A Very Brief History of B. Russell

Following is a short introduction to Russell, a famous British philosopher, that I had to give in a critical review of one of his essay, in one literature class I was attending.

Bertrand Russell (d. 1970), a British writer, wrote on various significant issues concerning humanity, philosophy, literature, linguistics and sciences. He was a ‘world-view’ builder of modern world. He was given Nobel Prize in Literature for his contribution to the issues of humanitarianism, liberty and freedom of thought. He despised religious ideals and considered all revelations to be same as ‘gospel truths’[1], meaning fiction. Thus, he joined hands with moderns, who divorced reason from revelation, in an intellectual effort to provide alternative world-views and answers to issues which religion answered.[2] This essay has imprints of such anti-traditional, anti-religious attitudes. Nonetheless, it is not much about religion itself. It is about the social issue of work-ethics and rights of workers to have leisure. There is an agreement between this view and other religions, especially Islam, as we shall see later in the paper. Russell also visited USSR to study socialism[3].

---

[1] This is taken for granted for in one of his letters, he was asked whether he has read Qur’an, Holy book of Islam, to which replied that all gospel truths are alike, although he had not read the book.

[2] See Asad Zaman, “The Origin of Western Sciences,” available on his personal website: http://sites.google.com/site/asaduzaman, in which he traces the West’s disenchantment of religion and how social sciences and humanities attempt to answer five fundamental questions which religion answered for centuries, Christianity and Islam, primarily.

[3] Visit Bertrand Russell’s page on Nobleprzie.org website.

"Tragedy of Morals and Birth of Science in the West"

Dr Asad Zaman, Islamic International University, Islamabad, is writing a research paper on the topic quoted in this post's title. Below, I'd produce the abstract and sources, and link to the page from where I got this open information. you may like to comment or write Dr. Zaman about it (at asadzaman@alum.mit.edu).

Tragedy of Morals and Birth of Science in the West

(under preparation) (by Asad Zaman)

Abstract: How Birth of Science in conflict with religion gave strong methodological bias to the way science was viewed in the West. In particular, the exaggeration of the potential of science of settling ethical, moral and human problems led to a very distorted foundation for social sciences. The social sciences have been ideologically constituted in the sense that they were based on false beliefs about what the physical sciences are. The upshot is that there is room for a thoroughgoing revolution in the received ideas of science natural and social (quote from Manicas).

It is only after such re-organization that room for a reasonable foundation for Islamic Economics would emerge. In this paper, we hope to provide such foundations.

Sources:

Peter Manicas: A History and Philosophy of the Social Sciences

Part I: details historical circumstances that led to an easy victory for empiricism/positivism even though realist alternatives were available

Part II: Details special circumstances leading to emergence of modern social sciences in USA.

Hans Kung: Does God Exist?

Himmelfarb: De-Moralization of the West.

Tawney: Religion and the Rise of Capitalism

Reuben, Julie: The Making of the Modern University: Intellectual transformation and the marginalization of morality. 1996 University of Chicago Press.

Read his paper On Improving Social Science Education in Pakistan and The Origins of Western Social Science to get insight into the thought of Dr. Zaman.

Orchestration

If you want to witness and take pleasure from free orchestra, just visit a mosque and watch Muslims praying congregational prayer, whether the 'formation' consists of 2 or 2000 people.

"When it comes to science, Nobel not Noble"

Dr. Zaman Khan, MBBS, Pakistan, on returning from attending Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates in science, has made an amusing comment on his new blog about Laureates. He writes:

Let the Laureates fight in the battle of ideas for they've received their Nobel Prize for science, not for peace.

It makes one smile... Read rest of the blog-post here.

Iranian Militia Parade

Came across this military parade in Iran, attended by its supreme leader, the sign of God. In middle is a beautiful Quran recitation by one of their soldier.

Implementation

Today I'd talk about what I just implemented: a thought. I may become too dogmatic in your falconian eyes. But I fear nothing than my own sins. You cannot enjoy and appreciate the quality of this manly act unless you know a little bit about 'neo-classical' (capitalistic) economics that is being completely implemented today from the pulpits of Western stupidity and enterprise, accepted blindly by those who read economics in Western or Westernized universities, usually.

In a nutshell, it began my mental acceptance of what Prof Dr Asad Zaman has shown through his research that modern economics, like other western social sciences, is simply wrong from Islamic point of view and observable evidence. In this lecture he produces evidence that can demolish some of the basic tenets of western economics, and is being demolished in West as well*: The Crisis in Islamic Economics. Judging the arguments, following words of Dr Zaman struck me:

"4. Data on Firms, Consumers CONTRADICTS theories in Samuelson.

That is, economic theories as presented in leading conventional textbooks (Mankiw, Varian, etc.) are basically wrong – these theories do not describe the realities of economics in the real world. That means we can throw it all away without any loss in knowledge to us. What pretends to be concrete and factual is simply incorrect." [Emphasis mine.]

Then he goes on to give a set of examples of the incorrectness of the concepts presented in such books which render it entirely useless.

I took a bold step. And in afternoon today threw two books by Georgy N. Mankiw in the big dustbin near my home's gate, which I had read in economic courses and which I used to refer to in case I needed to know something about economic principles. Next thing I want to do is to inform Mr Zaman of this act of intelligence coupled with a leap of faith.

How do you feel?

Update: I just informed Prof Dr Asad Zaman in one of his discussion forums. you read the thread here.

* For instance, in an article in recent Harvard Business Review, two fundamental doctrines of capitalism/economics have been ruthlessly destroyed by their own scholars in light of evidence of recent global financial crisis: a) Humans behave rationally, b) invisible hand of market leads people to the good of society at large.

A most shocking historical fallacy

It is a myth that medieval people used to believe that earth was flat which was invented in 19th century. This is the finding of a book by Jeffrey Burton Russell, Professor Emeritus, at the University of California, Santa Barbara, called: Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians (1997).

I came across this paper which briefly documents evidence against what may turn out to be, as information of the research of professor trickles down, one of the biggest historical lies taught at school and wide-spread in public discourse in the world. Author goes on to write:

A curious example of this mistreatment of the past for the purpose of slandering Christians is a widespread historical error, an error that the Historical Society of Britain some years back listed as number one in its short compendium of the ten most common historical illusions. It is the notion that people used to believe that the earth was flat--especially medieval Christians.

[...]

In my research, I looked to see how old the idea was that medieval Christians believed the earth was flat. I obviously did not find it among medieval Christians. Nor among anti-Catholic Protestant reformers. Nor in Copernicus or Galileo or their followers, who had to demonstrate the superiority of a heliocentric system, but not of a spherical earth. I was sure I would find it among the eighteenth-century philosophers, among all their vitriolic sneers at Christianity, but not a word.

Read rest of the short article here.

A quote on the endeavor of Ijtihad in Islamic Law

Hamza Yusuf writes in his historical-juristic essay on the rulings of Islamic law on chess:

Contrary to the Orientalists’ claims that the gates of ijtihad were closed in the ninth century CE, ijtihad has always been an active endeavor of the community of jurists throughout the Muslim world.[4]

In the foot-note # 4, he writes:

The only closure—if there was one—was on what is known as “absolute ijtihad” that historically was achieved by a handful of scholars in the early part of Islam and later considered impossible to achieve. However, although many consider this door closed and locked, it has always been viewed as a door that is possible for one to enter, if one has the key. [Emphasis added.]

Indiscriminate Violence: A Prophetic Tradition

Toward the latter days of indiscriminate violence, be like the first and better of the two sons of Adam who said, “If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you; surely I fear God, the Lord of the worlds.”

- From a sound tradition of the Prophet Muhammad

narrated by Imam Tirmidhi.

Academics & Fun

[I'm sorry I published the raw outline! Allow me some time to complete, meanwhile, you're requested to be patient.]

Problem Statement: why is that 'school work' (or in my case university work) doesn't come naturally to many? Why do I keep seeking something other than it to do, but something important and urgent, like, a worldcup football semi-final match, or a lenghty complex lecture by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad [give link to his page on Masud.co.uk], some research paper of Dr Asad Zaman [give link to his website] , or some deep, important topic for presentation in English Prose course? This brings us to the idea of making serious things enjoyable and fun-doing. And when it becomes fun-doing, it comes all naturally. People say it with experience not with their fantasy.

Let's just contain ourselves to academic work at different levels, beginning from school level.

KG-Preschool

its made all fun-you develop through play-[give link to when play is work]-need to kill academic morbidity

School-High-School

imagination must be targeted-problem solving/test preparation [no conclusion]-ansar's saying: use of intellect-problems of math: stereotyping as 'difficult'-difficult here stands for use of intellect, that's all!-battling weapons of distractions-spiritual training-spiritual/religious people in medical universities.

Higher education

Pain is necessary-new theme I came across-
Distractions: Nafs is the problem-story of an alim, how his father beated him on missing hadith class in favor of optional ibadah, as a case study-

Road to Interest-free Economy: Power of a singular bold step

Today is major day in life. It is so because one firm has decided to give up earning interest on funds of its employees, and to adopt halal way of making profit. It is an HR firm that outcourses thousands of low-level employees to companies. Its clients gives it a large sum of money for its employees as 'gratuity'. Because of inflation or salary increases the reserve for gratuity gets low (I can explain if you want in comments section). This is what they call short-fall. To meet this short-fall they need money, which is earned by putting that alrge sum in bank, on which they get interest. This is haram. Although the firm never used the interest for itself, but nonetheless it earned interest to make up for its shortfall in money. But this is no excuse for the company to indulge in such haram a transaction as earning interest or riba.

The point of mirth and shukar (gratitude to Allah) is that I pointed out this 'moral ambuity; to CEO, who has a deep relation with me, as he explained me what I have explained to you about gratuity and all that stuff. And although I'm no employee or board of directors, he was moved saying he 'has been caught red-handed'... He is a man of action. He took a bold step and is ready to make things in conformity with Sharia'.

Long story short, CEO immediately called his CFO and asked him to suggest new, 'healthy' ways to get out of it. As a first step, he has ordered to shift millions of money from bank deposits to 'current account' on which the depositor gets no money/interest/profit. That is huge, actually. Till December they'll have to come up with ways to earn profit on millions of rupees. It can be risky, nay, clearly it is. And here CHANGE MANAGEMENT is involved. This is a major paradigm shift. Some key people in the organization are disturbed by this decision. And I fear a covert resistance that may undermine the project. Here we're not left alone. Alhamdulilah, there's a vast body of literature on change management. It tells all about this science, what change means, how do people in organizations can react to it, how to implement a successful change program, what pitfalls to avoid, etc., etc.

One important book has been written in the cultural context (2 Cs) of Pakistan by former Dean of my university's school of management. It's called, simply, Managing Change, by Dr. ZIQ. (Managing Change is both a text-book in which frameworks are given to solve case-studies, each theoretical chapter is followed by case-studies of purely Pakistani companies.

I am rambling too much! Because. I feel so indebted to Allah that a few words of mine have seemingly changed substantially business life of a firm. I've been asked to propose solutions and not just pin-point messy problems... So... Tomorrow after jumma prayer I intend to meet one of my professors who'd guide me to alternatives, inshaAllah! For you, if you're Muslim business-student or -man, it's your duty to help your brother in faith by suggesting brilliant ideas for profit-earning ventures. Judgment criteria: We always need every year more than 1.7m in our reserves to pay the gratuity of employees in order to meet expected short-falls. If you've problems understanding, please mention inshaAllah I'd clarify.

To Dr. Asad Zaman: On Social Sciences

I wrote following mail to Dr Asad Zaman, alumni MIT (BS Mathematics) & Standford (MS Stats; PhD Economics), professor at IIIU. Visit his website for all of his works and data: http://sites.google.com/site/asaduzaman/home. He is a leading Islamic scholar on Islamic economics, critic of western social scientist, an educationist, Islamic political theorist, and a sea of knowledge and TAQWA

Assalamualaekum!

I am Umer Toor, BSc Business, FC College, Lahore. I've been reading your papers and writings on your website; at first I read your interview in Intellect mag which led me to discover you and your thought.

I'm particularly interested in critique of yours on Western Social Science. One of my professors at F.C. is thinking of introducing Islamic Sociology course there. Your paper on Origins of Western Social Sciences [also see Nature of Social Science page] enumerates some foundational works, which we would be reading.

We seek your guidance on this matter. Do you have ideas on Islamic social science courses that may serve to be an inspiration and yardstick for our us?

Moreover, I've a bunch of students learning in elite universities who have launched amongst themselves the Revival of Islamic Intelligentsia Program [they work as members of ESEF] - can you groom us by giving some lectures, or best, can we visit you personally in Islamabad, which is our dream?

JazakAallh!

Of Assets

Today, I ended up gifting my 9th grade friend Einstein's book on relativity, a subject which no students gets to study in Pakistan's school before 2nd year in high school (read: F.Sc.). Although it's written in a very lucid and clear prose, but chances of his fully understanding quantum mechanics, lengthy proofs of relativity, 'mysteries' of general and special relativity seem bleak, but not beyond the bounds of possibilities. I know a friend, regarded as genius by the world, who wrote a very original and authentic book on mathematics and physics in tenth grade!

Nonetheless. For him as for everyone, tomorrow is never the same. I have books in my Philosopher's Corner (my room) as old as 14 years that I inherited from my father. When young, I used to wonder and fantasize about the lengthy books which are part and parcel of my life today. I can recall how oceanic all of it seemed - just too tremendous to get hold of. I rarely understood a word. Today, by just remaining in its company for so long, has helped to open up the treasures of knowledge to me. Maybe the same could work for him. As a long-term asset, its payback period won't be short, but the fruits - may Allah wills it - be immensely sweet and plentiful.

With these 'hopes and prospects', when he asked whether he could own it, I instantly gifted him this pillar of modern science (the book), without a second-thought, although I intended him to see it for a day or two.

Holding the Center by M Shahid Alam

I taped it to the black board
a map of the world
Rand McNally
printed in USA.

It split Asia
right down the middle:
the truncated moieties
exiled to the right
and left edges
of this fixed habitat.

It was necessary
this sundering: so
USA could sit
right spat
at the center
of subjected memory.

It isn't easy
holding the Center,
mind you.
See to it
that they
see you holding it.

You have to
charge the cavalry
of cartographers
the hired guns
of history
to center
the world on you.

__________________________________________________________
(Source: M. Shahid Alam is professor of economics at Northeastern University, Boston. His recent book, Poverty from the Wealth of Nations was published by Palgrave (2000). Copyright: M. Shahid Alam)

Islamic Perspective on Fundamentalism: Historical Analyses I

In this interview of Seyyed Hossein Nasr by an American TV channel, he gives an analysis of modern history [starting at 15:00 on "what went wrong with Islam recently"] (18-20th century) of Muslims concentrating on colonial, post-colonial situation, essentially from Islamic point-of-view, or at least his independent analysis as Muslim, who is opposed to secular-modernist scholars, which is very imperative. Dr Asad Zaman, professor at IIIU, has repeatedly stated the need of re-writing entire history of past 300 years and its all major developments & aspects from Islamic point of view, especially in this research paper, Developing an Islamic World-View.

Now, we've popular writers like Karen Armstrong taking lead, writing 'interesting' books on the development of so-called fundamentalism in Christianity, Judaism and Islam, interpreting the past 300-year history essentially from a modern, "secular-fundamentalist" * perspective. She and her likes are committed moderns calling all religious people fundamentalists, without distinguishing them from those who commit indiscriminate violence against innocent people, who resist the onslaught of modernity that threatens their religion. Hence again, we see a deep-rooted Euro-centrism in the works of such scholars who are many in number and dominate the scene.

In such a condition of intellectual bankruptcy in Muslim world, such lectures, presentations, interpretations from an Islamic point-of-view are blessings from on high to those who want freedom from the fetters of this world and coercive modernity that robes people of freedom to choose their own destiny.

________________________
* This latter term, "secular-fundamentalist," has been coined by Nasr, I came across in The Heart of Islam of the author, which perfectly fits with the mentality and acts of moderns who profess secularism imposing on others, and curtailing the freedom of 'other civilizations to be themselves'. This fundamentalism is most brutal and harsh 'than the most extreme of religious fundamentalism'.

How to tackle Literary Elephants?

We Ants of literature (i.e., students) are intimidated by Historical Towering Pillars of Literature who Dazzle us with their Magic. Their skill at giving cross-references to so many other works weigh heavily down on our shoulders, when we think of achieving the same level of rigor, depth, breadth and mastery over the subject, no matter how ordinary may the subject-topic be. But, their reign of terror is over. I've been introduced to a weapon of criticism that tells us: The author is giving inter-textual references for what purpose? I think s/he is using it to prove his greatness, show off and impress his/her readers.

Considering this possibility, which we Ants often tread to conceive, is quite liberating :) And as a writer a dose to remain on the Straight Path of humility and courtesy towards mankind.

From America with Love (?)

"We're proud to bring F-16 directly from America ... First time in the [deplorable] history of PAF (Pakistan Air Force) our pilots have brought F-16s directly from America [through flight] ... This is a great achievement for our nations [for it'd help us to destroy people in our tribal areas with LGB bombs, both in day and night with perfect accuracy, for it'd free Americans from destroying their enemies ... Masters don't do what slaves can]."

Is that what PAF pilot meant enclosed in brackets!? This is no literary irony. He just missed it! Watch Vipers coming down.

Inspired

Still an athiest/agnostic, having given up his pure Roman-Catholic background, Nuh Keller here reveals what the unjust hides:

On a vacation home from school, I was walking upon a dirt road between some fields of wheat, and it happened that the sun went down. By some inspiration, I realized that it was a time of worship, a time to bow and pray to the one God. But it was not something one could rely on oneself to provide the details of, but rather a passing fancy, or perhaps the beginning of an awareness that atheism was an inauthentic way of being.

These words keep resonating in my mind. Its a kind of a testament. Hence as inspiration. Therefore beautiful.

Dynamics of Canonical Prayer

As soon as I enter salat/canonical prayer in Islam, I immediately am transformed from a state of anxiety, irritation, restlessness, and confusion, lack of concentration to a state of utter calmness, inner silence, flow, peace, and harmony. The greatest blessing is that I can’t sin anymore. I’m from the worldliness of ghaflah. I no more am in a state of dreaming or vulnerable to ‘create a dream around my world’ and forget really what my purpose is. People are safe from the bitterness and harmfulness of my tongue and hands.

In fact, whole society, whole world transforms beyond our imagination due to congregational act of salah. Because. As Islamic scholar Mahmoud Ayuob states in his book on Islam that when a believer enters salah ‘time and space are sanctified … whole world is purified [for her/him]’.

Hazrat Umer, second people’s caliph/servant of Islam – and I repeatedly use this example – wrote to all of his governors a letter. And in that letter he started off with what was most essential of him that all his governors must protect and establish – Salah! Sacred rituals revealed to mankind in this final, universal revelation* [listen to Abdal Hakim Murad on 'Islam and West' part 3-4] of Islam are greatest gifts to humanity. Unfortunately, the ‘native Orientalists’ (Shahid Alam’s article, Native Orientalists at the Daily Times) and those whose intellect has been atrophied fail to appreciate the Treasure salah and other rituals are.

* Christianity, first of all, a religion that has historically claimed and to a far degree succeeded to be a universal one, was never meant to be Christianity by its founder Sayyidina Isa (A.S.). He came as a Prophet to Jews. Modern biblical scholarship has proven that beyond doubt. First time I came to know of this apparently less known fact to many Christians was in, What Islam did for Us?, by Tim-Wallace Murphy. Then in works of Karen Armstrong, who even made a TV-documentary, The First Christian, on St. Paul, exposing using historical data how St. Paul made a new religion out of the message of Prophet Jesus.

Yin-Yang: "No Tyranny of the OR"

In Built to Last, authors argue that visionary firms that last and endure all phases a firm can endure and pass the tset of time, don't settle for half-half, for either this OR that. Rather. They're inspired by "Glory of the AND". Like, they give many examples for that and I'll just quote one:: "a relatively fixed core ideology AND vigorous change and movement" (p.44).

They also claim that their principles, glory of the AND just being one, extracted after a 6-year research on 36 different companies, applies well beyond the boundaries of business institutions, rather to all kinds of institutions. They didn't realize this when they authored the book, but by the feedback from all over the book.

In our society we see the shadows of the "Tyranny of the OR" pervading over the hearts and minds of I don't know how many people. Even genuinely good people at heart say, "You can't do a business without playing foul, or in (negatively) clever manner in Pakistan, we'll be doomed if you do that," "People are so mean, they don't even change, You're living in an ideal world." Idealism, that's good, given the evidence the authors of the book, although they call it pragmatic idealism.