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Principles of literature
Should it not be ironic that despite hundreds of books written about Iqbal, it is still very difficult to come across a clear statement about how he envisaged the role of literature in society? As far as I understand, the basic principles which Iqbal offers us on this issue are three:
- Societies prosper when their poets, writers and artists portray beauty, love and hope, and when they offer an idealistic picture of the world - giving us a virtual experience of the world as it should be.
- Societies suffer and may perish when their posts, writers and artists portray ugliness and despair, and deny the centrality of love.
- Pessimism in literature cannot be justified by arguing that it is a depiction of the real world, because the purpose of art and literature is to paint a picture of the world as it should be, and not just as it appears to be.
Scope
The overall conclusion to be drawn from these three principles is that literature is the main factor in determining the destinies of nations. Other variables also play their roles, such as politics, religious thought, science, education and so on. However, even the impact of those factors is eventually moderated by literature.
In other words, if a society - or the whole world - is facing problems today, we first need to look at the kind of literature it has been patronizing. Did it place pessimist writers on the pedestal of high literature? Did it assign importance to literature which portrayed the world as it appeared to be?
if the answer is yes, the primary cause of all the evils of a society - or the world - are rooted in its veneration of pessimistic and naturalistic literature. No matter what political course it adopts, or how religious and God-fearing it becomes, the society - or the world - is doomed to fail, and crash, unless it changes its literary preferences.
Today the world seems to be on the brink of catastrophe, and the symptoms might be visible most clearly in Pakistan. What is the cause of these evil?
Politics, religion, science and education may also have played a role but the primary cause must be sought in the kind of literature which has been venerated by academies and patronized by universities.
Just as expected, we find that not only in the world in general but also in Pakistan, the only type of literature that has been held in praise is exactly the type which, according to Iqbal, is poison. Drink it and you die. We drank it and we are dying.
In other words, if a society - or the whole world - is facing problems today, we first need to look at the kind of literature it has been patronizing. Did it place pessimist writers on the pedestal of high literature? Did it assign importance to literature which portrayed the world as it appeared to be?
if the answer is yes, the primary cause of all the evils of a society - or the world - are rooted in its veneration of pessimistic and naturalistic literature. No matter what political course it adopts, or how religious and God-fearing it becomes, the society - or the world - is doomed to fail, and crash, unless it changes its literary preferences.
Redefining a society
Today the world seems to be on the brink of catastrophe, and the symptoms might be visible most clearly in Pakistan. What is the cause of these evil?
Politics, religion, science and education may also have played a role but the primary cause must be sought in the kind of literature which has been venerated by academies and patronized by universities.
Just as expected, we find that not only in the world in general but also in Pakistan, the only type of literature that has been held in praise is exactly the type which, according to Iqbal, is poison. Drink it and you die. We drank it and we are dying.
I feel so deeply -- reading this especially succinct and wise mini-essay that this is a profound description and prescription for our time -- world-wide. So clear and strong -- these words -- that I experience them as both from the core as well as transcendent in exposing our current and needed reality.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
ReplyDeleteThis is excellent. It so strongly conveys the topic so well.
You wrote:
"...the primary cause of all the evils of a society - or the world - are rooted in its veneration of pessimistic and naturalistic literature. No matter what political course it adopts, or how religious and God-fearing it becomes, the society - or the world - is doomed to fail, and crash, unless it changes its literary preferences."
This post makes it clear that those primarily culpable are indeed those same ones who may be, at this very moment, sitting in comfortable armchairs pointing at all that is (seemingly) bad in the world, going on and on about it, pulling in attention toward it, and (sometimes subtly, sometimes quite overtly) cordoning off awareness into cold, narrow, life-denigrating corridors.
This veneration of pessimistic and naturalistic literature essentially sequesters consciousness into a groove of poison.
Is it possible to listen to your interview? Even though I wouldn't be able to understand the Urdu, I would nonetheless very much like to hear it. The paraverbals and the feeling are what I would like to absorb.
Thank you very much for this.
All good wishes,
robert
I shall post the link as soon as I get it. As far as I know, the interview has not yet been broadcast.
DeleteThank you Sir.
DeleteAll good wishes,
robert
plz suend the link to me also when you get.
DeleteThank you
Great words. I will forward it to all my friends and relatives.
ReplyDeleteEssentially U R right but I want to pick a hole in the language.LITERATURE does not have a PURPOSE; it is the WRITER whose purpose determines the output and its effect on society.
ReplyDeleteThen comes the Kantian distinction between what is DESIRED and what is DESIRABLE. You can not bind down a writer to be only optimistic.Everyone has varying moods. Even Iqbal.....
gspsuri@gmail.com
Thanks for your comment:
Delete1. I will not comment on the Kantian distinction, since I am only presenting the ideas of Iqbal here, and Kant had obviously not read Iqbal :)
2. Whether literature has a purpose or the writer; this depends on how we perceive literature. The implication here is that literature may have a life of its own. As long as that is understood, I am not so much concerned about holes in the language, since conventions of language keep changing and the age of Internet and blogs has turned them practically irrelevant at least outside the universities and classrooms.
3. It is true that we cannot bind down a writer to be only optimistic. Thanks for making this important observation: this post or even the original theory of Iqbal is not for laying down any unreasonable restriction on the freedom of expression. It is just to point out that just as writers are free to express themselves, the society must also be informed about how to choose between the various dreams offered by various writers. We are not asking anybody not to write pessimistically if this is what they want to do. We are just asking the society not to follow them, and we are offering reasons why.
4. "Everyone has varying moods. Even Iqbal..." I am afraid that I cannot see the connection between someone's "moods" and their literary output, once they are past the age of 13 (mentally).
By the way, GSP Suri Sahib, I am personally very glad to see you here again, and feel honoured that you have posted your comment here.
DeleteSir,
DeleteI thank you for this elaboration.
You make a distinction which I think is often missed, and that is that there is an onus of responsibility on the reader to choose - with wise discretion - the kind of literature to take in. It's not that different than making conscious choices of when to eat, what to eat, or even to periodically abstain from eating, all with the goal of sustenance and balanced growth.
Thank you again.
All good wishes,
robert
I think as long as there are writers with pessimistic attitude,a
ReplyDeletecountry will be in the brink of a catastrophe.Literature is a very powerful tool it can make or break a nation.Iqbal succeeded because he did not surrender he kept on spreading the message of hope through his writing.Because of him others picked up the message and promoted it.India and the Muslims were in a far worse shape,they did not have a country to call their own.To come out of that terrible condition and succeed in having their own country was something unthinkable.It was achieved.Yes there are outside forces,the useless politicians who have nothing better to do.Why aren't the litterary figures, ,stepping it up.If pen is mightier than the sword,why don't we see the results?
"Why aren't the litterary figures stepping it up...?" This is an important question. In my opinion, one of the reasons is that these messages were never brought out in simple and clear terms.
DeleteMustansar Hussain Tarrar, whom I consider to be the greatest writer alive in Pakistan today, said to me two years ago that he regrets that his seniors did not introduce him to Iqbal properly when he was an emerging writer, about fifty years ago.
The scathing honesty and humility with which Tarrar Sahib made this statement can usually be expected only from someone of his stature and integrity. However, it seems that so many people are arriving at similar conclusions in varying degrees and manners.
This makes me wonder if it is an inevitable process of learning. Maybe we just had to go through this entire painful cycle of so many decades, and maybe some of the worst experiences through which we passed were necessary in order to enable us for some bigger tasks in the future, which are as yet unknown to us.
The best thing is to start taking some actions now.
I am moved by this elaboration because yes, we are praising and celebrating those writers in context of best presenter of our society. Recently, I have visited ceremony of this kind in Karachi, regarding one of the big name in Urdu literature. but, if i consider your point Sir Khurram then yes, its making some sense, Whatever we listen , talk about or think in persistent fashion that idea or view dissolves and integrates as our cognitive style and becomes our behavior.
ReplyDeletePlease do share your BBC interview details /link, we will wait. :)many duaen for your success.
“Politics, religion, science and education may also have played a role but the primary cause must be sought in the kind of literature which has been venerated by academies and patronized by universities.”
ReplyDeleteI cannot agree more to this statement, the literates in our world always has a last word, and they use this word through the thought structures that literature provides them. Khurram Sahib I think even politics, religion, science and education has played a subservient role to literature as literature provides a field on which are cultivated the political, religious, scientific and educational ideals. Literature is the basic dough from which is prepared all that is in our platter, the sweet, the sour and the bitter.
I once read that in order to change the rules of the club one needs to join the club. In the context of this post this would suggest a need to reach out to academics in the universities in Pakistan in particular to bring about change. I am sure some of them would appreciate this point of view :)
ReplyDeleteBushra
Yes i really apprecite your point of and this is what i am doing from 13 years or so. At least one student of mine each year made a pledge to me when passing out from the college that she will change her surrounding whenever at such a position. Although i know this is a very slow process of change but through the very same system we can bring out change. Very well said by you.
Delete