On history
ISLAMABAD:
This is with reference to Manan Ahmed’s piece in your Sunday magazine titled ‘And the rest is history’. Whilst I agree in most parts and particularly for the need of a liberal arts/humanities education to build a tolerant, open society, there remains large disconnect between the labours and fruits of such an education.
In a vastly stratified and segregated society, the practical nature of things demands a tangible return for tangible educational endeavours. As such, humanities and liberal arts becomes a luxury for the privileged. Furthermore, as an anthropologist, I have been taught about the structure of things and the techniques to deconstruct these structures.
So whilst I agree that all disciplines must be learnt through the foundations that they stand upon — i.e. philosophy — I am not one to criticise those engaged in the sciences, or engineering, or our ‘technicians’. Having said that, our universities and colleges do engage in a uniform and homogeneous indoctrination of students. Such an education does not celebrate cultural diversity or even promote tolerance but seeks to eliminate it.
This is with reference to Manan Ahmed’s piece in your Sunday magazine titled ‘And the rest is history’. Whilst I agree in most parts and particularly for the need of a liberal arts/humanities education to build a tolerant, open society, there remains large disconnect between the labours and fruits of such an education.
In a vastly stratified and segregated society, the practical nature of things demands a tangible return for tangible educational endeavours. As such, humanities and liberal arts becomes a luxury for the privileged. Furthermore, as an anthropologist, I have been taught about the structure of things and the techniques to deconstruct these structures.
So whilst I agree that all disciplines must be learnt through the foundations that they stand upon — i.e. philosophy — I am not one to criticise those engaged in the sciences, or engineering, or our ‘technicians’. Having said that, our universities and colleges do engage in a uniform and homogeneous indoctrination of students. Such an education does not celebrate cultural diversity or even promote tolerance but seeks to eliminate it.