“Man can think in the sense that
he possesses the possibility to do so. This possibility alone, however, is no
guarantee to us that we are capable of thinking. For we are capable of doing
only what we are inclined to do.” (M. Heidegger: What Calls For Thinking)
To
think is a task and if it is a task, then it is not just a mere passing state
but an act. Being conscious during the moment is different from thinking and
many mistook a mere presence as the arduous intellectual task of thinking.
Sadly, the prowess of intellectual activities has been equated and measured
through stacking so many things in memory. To recall is different from
thinking. But what is to think? Are we really thinking if we limit ourselves to
the things we are inclined to? If we are inclined to some things are we just
simply recalling? If we are inclined already to some things, are we really
thinking or are we just following what is there already as a given? The
challenge is to create, to mold, to innovate, but so far it is easy to simply
follow and accept what is given without a thought.
Thinking
is equivalent to critiques as critiques imply the human shaping and molding of
the world. If humanity does not critique, then humanity renders the world static
and unchangeable and submits to the order presented. “Philosophers have
interpreted the world but the point is to change it,” says Marx. Granting that
philosophers have spent most of their time thinking but thinking in an ivory
tower is not at all the course to take and to remain. Thinking is a step to the
practical and must culminate in application. “It is the critique that measures
the individual existence by the essence, the particular reality by the Idea.”
(K. Marx: To Make the World
Philosophical: Ruthless Criticism to Everything Existing) Ideas must
solidify in reality in order to test their worth and one cannot generate the
ideas if one does not think and more so, ruthlessly critique. The aim is not to
be ‘the philosopher’ but the main point is to live out what it means to be a
thinking being. However, thinking and critiquing yet remains a possibility for
the vast majority.
We
are situated in an undeniably wretched world. Some say we have to
accept it as an irreversible and inevitable fate of humanity, and that we can do
nothing about it. These people who merely accept the given never learned that
slavery was placed under the razor of critiques that made many historical
events leading to the liberation of slaves. The development of science was a
critique of the absolutist claims of religion that shaped the future of science
and technological advancements. The world changed because of the efforts of man
to think, to critique, and pave ways in order the make the ideal real. Education
has long ever claimed that its mission is to make people critically think;
however, it has turned out that the culture placed made more obedient
automatons rather than individuals who can creatively contribute. There are
those who preach and teach critical thinking yet are facing clamor from those whose
brain capacity is limited to obedience. Even political thinkers see the
necessity of civil disobedience coming from critiques of the status quo as the step
to reevaluate a given socio-political order. Thinking is indeed a task and just
like exercising, some are just fond of the idea of working out but not actually
flexing to sweat.
Sadly,
the student populace is plagued with apathy and misplaced and directionless
dissent. There has never been truly a community spirit that bonds students as
one other than the fact that they just belong to the same school. Apathy is the
result of people refusing to be conscious, to think, and to critique.
‘Directionlessness’ is the result of not thinking harder and critiquing more.
It may appear that thinking and 'critiquing' disturbs and destroys the status quo; however, the point is not just to subject to destruction but to create. We
deconstruct in order to reconstruct. Protest but also suggest. Question
adamantly yet propose what one can offer. All of these presupposes thinking. Yet
again, how many can do such? How many can actively build a future and not just
be swayed by the flow of time?
Students,
when will we think? When will we build a student community? When will you think
about it? Is it high time to organize as one student body? Is it high time to
actively change the static student community that we have right now? If so,
think further and then build. We hated the politics outside our school because
of rigged elections, corruption, and incompetence but if we cannot try to address
the similar situation we have right now, how can you even change a larger
playing field? Think what is best for all students and in time, you will start
to turn thinking into a habit and then think what is best for our people.
Having thought such, then we have a map to change the 'now.' Let us have a play
of thought coming from Noam Chomsky’s Responsibility
of Intellectuals and Francis Bacon’s “knowledge is power”. If knowledge is
generated from rigorous thinking, then when one starts to think then one enters
into a task that one ought to be responsible for. When we think, we think for
ourselves and for others. When great thinking comes great responsibility. Great thinking comes with a great ability to respond. Respond in order to change.
Comments
Post a Comment