path of degeneration into spiritual elevation, and reclaim their true status in the universe. In this regard, from the perspective of Taheri Peace Organization, a valuable identity is one that enables the human being to define their place on a larger scale—referred to as the ‘Interuniversal Personality’ or ‘Cosmopolitanism’. In this perspective, humankind strives to reconsider their meaningful position within the universe and adopt a holistic and inclusive identity.

This perspective reminds us that humans are not driven solely by biological instincts and, to discover the true path of creation, they require both knowledge and spirituality. Otherwise, they will deviate from the true path of humanity, lose the true meaning of life, and become nothing more than machines—tools in the hands of those in power, who shape a painful fate for them, under the guise of science and technology. In this perspective, the value of an individual’s identity is determined by their orientations. Therefore, the greatness of individuals should be sought in the depth of their thoughts and ideals. Once we assess an individual’s identity in light of their goals, its true worth will become evident to us.

According to Mohammad Ali Taheri, the founder of Erfan Keyhani Halgheh School, Taheri Peace Organization and Interuniversalism ideology, the true inherent identity of a human being is their cosmopolitan identity. From the view of Interuniversalism, humans perceive themselves not only aligned with the Earth as humankind’s shared home and homeland, but also in harmony with the Uni-body of the universe. If grasped collectively, the identity presented in the doctrine of Interuniversalism can pave the way for achieving global peace.