Of abstractions, stories and practicality

A bunch of frightened and perplexed kids are told stories of Ghosts and God simultaneously, wiping out the concept of rationality in them. Kings and ‘babas’ are born.

Plato puts forward a bromide: ‘this may be true in theory, but not in practice.’ Concept of ‘ethics is subjective’ is born.

Immanuel Kant declares: “It is logical, but logic has got nothing to do with reality.” Compromise becomes the greatest virtue for years to come.

Fair distribution of wealth becomes most popular quote in Marxist lands without bothering to understand source of wealth. A hater of achievement with name Ernesto "Che" Guevara is born.

A small kid is told story of a boastful tree collapsing in a tornado while bending blades of grass surviving. Humility is glorified. The kid grows up and finds sense of life in the lines:
“And how am I to face the odds of man’s bedevilment and God’s?
I, a stranger and afraid in a world I never made.”

Metaphysical vs. man-made argument doesn’t make sense to him.

Great depression calls for war-like scenario and ‘Your life belongs to society’ becomes commonly accepted principle. John maynard Keynes says, “Thus we might aim in practice…at a scheme of direct taxation which allows the intelligence and determination and executive still of the financier, the entrepreneur et hoc genus omne (who are certainly so fond of their craft that their labor could be obtained much cheaper than at present), to be harnessed to the service of the community on reasonable terms of reward.” Reasonable according to whom? By what standards? These questions are never asked… Thus the man saying ‘I work for a Government I despise for ends I think criminal’ is called greatest economist but a certain free market supporter called Ludwig Von Moises is called impractical.

Socialism gains popularity and the productive works of geniuses are put under public good. Socialist ideology of a great country’s first Prime Minister who is ironically amongst the richest people in country almost drives country towards death bed within a span of 40 years.

In an era of unparalleled technological breakthroughs, stories of basket weavers and coolies are used to exemplify human struggle and beg for charity while the struggles and achievements of inventors are taken for granted. It becomes fashionable and glamorous to be associated with social cause.

People suddenly fail to understand if they are witnessing start of a booming economy or are on verge of great depression. How are we to know? They ask. The sky suddenly turns dark. There is a thunderstorm. A philosophical giant called Aristotle seems to be shouting in vain through that thunderstorm and over the centuries: “A is A….. Contradiction’s don’t exist” The shouts fall on deaf ears because: “of what use is abstract philosophy to practical life?”

Phasebook of Love

Chapter 0: Perception phase
A tries to understand ‘what is love’. It is Chaos all around. He sees around the so called ‘love’ly couples. He can see that the meaning of word love is twisted, degraded and taken to new low levels. World says love is without any reason. It is blind. A scoffs at the concept. Trusts his own mind more than anything else.

Chapter1: Conception phase
A is sure nothing which exists is without any reason. So something as important as love can never exist without reason. Then what that reason is? It is when you value someone so highly that you can take on any power in the world for that person. It is when you are able to realise the best in you in that person’s presence. It is when you realise that true happiness is possible on this earth.

Chapter2: Either-Or phase
A falls in love with B. He doesn’t know the reason. He knows B is not the right match. He subconsciously knows that unknowingly he has started walking on ‘love is without reason’ path. A hates seeing himself proved wrong. B as expected doesn’t reciprocate. A hates himself even more.

Chapter3: Non-contradiction phase
A meets C. A falls in love with C. C seems perfect match. He has never met someone so special before. This time there is every reason to fall in love. He is very happy. C too doesn’t reciprocate. But this time A is still happy. Partly because his stand of ‘true love is with reason’ is vindicated and partly because of the knowledge that people like C exist.

Chapter4: A is A phase
A has no intention of meeting D. He would have loved to be perfect match of C, but doesn’t want to worry about something which is not in his control. B seems a distant memory now. Not good, not bad, but a learning experience.

Our famed Constitution

This post was long overdue, mainly because the incident which it relates to happened about 4 weeks back. I was sitting at Dadu’s, the hangout-cum-small eatery at XLRI. Probably I was the only student left in college, as everyone had left for home after end-terms. There were few labourers hanging around, and were in middle of some intense discussion. I heard the words, “apne desh ka constitution bahut bakwaas hai” (The constitution of our country is utter nonsense) which was followed by half-mocking advices from others to convert to a particular religion which supposedly cares for poor people and improves standard of living as a ‘return favour’ for accepting their religious beliefs. I didn’t need to hear any further as I had managed to guess the discussion topic, but it got me thinking whole day on politics, its importance in human life and society in general.

Though the labourers were probably not aware, their discussion had roots in part III (fundamental human rights) and part XVI (Special provisions relating to certain classes) of constitution of India. It is indeed unfortunate that when people talk about politics, what it is and its consequences, they conveniently forget (most of them don’t even know) that it had roots in Aristotle’s work. According to Aristotle, inquiry into ethics leads to politics and ultimately provides principles of “how men should treat other men”. Same point has been put forward by Ayn Rand while defining Objectivist Politics. She gives very apt example while explaining political philosophy where she says “political philosophy will not tell you how much rationed gas you should be given and on which day of the week—it will tell you whether the government has the right to impose any rationing on anything.”

So, when that person said, that “our constitution is utter nonsense”, he was doing the basic error of assuming something which is derived as given. Constitution can never be nonsense. It is the political philosophy which is flawed. The constitution is just the effect. Politics is clearly dependent on other 3 philosophical principles of metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. A political philosophy which has socialist values, which tries to integrate fundamental rights and special provisions to certain classes together can’t have any other consequences than those observed in our society. A political philosophy which deviates from the basic principles had to result in a disparity which is observed today. A constitution giving people the fundamental right to follow any religious belief but following it with special provision based on caste is not serving any purpose.

To conclude, whatever seems ‘nonsense’ in life is clear consequence of men’s actions from the point where they start to abandon reason. To quote the non-contradiction principle put forward by Aristotle and championed by Ayn Rand, “Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. One of them has to be wrong”.