The educated classes isolated themselves from the practical affairs and, thus rendering themselves impotent to apply their reason to the reshaping of society, fulfilled themselves in a realm of science, art, philosophy and religion. That realm became for them the true reality transcending the wretchedness of existing social conditions; it was alike the refuge for truth, goodness, beauty, happiness, and, most important, for a critical temper which could not be turned into social channels. (H. Marcuse, Reason and Revolution) Critical theory is definitely critical, wherein as a philosophy student and as a graduate thereof, I am questioning my role inside the society whether I am really impotent in my educated being. Ivory towers are lovely places, yet they are far from what is real and is detached from the social sphere. Yet, the task of the philosopher is to pierce into the veil which a common man fails to see and after seeing that hole he must be responsive enough to help in reshaping society. The products of our rigorous thinking and output whether in philosophy, art, science and religion must make manifest into the history of mankind by being present and real and not just static in the bowels of our minds. As Karl Marx would say, philosophers have interpreted the world in various ways, the point, however, is to change it. So be it my task inside an educational institution to awaken enough consciousness from so many people to make them potent enough for social changes. (written by Karl Archuleta 8:52pm, 12/3/2014)
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 12:50:41 +0000