Anchorpersons are the contemporary intellectuals and opinion makers and ‘truth’ is just a tactical device to defend a specific position or opinion.
This is unfortunately happening because literature and philosophy are not flourishing in our society and we lack reasoning abilities and critical thinking, said speakers while addressing a seminar on “Philosophy outside of the academic enclosure, using new places and formats,” organised by the Department of Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies at the Government College University, Lahore in connection with World Philosophy Day.
Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Mohammad Nizamuddin was the guest of honour at the seminar.
In his key note address, eminent philosopher and writer Prof Mirza Athar Baig said western philosophy and literature could not put down roots in their society and culture, and they must come from within a society. He said the theme of UNESCO means that Philosophy should grow from the local soil and indigenous culture. He said a conducive, liberal and open environment was needed in universities for the development of literature and philosophy. He declared that every person is a philosopher, somehow or the other, since everyone ponders, thinks and analyses in his or her capacity.
Nizamuddin, in his address said that philosophy had unnecessarily been mystified. It is a form of wisdom and an approach of looking the world; hence it must be demystified and brought to the earlier levels of education. Prof Nizam was also in favour of teaching philosophy to science students. He also said that philosophy could not be restricted to a single department; rather every scientific subject had philosophy.
GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah said that academic institutions must promote questioning instead of just teaching specific knowledge and methods. He said even science people were quite away from innovation and philosophy and mostly relied on their specific formulas and methods. He said they must accept that philosophy and other social science subjects were much ignored in educational institutions and these subjects were highly crucial for social and cultural uplift of the society.
GCU Brett Philosophical Society Advisor Dr Alwin Vincent Murad in his opening remarks apprised the participants with the aims and objectives of the World Philosophy Day which was celebrated by UNESCO globally in November.
GCU Department of Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies Head Dr Sobia Tahir, GCU History Department Chairman Prof Dr Tahir Kamran, Abdul Mannan, Jawad Nazir and Shahram Sarwrar also addressed the seminar that was attended by the faculty, academic and administrative heads besides a large number of students.
