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October 10, 2004
REVIEW: Metaphysics of morals
IN a discourse on metaphysics, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) argues that all rational knowledge is either material or formal. The former is concerned with material objects and latter with the form of understanding and reasoning.
He implies that formal philosophy is logic while material philosophy deals with objects and the laws to which they are subject. These laws are either the laws of nature or of freedom. The science of the former is physics, that of the latter, ethics; they are also called natural philosophy and moral philosophy, respectively.
He says philosophy may be called empirical so far as it is based on experience; and “pure” when it delivers its doctrines from a priori principles alone. When the latter is merely formal it is logic; if it is restricted to definite objects of the understanding it is metaphysics. Again, metaphysics has two aspects — metaphysics of nature and metaphysics of morals.
Sher Ali Akhtar took pains to ponder the issue in the context of Islam and mysticism, as it is known to Muslim culture; and came up with a marvellous work on metaphysics of morals. As he claims, it took him four decades to write the first draft comprising 3,000 pages which were condensed to around 400, and given book form. The book is his labour of love. He has written it not for the mass uptake, but for a limited number of erudite readers interested in metaphysics in a broader sense.
He conceives various interesting realities of the universe in a fascinating manner. For instance, he says that knowledge is understood by living beings, so life is essential to the universe.
He asks: “What is it that we are in quest of? Can we ever achieve it? Is it our own being that we are trying to find? Is our quest moving towards a greater truth, an all-encompassing and absolute reality...?”
He discusses the oneness of existence (Wahdat-ul-Wujood), as some scholars believe. Or that oneness of existence and oneness of manifestation are one and the same thing — just like the two sides of the same coin, inseparable but different. Interestingly, both the concepts can be interpreted in more than one way. So ultimately, it is the intelligence, the knowledge, the attitude and the approach of the interpreter that determine how they understand the two and the fine link between them.
Can we find truth or reality by induction or deduction? What is the relationship between the creature and the creator? Why are we not conscious of our existence before we were born? What would be the nature of our consciousness when our soul leaves its carnal guise? What is the meaning of consciousness? Can it be described in words? Are there different kinds of consciousness?
Interestingly, answers to some of these questions can be found in Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, a sci-fi novel that was also filmed later. I wonder if many of the viewers received the inherent message that linked evolution to the will of the Superior Being, and takes the concept of biological perfection one step ahead.
Beginning from absolute reasoning to the empirical, the author goes on to discussing logical beginning, universal concepts and the conveyance of knowledge to facts, passive entities and subjective reality. He puts forward the theory that evil constitutes negation and contradiction and is self-destructive. He discusses idea, memory and intuition.
The author discussed the theory of numbers and its interaction with different cultures. We know how Roman numerals are different from Arabic numerals which contained the crucial “cipher” or “zero” which actually originated in India. We understand how the decimal makes mathematical calculation easier, but when it comes to computers, the binary system takes the cake.
He tells us how we need our senses to observe nature and the natural phenomena. But our senses are different from the senses of other living beings. For instance, a dog — or a bee or a bird — sees objects in different shapes and colours than humans. So we actually don’t know what is reality and what is just our perception.
The human mind has always been puzzled by simple questions such as: What is intelligence? Does it help us get a better knowledge of things and phenomena, or does it just make our perception keen? Is there a Supreme Being who created us? Do superior beings exist out there in the Universe? What do they look like, and how do they respond to various physical, mental and spiritual stimuli?
One may disagree with the author’s premise, logic or conclusion yet his discourse is pithy and carries weight. He argues that if the existence of the Universe, or Life, is taken as accidental, all sequence of events from eternity to eternity is nothing but a series of accidents; and life becomes so inconspicuous in the immense expansion of the universe.
Mazhab, Falsafa aur Kainaat
By Sher Ali Akhtar
Welcome Book Port, Urdu Bazar, Karachi. Tel: 021-2633151; 2639581; Fax: 021-2638086
E-mail: welbooks@hotmail.com
386pp. Rs350
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