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| February 03, 2007 | Saturday | Muharram 14, 1428 |
Post-modernism lecture sparks healthy debate
ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: The Council of Social Sciences will publish papers read at the Islamabad Philosophical Society, here on Friday.
The president of the Council, Dr Inayatullah, made the offer after a stormy session of the Society, on Friday evening, after Prof Khwaja Masud’s lecture on post-modernism at the TVO Auditorium, where the Islamabad Cultural Forum and the Islamabad Philosophical Society meet each fortnight.
It was proved again that philosophical subjects did not go down well with dyed-in-the-wool thinkers who gather for discussions there, though at least the Philosophical Society was formed at Prof Masud’s behest.
The learned professor explained various features of post- modernism in his talk. Quoting Hegel and Marx, he said the subject had great relevance with high ideals of rationality, objectivity and enlightenment.
It was at this point that Prof Masud stepped on some toes when he said post-modernism was full of meta narratives. Many present at the discussion thought he meant that the theory was loaded with exaggerations and narratives and bombarded him with questions and comments.
Post-modernism was an awful propaganda tool of the multinationals, observed poet Akhtar Usman.
Prof Jalil Aali seconded him and brought in elements from Muslim intellectuals. He questioned whether the ideas existed at all in the present post 9/11 world situation, given the poor social economic conditions in the third world.
Ashfaque Salim Mirza also took up the question. In the context of Prof Masud’s observation that Muslim thinkers had countered the arguments of post-modernist thinkers, he observed that the Muslim world —at least Pakistani intellectuals, including those who proclaimed to be liberals— had no inkling of the philosophical movement of ideas.
All these movements were part of the intellectual fashion parade that goes on in this part of the world. The assessment of these liberal thinkers had little relation with conditions on the ground, Mr Mirza added. Fatima Noor started the proceedings by introducing the subject briefly.—Jonaid Iqbal
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