Philosophies Never Die

By: Sadaf Chaudhry

George Santayana defines philosophy in its true essence:

"Any clever man may sometimes see the truth in flashes; any scientific man may put some aspect of the truth into technical words; yet all this hardly deserves the name of philosophy so long as the heart remains unabashed, and we continue to live like animals lost in the stream of our impressions, not only in the public routine and necessary cares of life, but even in our silent thoughts and affections."

Literally speaking Philosophy is an intellectual inquiry, pursues the truths beyond common sense through rigorous logical analysis, appearing as an abstract reasoning process. I perceive philosophy quite differently. I think philosophy provides you a canvas to paint your inspirations on. Philosophy is like a candle in night which leads you in complete dark towards the luminous path of hope .I take philosophy as a case of the thoughts which not only holds your thinking and ideas but also gives a doctrine to pursue them in positive way.

Nature gives birth to great philosophers and poets when the need arises. Needs can be different in different times. Human sufferings produce creative minds like Plato who was born in 420 B.C. when his country had almost been ruined as a result of Peloponnesian war. John Locke’s birth was due to the need of liberalism in Europe at that time. Thomas Aquinas appeared when laws in his religious practice needed to be rephrased .They all came with their ideologies and bestowed hope.

Sub-continent’s great philosopher and poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal was born in 1877 A.D. It was the time when the inhabitants of India were suffering from miseries and deaths. They were struggling for the independence of their country from British rule. Muslims living there at that time were the worst hit. They were being crushed ruthlessly. They were being deprived of all basic needs and necessities of life. At that time their souls were in grave search of an ideology to lead them to the way of freedom.

Iqbal’s philosophical poetry played miraculous role. It not only awakened the people from slumbering hopelessness but also made them stand on their own feet. They got united and fought courageously for independence. As a result they achieved a free homeland for them within a few years. His philosophy of Khudi is most inspiring one which arose with the spirit of awakening within the Muslims of that time. His philosophy of khudi was a motivator for Muslims which encouraged them to fight for their desirable right of freedom. In current scenario this philosophy of Khudi is sturdily needed to be practiced. Being a Muslim state we have lost our dignity and esteem because we lack Khudi. Iqbal ‘s philosophy is still breathing and if followed can take us to the road of success.

Iqbal’s philosophy of an Islamic state is a complete guide which can help the people of Pakistan to make their country a genuinely Islamic state. A state where people from all walks of life are equal, no divides among them and no discrimination when it comes to have equal rights of justice. He was in great favor of revival of Islamic polity. This revival is strappingly required if we really want survival. Iqbal forced Muslims to acquire modern education to be distinguished .Acquiring modern education to become a strong and prosperous nation.

There is no doubt all of these philosophies of Iqbal are as important for us today as they were at the time when they were originated.

Iqbal is no more with us but his philosophical words are engraved and carved on our souls and minds which made me to believe that philosophies never die. Iqbal’s philosophies are need of the time, because the honor of humanity is at stake. Humanity is being abused badly. It’s being crushed under heavy feet of power holders. Humanity needs these philosophies to be practiced again. The pioneers of the art of philosophy died but their works still provide guidance to the mankind.

We can become truly great if we follow these ideologies and philosophies in the true spirit. We can avoid all the dangerous developments which took ideological states like Hitler’s Germony and Lenin’s Soviet Union to disintegration or destruction. With Iqbal’s more meaningful and flexible philosophies we can reach the pinnacle of success, in this world as well as in the other world. Iqbal’s ‘tomorrow’ is our ‘today’ and also it will be our ‘tomorrow’. Indeed Iqbal’s philosophies are our need of the day to dispel doubts. As rightly said by Francis Bacon:

”Philosophy, when superficially studied excites doubt, when thoroughly explored, it dispels it.”