By: Heraclitus Herac
Here, every other person is an intellectual, and every intellectual has established a miniature Caliphate of Thought within their own mind—where they are simultaneously the ruler, the jurist, the Socrates of their domain, while everyone else is merely the populace, destined either to revere their wisdom or be dismissed as ignorant, misguided, or blasphemous. Intellectuals emerge here as abundantly as mosquitoes after a flood. Some rise as self-proclaimed disciples of Marx, others invoke Nietzsche’s name with rhetorical bravado, some present Kant’s philosophy as if they had just engaged in a personal dialogue with him on the nature of things-in-themselves, and then there are those who weave such labyrinthine interpretations of Hegel that even Hegel himself would twist and turn in his grave upon hearing them.
Listening to thinkers like Qaiser Ahmed Raja, one might assume that all the light of knowledge has concentrated within their intellect alone, while the rest of the world wanders in darkness. They craft their sentences so meticulously that the listener is compelled to reflect ten times—what a profound thought!—only to contemplate for the eleventh time—but what exactly are they trying to say? Similarly, figures like Javed Ahmad Ghamidi speak with such a dazzling veneer of logic that one might believe they themselves have invented reason. However, upon deeper scrutiny, one encounters the same verbal acrobatics where the core question remains unresolved, yet the listener is made to feel as if they are the ignorant one for failing to grasp the wisdom being dispensed.
Then there are the intellectuals who rely not on reason but on sheer force—those who transform knowledge into slogans, who wrap logic in emotion and hurl it at their audience with such fervor that one is left wondering whether they are attending a symposium of ideas or witnessing a wrestling match where the loudest contender claims victory. Here, questioning is a crime, disagreement is rebellion, inquiry is heresy, and independent thought is blasphemy.
Everywhere, people nod solemnly at the mention of Dostoevsky as if they had just engaged in a long discourse with him on The Brothers Karamazov. Yet, ask them if they have ever truly delved into the depths of Crime and Punishment, and what follows is a tired smile and a few vague statements. Camus is name-dropped as if they debate the absurdity of existence with him over coffee every evening, but inquire about the specific framework of absurdity in The Myth of Sisyphus, and the response will be a sip of tea, a long pause, a deep sigh, and then an unrelated quotation aimed at exposing your ignorance.
Nietzsche is referenced with such authority that one might believe these individuals to be his lost disciples, yet ask them about the authentic conception of the Übermensch in Beyond Good and Evil, and all you will receive in return is another rhetorical maneuver, followed by the ever-reliable defense: “You wouldn’t understand—it’s too deep.” At that moment, one ponders whether, instead of seeking knowledge, one should have mastered the art of rhetoric—for then, perhaps, they too would have been the high priest of some philosophical café.
George Orwell’s name is evoked only by those with grievances against the government, yet the moment their own ideas are questioned, they become the very enemies of Orwellian thought. This is a society where every other individual considers themselves omniscient, and any dissenting voice is either a conspirator or a fool.
Here, people do not ask questions, for questioning is blasphemy. There is no research, for research is sedition. No arguments are presented, for argumentation is a pastime of infidels. If anyone dares to genuinely engage with the intellectual world, they are first accused of heresy, then labeled ignorant, then subjected to attempts at public humiliation, and if they survive all of this, they are simply ignored—lest their thoughts lead to something novel.
True knowledge is not attained by reading a few complex books and declaring oneself a Socrates. It is not about concealing one’s ignorance behind intricate webs of words. It is not about dismissing questioners as fools and dissenters as adversaries. True knowledge is that which accommodates questions, nurtures inquiry, prioritizes reason over emotion, and evaluates arguments within their proper intellectual frameworks.
But none of this happens here. Here, every man is an intellectual, yet devoid of wisdom. Every man is a teacher, yet unwilling to learn. Every man is a philosopher, yet incapable of thinking. Every man is a sage, yet unfamiliar with reason. This is why no new ideas emerge here, no new thinkers are born, no minds surface to shape the intellectual currents of the world. Because the true objective here is not to acquire knowledge but to parade one’s knowledge. Intellectual growth does not occur; instead, intellectual narcissism is cultivated. Research is not conducted; references are wielded. Arguments are not made; emotions are traded. Thought is not nurtured; only spectacles of words are staged.
Note: The “Qalam Club” does not necessarily agree with the personal views of the authors
