Culture in Crisis Part – II

 

Part II

Mr. Jawaid Quamar,

The question facing us now is what the structure of today’s cultural configuration is like. In a cultural system specified by the co-ordinate uprooted traditions’, ‘sanction-free practices’, ‘sensate behaviour-patterns’, ‘secularized modes of conduct’ and ‘technocratic nature of community frame-work’, what are, in general, the connxions existing between different sectors which contribute to this cultural space? What is the general cultural nexus of which the emerging movements of mind form a part? A cursory glance over what are popularly known as Logical Positivism (physical sciences), Darwinism (biological sciences), Psychoanalysis (psychology), Behaviourism (psychology) and Existentialism (literature and philosophy) can give us a synoptic view of this nexus.

Verification Principle

Logical positivism denies philosophy and so is sceptic about metaphysics. Logical positivists insist that philosophy can tell its nothing whatsoever about what sort of a world it is that we dwell in, what hope of a futurity we have, or what our duty is. They argue that the questions of the existence of God, the nature of the universe and human destiny are nonsensical. Positivists assert that any sentence can have a factual meaning only if it is capable of verification in sense experience. But they do not realize that the principle of verification is itself not capable of verification by sense-experience. On the other hand, it is not even a self-evident statement. Moreover, it is difficult to draw the line of demarcation between meaningful and meaningless statements. Albeit universally accepted scientific principles defy principle of verification by sense experience, yet we do not deny them on that account.

Humanistic Credo

The doctrine of Darwinism has influenced much of the modern thought inasmuch as it lends support, if not directly then at least indirectly, to the humanistic credo summed up in Pope's dictum: “The proper study of mankind is man”. It is this which has taught man to do without the absolute. But, of late, the teaching of Darwinian evolution has come under severe attack in many places.

The evolutionist‘s reliance on mutation as the mechanism for evolution, in the opinion of G.E. Howe, is contradicted by the evidence that the vast majority of mutations are harmful. D.S. McCurdie argues that wrong conclusions have been drawn from Carbon-14 dating of posit-bearing materials and that the earth was created recently. Today we witness a revival of fundamentalism in biology with a new emphasis. This emphasis is in opposition to already existing theories of the origin of life, and the ‘diversity of species’. The movement is popularly known as creationism, its exponents and advocates being not theologians but scientists all of whom hail from the field of natural science.

Psychoanalysis

The general cultural matrix of many a society has been much affected by the advent of psychoanalysis. According to Freudian ideology, the secret of human health and happiness lies in an uninhibited sex-life. “Modern psychology proper", Dr. Joad tells us, “while rejecting the somewhat bizarre machinery of psychoanalysis, sees in instinct and impulse the mainspring of our personalities and exhibits reason and will as mere corks bobbing on the waves of desire”. But if our thoughts are governed by our whims and wishes and reasoning does not mean more than mere rationalizing then the reasoning, of psychoanalysis is also no better than whims and fancies. Hence we need not take seriously the psychoanalytic account of human personality and consciousness.

Behaviourlst’s School

Behaviourism attempts to interpret the behaviour of human beings without making use of the assumption that they possess beings without making use of the assumption that they possess ‘minds’. It favours materialist and mechanist standpoints. But if it is true that mind and consciousness are indefinite and unstable concepts, as is asserted by behaviourists, then behaviourism itself reflects nothing but a particular condition of the bodies of behaviourists, this condition being something completely devoid of every reason and logic. For behaviourists themselves impugn the validity of reason by representing it as a mere function of the body—which is, according in them, perhaps just a lump of matter.

Existentialistic Mood

To many a mind, existentialism (especially the atheistictype) appears to be the most fashionable philosophy of the day. It covers a number of related doctrines denying objective universal values and holding that a man must create values for himself by living each moment to the full. To get an idea of atheistic existentialism, one can profitably turn to Sartre‘s philosophy.

Sartre‘s philosophy is, in effect, a reaction to the conditions that obtained in France around the early forties. An individual confronted with the constant threat of annihilation finds that non-being is a permanent possibility correlated to ‘being’. He discovers that nothing coexists within ‘being’. A man overwhelmed by a concentration camp civilization and a world of terror experiences nothing but absurdity of ‘being’ and ‘existence’. An ideological reflex of life under dictatorship results only in negation. To be free means, negatively, not to act under compulsion. Sartre experiences his liberty in compulsion. This experience of freedom in ultimate situations arises out of extreme self-estrangement.

No doubt, as an experience of liberty a concrete ‘ultimate situation’ duly emphasizes its two facets: negatively, the power of resisting compulsion; and positively, the genuineness of choice and the responsibility in this choice. Obviously, the false universalization of an abnormal case and the overstatement of the range of liberty and responsibility — total responsibility in total solitude—is a natural outcome of the extremeness of situation. “Sartre‘s World", F. H. Heinemann points out in his book ‘Existentialism and the Modern Predicament,. “is a world in which the affirmative is transformed into the negative, the normal into the abnormal, good faith into bad faith, and truth into falsehood,. — Existence is freedom, but this freedom is ‘nothing’—This negativity prevails in the relations of the individual to himself, and also in those to other persons. It leads not only to an inversion, but to a perversion of the natural world of human relationships”.

Globality of Unrest

Evidently, the common man is not capable of recognizing the unhealthy effects of these philosophies. Consequently, these philosophies have wielded and continue to wield their unwholesome influence on the already bewildered masses. Since the thinking of youth is less matured and their minds are more receptive, the cumulative impact of these and like philosophies on their minds has been profound in extent as also in character. But one may pause here and ask: is all this also true of societies other than the affluent societies of the West? Recent happenings around the world compel us to conclude that the phenomenon is global in character. Though differing in degree and, to an extent, in character, the trend is, in general, similar.

The condition of general discontent and unrest in Pakistan has many an analogue to the Western situation. For instance, both the situations are of a mass character, and are aggressive and unconventional and, above all, antistatus quo. Besides the ones already indicated, some of the chief causes of the unrest are discontent among LABOUR and working class, general activism of the youth, transition from traditionalism to modernity, urbanisation, sex starvation and obsession, generation gap and political unstability. Mr. D. R. Hardman, as Parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Education, speaking on January 12, 1964, at the general meeting of the Middlesex Head Teachers’ Association, observed. “In the contemporary world, there was a vast cultural breakdown which stretched from America to Europe and from Europe to the East".

Today’s communication system and mass media of information have not only rendered the interaction between the Western situation and the one in Pakistan possible but have also changed it into a reality. As things stand currently, it is the techniques which have become common, not the objectives. There is an anti-establishment mood and an attempt at the reduction of the legitimacy of central authority. Hence the prevalent confusion regarding national identity. A simple analysis will reveal that at different levels of social spectrum of Pakistan there exist three main problems: (a) Modernization, (b) Westernization and (c) Economic Uncertainty. If there is a difference between the Western and local conditions, it is with regard to the last two factors.

As to modernization and accompanying strains, much has already been outlined in the preceding paragraphs. As for Westernization, the movement can be traced back to the appointment of Dr. William Hunter by the British Government in order to prepare a report on the condition of the Moslems of the sub-continent and suggest specific measures as to how they could be ruled most effectively.

Westernization

In the concluding pages of his book “Our Indian Musalmans: Are They Bound in Conscience to Rebel Against The Queen?”, published in 1871, Dr. Hunter writes: “We should thus at length have the Muhammadan youth educated according to our own plan. Without interfering in any way with their religion and in the very process of enabling them to learn their religious duties, we should render that religion, perhaps less sincere, but certainly less fanatical. The rising generations of Muhammadans would then tread the steps which have conducted the Hindus, not long ago the most bigoted nation on earth, into their present state of easy tolerance (to modern Western civilization). Such a tolerance implies a less earnest belief than their fathers had. . . ."

This British legacy has continued down to the present day virtually unaltered at all despite more than two decades of our alleged independence. The state of indifference to our faith and our culture created by the efficiently implemented British educational policy continues constant to-date. Is it then surprising why our youth fail to show the slightest appreciation of their own cultural heritage? If we want to protect ourselves, preserve our Identity, we must combat, vigorously, nay violently, this monstrous menace of Westernization.

Economic Factor

As regards economic uncertainty, evidently it has contributed much to the general unrest in Pakistan. One of the popular slogans of Pakistani youth is: “What is needed is not a Degree but a job". These youth constitute quite a large percentage of the total student population. Many a people from the ranks of the urban lower middle class, skilled labourers and poor peasantry send the bright children of the family to the college or University at considerable sacrifice. But the realization that the sacrifice made by the entire family may prove futile only brings in frustration. This point brings to the fore the burning issue of ever-increasing unemployment.

But the problem of unemployment is just one issue. What is more alarming is the economic stagnation, nay recession that has set in. As things stand presently, Pakistan‘s economy does not even show any sign of recovery. Thus what is urgently needed is a crash-planning to stimulate a rapid growth of economy. In order to do so it is necessary to achieve an infrastructure of development which, of course, includes among other things a speedy expansion of educational facilities. (to be continued in next issue)