The Five Orders in Architecture: A Personal Perspective

It is little wonder why part of the Fellowcraft degree relates to the classical orders in architecture. By tradition, speculative Masonry descended from operative Masonry and having some understanding of our ancestor’s craft is certainly important. It also serves as a gateway to place an interest in each new Fellowcraft in the subjects of architecture and geometry as well as in the arts and sciences.

However, as with everything in Masonry, there certainly is a deeper symbolic meaning. While there are more concrete explanations for their symbolic meanings, I am going to give my personal views of the orders in architecture.

There are five orders in architecture: the Tuscan, the Doric, the Ionic, the Corinthian, and the Composite. However, we are taught that the ancient and original orders in architecture are only three: the Doric, the Ionic, and the Corinthian. These were invented by the Greeks. This is very important, because the ancient Greeks are the inspiration for Western culture. Notice the Masonic ideals that ancient Greece personified. They were one of the first democratic societies; they championed education, and were one of the most progressive societies of their day. Greece was an inspiration for the Roman Empire and we learn that if we wanted to understand the roots of Masonic ideals, we would not look to Rome, but rather to Greece.

The original orders in architecture refer to the three degrees. The Doric represents the Entered Apprentice, it is simple and effective. While it is aesthetically pleasing in its own right, it also gives the appearance that it is yet to be completed and requires further development. The ionic represents the Fellowcraft, it is much more technically proficient and more complex that the Doric. We can see its beauties beginning to take shape and blossom into greater things. The Corinthian reveals its further intricacies which show the complexity of the spiritual aspect of the 3^rd degree.

Now, what is the point of the other two? The Tuscan is the Doric in its earliest state. This refers to the profane world. Before being initiated into Masonry we are happily ignorant of the beauties which it will reveal to us. We are simple minded and only concerned in what we find practical to our individual lives. Likewise, the Tuscan is simple and practical, unconcerned with the complexities of Greek architecture. The Composite is more ornamental that the Corinthian because it is the Master Mason who is now blossoming by seeking light beyond the degrees. He is learning about the complexities of the spiritual world as well as the earthly arts and sciences. He is a complex creature fully aware of the limits of his knowledge and seeks light and truth with zeal. The Composite represents the man who is drawing from the lessons in each degree to form a more beautiful, perfect, and complete whole.

This is my own perspective of the orders in architecture. As we become more practiced in Masonry, our pillars become more and more intricate and we develop deeper and more pleasing designs. It is through this practice of virtue that we become more proficient in our own personal architecture.