Masonry is the name of a secret society that was formerly known under the name of Freemasonry, for its meaning in Latin which was "free masons", this was a group that functioned for much of the Middle Ages. There are experts who affirm that it is possible that its origins are in Ancient Egypt, however the oldest written testimonies found, date back to the 14th century. As for its symbols, these are inspired by the activities of the ancient masons and builders of buildings, since they were the first to embrace their ideology, however with the passage of time it spread to various sectors of society, especially later of the creation of the Grand Lodge of London in the year 1717.
With respect to its members, known as the Masons, they made up a fraternity of an initiatory and hierarchical nature, which was constituted in lodges. Regarding their ideology, they declare themselves rationalists and with inclinations towards philanthropy, in addition to that they assure that their objectives are the search for truth, the development of society and the progress of the human in moral aspect.
In that same context, it can be said then that Freemasonry can be seen as a moral training tool, which makes use of the symbolism of construction as a kind of correlate of man's moral development. From there derives the fact that its members have to go through a series of learning processes in order to develop the ability to listen, reflect and dialogue, so that in this way, they can serve as transmitting vehicles of such values in their environment.
Within Freemasonry , certain levels of hierarchy can be distinguished, among which the following can be mentioned: apprentices, this is the initial and lowest degree, made up of the most novices, then the companions are located at this level, learning takes place Thirdly, there are teachers. At this hierarchical level, the Mason can actively participate in all aspects of this organization.
One of the most distinguishable aspects within Freemasonry was its character as a secret organization, but over the years it gradually lost this characteristic. It should be noted that this organization is not religious, reason why it has received endless criticism and opposition by the different religions of the world, but especially from the Catholic Church.
It is important to note that the often mentioned lodges perform the functions of base groups, that is, they do not imply by virtue of being the authority, since they generally respond to a higher organization known as the Grand Lodge.
