MUGEES UL KAISAR
The notion of Man being a rational animal has been popularized by many and rightly so as man does possess reason and is capable of rational discourse. A trait that largely sets him apart from other animals. But man is not mere reason or a rational computer as it were but rather he is also constitutive of emotions, irrational whims, the deep chaotic world of subconscious and the unconscious. In other words we tend to forget that even though reason distinguishes us from animals we have not completely gotten rid of our earthly animal bodies and the corresponding animal characteristics thereof. The irrational beastly aspects still lurk deep within us which frequently find a vent out spreading havoc all around.
Due to the project of modern enlightenment and the foundation of Cartesian philosophy (putting cogito at the centre), a radical rationalism was ushered in the Modern Europe that slowly spread its tentacles to other parts of the world, thanks to western imperialism and colonialism. This movement was characterized by a radical emphasis on the rational part of human self that not only was believed to be the decipherer of the mystery of existence but could also gift the human race with ever increasing scientific progress and betterment. Although the scientific achievements did put up a little show for a brief period of time until two greatest wars ever fought in human history shattered the myth of Progress in Modern Europe. On the other hand the catastrophic event of “Death of God” led to Nihilism which eventually dissolved into Absurdism further lost in the obnoxious haze of Post Modernism and thus the claims of breaking the mystery of existence received a shattering fatal blow. In the same century novel developments in Quantum Physics opened up the whole new chaotic realm of sub-atomic frenzy which violated laws of logic and upset rational man’s expectation on how universe should behave. Quantum Physics restored the scent of mystery back into our lives, rejecting rational man’s arrogant superimposition of mental categories on Reality expecting it to follow his delineated patterns of thought.
On Science and Rationalism
What really amazes one is when science students flaunt radical rationalism not realizing the nuances involved. Let us mention just two aspects here that should broaden the vision of our students. Now firstly we need to concede that Reason is definitely important in our daily lives. No denying the fact. It undoubtedly helps us survive. But it is not the decipherer of the ultimate question of Reality. Even the Scientific Darwinian interpretation of reason asserts that the natural selection over a long period of time has gifted us with mind and advanced sensory apparatus so that we may survive better. It has therefore nothing to do with breaking the mystery of existence. One can easily survive on false beliefs as well. The belief of an early man for example that all fungi are poisonous keeps him alive but unfortunately it is not true. Therefore survival is the goal not Truth per se. The moment one says reason is beyond this, he necessarily steps out of naturalistic evolutionary account and thus anyway enters into a supra-rational realm.
What is more surprising is that even the students of Physics talk about brute thoroughgoing rationality. When in fact they should be the last people to do so. When we enter into the very heart of matter right into the sub-atomic world, the world of Quantum Mechanics. What do we find there? All our rational categorizations, laws of logic get violated in the quantum as we already alluded to this fact above. This elusive nature of Reality which constantly escapes our mental categorizations is now accepted and conceded even by Rationalistic Science popularizers like Lawrence Krauss who constantly conveys to his audience that universe is absolutely in no obligation to make sense to us. It can and it does constantly upset our commonsensical rationalistic notions and expectations. The mystery aspect of reality is what Quran refers to “gaib”. It is the basic stance of all Religious Traditions. Therefore atheistic modern world, taking lessons from secular science itself, could not after all reject Religious foundations completely.
Does Logic and rationality exhaust Reality?
All logical formulations and rational categorizations are nothing but names, patterns, mental constructs that we superimpose on Reality. These amount to our interpretations and appropriations of Reality. But Reality itself remains unexhausted. Reality is and thus it is only through being in it that we can truly access it and taste it. All rationalizations, categorizations are mental constructive imaginative abstract appropriations of Reality and not Reality itself. Laws of logic are not the laws of nature as it were. Reality is not made up of logic. It is our naivety to dictate terms to nature and assume it must concur to our logical rational schemata.
Fundamental Questions about Reality cannot be solved by brute rationalistic syllogistic logical formulations. The question why existence exists? Why is there anything at all? Why universe or multiverse exists? There is no hard thoroughgoing rationalistic explanations. Fundamental aspects of Reality rise above rationalization and enter the realm of aesthetic reception which is neither rational nor irrational but infact a category of different kind altogether.
On Human Irrationality
Now coming back to our main topic of contention i.e. the human irrationality. As has been briefly mentioned that the human being has multiple levels of being. He is not mere rational computer who always acts rationally but rather hides deep within him the chaotic dynamics of the unconscious. This can be further appreciated by recognizing the fact that how quite often so called rational people engaging in rational discussions end up losing themselves to emotions and irrational prejudices leading to emotional egotistic bitter fights. If only we could realize how emotionally charged and unconsciously influenced our so called rational discussions are, we would immediately know how self defeating our notion of thoroughgoing rationalism is! We defend our rationality by irrational emotional biased arguments.
The undue overemphasis on human rationality in popular discourse has taken away the focus of attention from the shameful, dangerous, beastly, irrational aspects of man. In the horrific World wars, other horrendous war crimes and the various soul ripping atrocities that humans cause to each other, we get to witness the kind of madness that lurks deep within a seemingly composed rational modern man. This criminal negligence of the unconscious and overemphasis on rational man is done at the cost of our own peril. As Carl Jung beautifully summed it up as “The world hangs on a thin thread and that thread is the psyche of man”.
Lastly let us conclude by an important illustration of human irrationality on a mass political level displayed through the ‘engineering of consent’ carried out in the 20th century America by Freud’s nephew, Edward Bernays who implemented Freud’s ideas about the human unconscious to manipulate and exploit the consumers by tapping into their deep unconscious desires and wants. He proved that people are driven by their unconscious dispositions more than abstract rational theorizations. By implementing Freud’s ideas he helped unleash a mass consumerism in America converting every citizen to a consumer. Therefore the need of the hour is to do away with this mass negligence of “human irrationality”. We need to bring it back into mainstream discussion. It is only through integrating the deep irrational aspects that we can live our lives as better human beings.
The author is a student of Religion, Philosophy and Metaphysics , can be reached at mugees.kaisar@gmail.com