Have posted 'Thoughts on the Present Discontent' on the Iqbal Sciences Blog. What do you all think about it?
(Preferably, post your comments there).
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Literature
Why do we need to study Iqbal on his own terms? I am hoping that Ahmad Safi will post something on that issue soon (he usually answers this question with a more natural flow than I can). At the suggestion of Connie Nash, I am starting to offer my tentative definitions of the proposed key areas of Iqbal Sciences, beginning with literature.
Literature may be redefined as a demonstration of the life of the collective ego with the aid of language. This collective ego is what Sir Syed Ahmad Khan described as "the spirit of all human beings" in his short story 'Time Bygone'. Later, Iqbal stated in his paper 'The Muslim Community' that concepts like Zietgiest, collective consciousness, etc, are nothing more than faint and incomplete hints in guessing at this "collective ego" which is therefore different, and much bigger, than what is implied in any of the concepts of modern philosophy or psychology.
I hope to add more in this post. But basically I wanted to propose this definition for discussion (and it can be transferred to the SOIS Blog later): Literature is a demonstration of the life of the collective ego with the aid of language.
Literature may be redefined as a demonstration of the life of the collective ego with the aid of language. This collective ego is what Sir Syed Ahmad Khan described as "the spirit of all human beings" in his short story 'Time Bygone'. Later, Iqbal stated in his paper 'The Muslim Community' that concepts like Zietgiest, collective consciousness, etc, are nothing more than faint and incomplete hints in guessing at this "collective ego" which is therefore different, and much bigger, than what is implied in any of the concepts of modern philosophy or psychology.
I hope to add more in this post. But basically I wanted to propose this definition for discussion (and it can be transferred to the SOIS Blog later): Literature is a demonstration of the life of the collective ego with the aid of language.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Iqbal Studies
Hi everyone except Ahmad Bhai,
In a recent meeting, we discussed the foundations of the Society of Iqbal Sciences. Here is what I want to share on this subject as follow-up (with you also, Ahmad Bhai).
Iqbal Sciences is the name we have given to the study of Iqbal's work on his own terms, and the study of related disciplines in the light of conclusions drawn from this. As such this is different from and possibly a branch of Iqbal Studies where the scope of study is not so well-defined.
To begin with, there are the following major areas of study in Iqbal Sciences:
In a recent meeting, we discussed the foundations of the Society of Iqbal Sciences. Here is what I want to share on this subject as follow-up (with you also, Ahmad Bhai).
Iqbal Sciences is the name we have given to the study of Iqbal's work on his own terms, and the study of related disciplines in the light of conclusions drawn from this. As such this is different from and possibly a branch of Iqbal Studies where the scope of study is not so well-defined.
To begin with, there are the following major areas of study in Iqbal Sciences:
- Literature, etc
- History and Politics
- Religion
- Education
- Iqbal
- Quaid-i-Azam Jinnah
- Liaquat Ali Khan
- Regional Studies
- Personal narratives
Each of these areas is there for a purpose, and has been defined in the light of the works of Iqbal or findings from those works (I have been using these nine areas as tags on my RR Blog for some time now).
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