Dr. Edmond Melhem – Sa’adeh’s Vision: Cultivating an Abundance Mentality and Building a Just Society Part 4

Closely tied to the benefits of scientific knowledge and the adoption of a rational mindset is Sa’adeh’s belief in the value of cultivating an abundance mentality. To understand this concept, it helps to consider its opposite: a narrow, self-centered perspective focused on personal gain and short-term benefits, where an individual tries to secure the largest possible share for themselves. In contrast, an individual with an abundance mindset seeks to expand opportunities for everyone, ensuring that there is enough for all.

Simply put, a person with an abundance mentality wants their fellow citizens to enjoy success, prosperity, and well-being. Sa’adeh’s approach to resource management reflects this mindset. He promoted a culture of cooperation, productivity, and shared prosperity for the benefit of the entire nation. His genuine concern for the welfare of his society is evident in his desire for his people to thrive collectively.

Sa’adeh’s reformative vision regards all citizens as equal in their duties and responsibilities within society. He believed that all should contribute to production and engagement, stating: “Every citizen should be productive in one way or another. Production constitutes the essential foundation for the national economy, without which we cannot conceive of the welfare of the people.” [1]

Moreover, Sa’adeh emphasized that citizens should not only be productive but also skilled, as this would drive remarkable economic growth and ensure the physical well-being of the entire nation.

All citizens must become productive and contribute to a national economic, agricultural, and industrial renaissance that will generate abundant prosperity for the nation. [2]

Sa’adeh further emphasizes:

The aim of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party is the achievement of a sound national unity that empowers the Syrian nation to excel in the struggle for existence. This unity cannot be realized if the economic or social order is not sufficiently wholesome. Justice in the judicial, social, and economic spheres is essential for the triumph of the Syrian Social Nationalist Movement.[3]

 A crucial question arises: What are the foundations of the new society envisioned by Sa’adeh? The answer lies in the fundamental and reformative principles of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), which was established to bring about a national revival and to serve an enduring, comprehensive cause—the cause of the life, continuity, and advancement of Syrian society towards a brighter and more prosperous future. Several key points must be considered regarding Sa’adeh’s principles:

 First, Sa’adeh placed great emphasis on his principles, viewing them as dynamic tools for enhancing the national life of the Syrian people and shaping a better future for them:

These principles are not merely static statements or lifeless words. They represent a living force, from which fundamental decisions will emerge and future policies will be constructed.[4]

Secondly, these principles embody a national, unifying cause. As Sa’adeh himself stated: “The cause for which we strive, and for which we stand together or fall together.”[5]

Thirdly, these principles represent a new vision—an intellectual and ethical outlook on life— that aims to make existence more beautiful. Sa’adeh affirms, “This new ethical outlook, upon which we base our life through our principles, is the most precious contribution that the SSNP can give to the nation, to its intentions, actions, and direction.”[6]

 Fourthly, these principles lay the groundwork for a just, unified, productive, and strong society. As Oussama El-Mohtar asserts, this ideal society is “a free society of free individuals, united in their ideals and strong in their diversity.”[7] He adds that it is a society “of producers, builders, and contributors to a better tomorrow for mankind.”[8]

related:

National Consciousness and the Path to Revival Part 3

Sa’adeh’s Strategy for Syrian Unity and Progress -part 2

Saadeh’s Stance on Women in the Context of National Revival. Part 1