Philosophy, Reason and Enlightenment through Critical Thinking: A Review
I read with such delight and extreme joy the powerful and utterly robust critical exposition of Anas Alam Faizli, “Enlightenment through Critical Thinking”, the Free Malaysia Today, June 3rd.
Though I overwhelmingly concur substantially to all of his major theses, I beg the indulgence of the reader that I may be allow to further expound on his points and in doing so share my own views with regard to the matter that is so close to my heart and soul.
I agree with our author that:
We can’t step into First World status with a Third World mentality, severely under equipped in intellect and thought.
It is my take that what the author is trying to imply is the irrefutable fact that, Third World mentality is antithetical or a grave impediment for any country to reach a First World status.
Third World mentality is characterized by being myopic in one’s view, close-mindedness and being self-centered. This kind of mind-set or mentality is further aggravated by an intellect that is afraid to think and a thought that is not bold enough to pursue its own conclusions.
What is Enlightenment?
According to Wikipedia:
The Age of Enlightenment (or simply the Enlightenment or Age of Reason) was a cultural movement of intellectuals in the 17th and 18th centuries, which began first in Europe and later in the American colonies. Its purpose was to reform society using reason, challenge ideas grounded in tradition and faith, and advance knowledge through the scientific method. It promoted scientific thought, skepticism and intellectual interchange and opposed superstition, intolerance and some abuses of power by the church and the state. The ideas of the Enlightenment have had a major impact on the culture, politics, and governments of the Western world.
There is a universal consensus among commentators that the central principles/ideas of the Enlightenment are the following:
1. Man is not innately deprived.
2. The aim of life is life itself not the afterlife.
3. The essential condition for the good life on Earth is to freeing of men’s minds from ignorance and superstitions.
4. Man, free of ignorance and of the arbitrary powers of the State, is capable of progress and perfection.
5. Everything is interconnected and forms part of the grand scheme of a benevolent Providence.
Further, the two generally accepted slogans/mottoes of the Enlightenment are the following:
1. Sapere Aude (Have the courage to use your own reason; and
2. Carpe Diem (Seize the day).
To quote from another article of mine, “Blind Obedience is the nemesis of Critical Thinking: In Defense of Reason and the Enlightenment”, Etniko Bandido Infoshop, July 3, 2012:
The German moral philosopher, Immanuel Kant wrote in an influential and monumental essay, “What is Enlightenment” the following remarkable words:
“Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without the guidance of another.
“This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have the courage to use your own understanding!”
And what are the root causes of man’s darkness of his mind that breeds immaturity and inability to think for oneself?
“Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why a large proportion of men, even when nature has long emancipated them from alien guidance (naturaliter maiorennes), nevertheless gladly remain immature for life.
“For the same reasons, it is all too easy for others to set themselves up as their guardians.
“It is so convenient to be immature! If I have a book to have understanding in place of me, a spiritual adviser to have a conscience for me, a doctor to judge my diet for me, and so on, I need not make any efforts at all. I need not think, so long as as I can pay; others will soon enough take the tiresome job over me.”
Hence, applying Kant’s contention in the case under consideration, there is no shadow of doubt that he will be totally opposed to those believer who blindly believes just for the sake of merely believing without question or reservation!
It logically follows that to be fully enlightened and truly rational means questioning the mistakes, misdemeanor and wrongful acts of our leaders. It does not matter whether they are political (be they the administration or the opposition), social (whether private or public) civic (whether local or international) or religious (whether they are Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and even the atheists) and always remain vigilant and critical of all their actions and policies that affect our people and society at large!
Indeed, the author is in point when he posited that: “Thinking is tool to achieve First World mentality”.
As he said:
It is only critical thinking that will enable us to extract the fruits of educating our citizens, from the belief that they consequently form and act upon.
Comment:
I concur with our author, except that I would like to add a ‘dangerous necessity’ with regard to critical thinking and that is the pleasure and delight of mental liberation and their eventual need to act!
Once, the citizen of one’s nation are already thinking, worst, critically thinking, then that is a dangerous scenario for any erring leaders, stupid administrators, unjust system, unfair policies and abnormal conditions.
The people, who are already critical will definitely raise a howl, issue their criticism, register their point and stress their concern. If the said leaders will not act upon the grievances of the people, then, the critical thinking of the people must not stop simply on the level of words, critical thinking also and most importantly requires actions and movements.
There lies the danger. For the government?
There lies the extreme need --- for the people as a whole!
Is that the reason, why up to now, we do not have even a single Department of Philosophy in any Malaysian university?
The ironic ‘trichotomy’ of thinking, knowledge and education
Engaging a Malaysia that thinks, we cannot run away from attacking the problem at its core, and that is education…
What we need Malaysian students to empathise with is something very much deeper; like observing their local communities, questioning purpose, reason, logic, being creative, appreciating literature, language and music as sciences in their own rights, being critical, innovative, improvising and technological. In the ancient world, knowledge is achieved by scholarship from great teachers who guide students into discovering the fundamental truths of existence and purpose.
Comment:
Our author is correct in this thesis! What we need is to be critical, radical and be a keen observer of everything in our daily lives.
Wrong is wrong and right will always be right! It is part and parcel of our moral duty to criticize and to right a wrong and to stand and fight for the right to always triumph — regardless of who the culprits are and irrespective of who are the erring leaders or persons!
The strict requirement of Enlightenment believes in its passion for reason and the utilization of one’s understanding, not only for the benefit of the said individual but also for the greater good of Humanity...
I read with such delight and extreme joy the powerful and utterly robust critical exposition of Anas Alam Faizli, “Enlightenment through Critical Thinking”, the Free Malaysia Today, June 3rd.
Though I overwhelmingly concur substantially to all of his major theses, I beg the indulgence of the reader that I may be allow to further expound on his points and in doing so share my own views with regard to the matter that is so close to my heart and soul.
I agree with our author that:
We can’t step into First World status with a Third World mentality, severely under equipped in intellect and thought.
It is my take that what the author is trying to imply is the irrefutable fact that, Third World mentality is antithetical or a grave impediment for any country to reach a First World status.
Third World mentality is characterized by being myopic in one’s view, close-mindedness and being self-centered. This kind of mind-set or mentality is further aggravated by an intellect that is afraid to think and a thought that is not bold enough to pursue its own conclusions.
What is Enlightenment?
According to Wikipedia:
The Age of Enlightenment (or simply the Enlightenment or Age of Reason) was a cultural movement of intellectuals in the 17th and 18th centuries, which began first in Europe and later in the American colonies. Its purpose was to reform society using reason, challenge ideas grounded in tradition and faith, and advance knowledge through the scientific method. It promoted scientific thought, skepticism and intellectual interchange and opposed superstition, intolerance and some abuses of power by the church and the state. The ideas of the Enlightenment have had a major impact on the culture, politics, and governments of the Western world.
There is a universal consensus among commentators that the central principles/ideas of the Enlightenment are the following:
1. Man is not innately deprived.
2. The aim of life is life itself not the afterlife.
3. The essential condition for the good life on Earth is to freeing of men’s minds from ignorance and superstitions.
4. Man, free of ignorance and of the arbitrary powers of the State, is capable of progress and perfection.
5. Everything is interconnected and forms part of the grand scheme of a benevolent Providence.
Further, the two generally accepted slogans/mottoes of the Enlightenment are the following:
1. Sapere Aude (Have the courage to use your own reason; and
2. Carpe Diem (Seize the day).
To quote from another article of mine, “Blind Obedience is the nemesis of Critical Thinking: In Defense of Reason and the Enlightenment”, Etniko Bandido Infoshop, July 3, 2012:
The German moral philosopher, Immanuel Kant wrote in an influential and monumental essay, “What is Enlightenment” the following remarkable words:
“Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without the guidance of another.
“This immaturity is self-incurred if its cause is not lack of understanding, but lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. The motto of enlightenment is therefore: Sapere aude! Have the courage to use your own understanding!”
And what are the root causes of man’s darkness of his mind that breeds immaturity and inability to think for oneself?
“Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why a large proportion of men, even when nature has long emancipated them from alien guidance (naturaliter maiorennes), nevertheless gladly remain immature for life.
“For the same reasons, it is all too easy for others to set themselves up as their guardians.
“It is so convenient to be immature! If I have a book to have understanding in place of me, a spiritual adviser to have a conscience for me, a doctor to judge my diet for me, and so on, I need not make any efforts at all. I need not think, so long as as I can pay; others will soon enough take the tiresome job over me.”
Hence, applying Kant’s contention in the case under consideration, there is no shadow of doubt that he will be totally opposed to those believer who blindly believes just for the sake of merely believing without question or reservation!
It logically follows that to be fully enlightened and truly rational means questioning the mistakes, misdemeanor and wrongful acts of our leaders. It does not matter whether they are political (be they the administration or the opposition), social (whether private or public) civic (whether local or international) or religious (whether they are Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and even the atheists) and always remain vigilant and critical of all their actions and policies that affect our people and society at large!
Indeed, the author is in point when he posited that: “Thinking is tool to achieve First World mentality”.
As he said:
It is only critical thinking that will enable us to extract the fruits of educating our citizens, from the belief that they consequently form and act upon.
Comment:
I concur with our author, except that I would like to add a ‘dangerous necessity’ with regard to critical thinking and that is the pleasure and delight of mental liberation and their eventual need to act!
Once, the citizen of one’s nation are already thinking, worst, critically thinking, then that is a dangerous scenario for any erring leaders, stupid administrators, unjust system, unfair policies and abnormal conditions.
The people, who are already critical will definitely raise a howl, issue their criticism, register their point and stress their concern. If the said leaders will not act upon the grievances of the people, then, the critical thinking of the people must not stop simply on the level of words, critical thinking also and most importantly requires actions and movements.
There lies the danger. For the government?
There lies the extreme need --- for the people as a whole!
Is that the reason, why up to now, we do not have even a single Department of Philosophy in any Malaysian university?
The ironic ‘trichotomy’ of thinking, knowledge and education
Engaging a Malaysia that thinks, we cannot run away from attacking the problem at its core, and that is education…
What we need Malaysian students to empathise with is something very much deeper; like observing their local communities, questioning purpose, reason, logic, being creative, appreciating literature, language and music as sciences in their own rights, being critical, innovative, improvising and technological. In the ancient world, knowledge is achieved by scholarship from great teachers who guide students into discovering the fundamental truths of existence and purpose.
Comment:
Our author is correct in this thesis! What we need is to be critical, radical and be a keen observer of everything in our daily lives.
Wrong is wrong and right will always be right! It is part and parcel of our moral duty to criticize and to right a wrong and to stand and fight for the right to always triumph — regardless of who the culprits are and irrespective of who are the erring leaders or persons!
The strict requirement of Enlightenment believes in its passion for reason and the utilization of one’s understanding, not only for the benefit of the said individual but also for the greater good of Humanity...