Finished reading: The Elements of Moral Philosophy
This evening I finished reading, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, by James Rachels (McGraw-Hill College, 3rd edition 1999; previous editions 1986, 1993).
… I have read a number of books on Ethics; it’s quite different from all others. Though written for the students, it retains the philosophical tenor well. Not only Rachels discusses important arguments put forward by the important schools of moral philosophy, he contributes towards devising a new Moral Theory also.
Distinctively, he equates Morality with Reason. “It is an offense against morality because it is first an offense against reason.”
Have a look at the scheme of the book, not the contents of the chapters. Rachels starts each chapter with a relevant quotation which is enlightening. Copied are these quotations also along with the title of the chapters:
1. What is morality?
We are discussing no small matter, but how we ought to live.
[Socrates, as reported
Karachi Ke Saudagar
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How to reduce high electricity tariff?
It is no gainsaying that the government has completely failed the citizens of Pakistan by mismanaging the electricity generation and distribution. This government-made crisis is immeasurably hurting every aspect of the society. But there is no sign of any realization of the magnitude of the crisis on the part of the present government which through its 5 years of rule did nothing to resolve it.
… The electricity tariff is directed upwards with no reason why it is being increased day by day. Somehow back in 2003 at least there was a bit of sense that it needed to be reduced, and a Task Force was formed to see into it. The Alternate Solutions Institute submitted a paper presenting its view on the nature of the crisis and suggested certain long-term policy measures. I wrote that paper, and afterwards also I wrote a number of articles on the electricity crisis.
In
Hukoomten Aag Mein Kab Jalen Gi?
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Army Chief Ka Falsafiyana Iqdaam
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A taxonomy of human intellect
My reading room is 11 X 9 feet. The wall on the left contains built-in-wall shelves measuring 10.5 X 3.4 inches. Against the front wall are placed two steel almirahs. They are all full of books, old, new, and on various subjects. Their number is irrelevant to the purpose of the present writing. Apart from technical subjects such as relating to physical, scientific and technological disciplines, I have books about many subjects and disciplines.
… Let me make it clear: my passion is Philosophy, Literature and History. So, books on these subjects abound.
All these books were there randomly stuffed in various shelves. Not most of the times, but some of the times when I required a book, it used to take undue time to find it out of the heap. Also, my mind did not display all the books I had in my personal library, and when looking for a
Takhayyul Ki Maut
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War against virtue
As the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has recently clearly identified who are extremists and who are terrorists, and as these extremists and terrorists are waging a war in Pakistan to impose a world view of theirs on the people of Pakistan through the use of gun, this war in its truest meaning is a war against Virtue. Here are the arguments:
War against virtue
All coercion is part of the war against virtue unless morally and legally justified.
… War against virtue
All coercion is part of the war against virtue unless morally and legally justified.
Our share of the terrorists or Taliban has perfected what we have been suffering in our country at smaller or somewhat larger scales for the last six decades: the moral policing. Sometimes it was individuals or well-knit groups, and sometimes it were governments that resorted to moral policing. However, now in the shape of Taliban, the moral policing has reached its climax, i.e. it has become
Brij Narayan Chakbast Ka Aik Sheyr
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Waiting torture in Pakistan
Yesterday’s Pakistan Print Edition of International Herald Tribune contains Why waiting is torture, by Alex Stone.
… A very good piece which discusses our psychology of waiting in line and how we respond to various waiting situations.
Alex Stone writes: “Americans spend roughly 37 billion hours each year waiting in line.”
I wonder, how much time Pakistanis spend waiting in lines here and there, both at private and public establishments! I do not know about any such study for Pakistan. Actually, it’s no “issue” at all here. No guessing – how much time Pakistanis spend in waiting. But no doubt their life is full of suffering related with waiting.
And apart from this, what is important to see in the case of Pakistan is that often and time there are fights on breaking the queues. The queuing culture has no roots here.
Surprisingly, the multinational food chains which have already
Pakistani Siyasat Ka Keechar
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Army Chief defines extremism and terrorism
Usually I do not read statements and speeches given by government officials, elected or nominated; but only when due to the interest in a certain issue it requires to go into its detail.
… It was on September 2 that I was going through the op-ed pages of The News that these lines used as teaser caught my eyes: “The preparation of violence with a clear conscience is a delight to ideologues who distort the teachings of religion. This was what General Kayani had in mind when he had said that a person who imposes his views on society is an extremist.”
I stopped on this article, The defeat of extremist ideology, by S. Iftikhar Murshid.
Then I searched for this speech of the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. I thought it must be available on the website of ISPR (Inter Services Public Relations). As it was
Muslim League (N) Ka Tarz-e-Hukmarani
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Pre-requisites of constitutional rule in Pakistan
It’s strange but is true. Even after the constitution of 1973 was enforced, if we go through the writings, be they are Leftist or Rightist, there is talk of government, society, politics, and such things, but no mention of the constitution, its provisions could be found in the intellectual / political discourse of the country.
… I shall share some of such samples later.
For now, here are some thoughts on what are the pre-requisites of a constitutional rule in Pakistan:
Pre-requisites of constitutional rule in Pakistan
(1) Any person who abrogates or attempts or conspires to abrogate, subverts or attempts or conspires to subvert the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason. (2) Any person aiding or abetting the acts mentioned in clause (1) shall likewise be guilty of high treason.
[The Constitution of Pakistan]
It was
Zawaal Ke Nishaan
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The crimes states commit
This does not relate to the crimes states commit against one another.
… This takes exception to the crimes states, or Pakistani state, commit against their own citizens.
As it’s a truism that states kill. Sometimes they kill, as Syria does now, by using the weapons they purchase or manufacture with citizens’ money.
I say Citizens’ Money because most of the times what states extract from the pockets of the citizens in the form of taxes can never be justified as a just tax.
And in many cases, states kill their own citizens by making and implementing unwise and elitist policies, as Pakistan has been doing since its birth.
When I wrote the following piece (it was posted on the website of Alternate Solutions Institute on August 14, 2010) and titled it as “Pakistan – A criminal State,” the friends with whom I shared it first objected to this title. But
Tareekh Ki Muhim
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A world without rules
Now it’s a considered view of mine that it is in making rules, just rules, and following them, and implementing them across the board that humanity’s emancipation lies. And, I think, broadly it is rules which saved the West, including the USA, and made it the West.
… Not only is it the state of the rule of lawlessness in Pakistan but the same state prevailing in most of the world that makes one attach so much importance to rules and the institution of the rule of rules.
As Eisenhower once said,“The clearest way to show what the rule of law means to us in everyday life is to recall what has happened when there is no rule of law.”
[Dwight David Eisenhower, 1890-1969]
Likewise, I have tried to imagine how a world without rules looks like:
A world without rules
There are only two things we should fight for.
Siyasi Partian Ya Siyasi Bandobast: Pakistani Siyasat Ke Pech-o-Khum Ka Falsafiyana Muhakma
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Political Parties Or Political Arrangements: A Philosophical Critique of Pakistani Politics
This August 10, Alternate Solutions Institute released my 2nd Urdu book, Siyasi Partian Ya Siyasi Bandobast: A Philosophical Critique of Pakistani Politics. Copied below are the English and Urdu media releases:
Urdu Book “سیاسی پارٹیاں یا سیاسی بندوبست“ (Siyasi Partian Ya Siyasi Bandobast) published
The book attempts a philosophical analysis of Pakistan’s political parties
The book smashes a number of political myths and cliches
Author dubs political parties as enemies of the citizens and focuses on how to make them friends of the citizens
Lahore August 10, 2012: Alternate Solutions Institute released today Dr. Khalil Ahmad’s 2nd Urdu book, “Siyasi Partian Ya Siyasi Bandobast: Pakistani Siyasat Ke Pech-o-Khum Ka Falsafiyani Muhakma” (Political Parties Or Political Arrangements: Philosophical Analysis of the Intricacies of Pakistani Politics). His first book, “Pakistan Mein Riyasti Ashrafiya Ka Urooj” (The Rise of State Aristocracy in Pakistan) came out in February this year