Pakistan needs a humanities revolution

In Pakistan a new economic discourse seems to be emerging, though it is too early to say whether these voices will soar farther than the circles of converted ones or whether they will be muted out by the surrounding din. That new discourse is at the level of economic thought rather than economic management or mere calculations and economic modeling.

The former Planning Commission Nadeem ul-Haq is offering his thoughts in Islamabad today, thoughts based around notions of complexity, and taking a meta look at the society and economy. The head of PIDE, Asad Zaman, has also been experimenting with new economic thought for some time, where he draws from religious wisdom and the wisdom offered by growing alternative economic discourse in the West.

A few weeks ago the head of Prime think tank, Ali Salman, shared similar sentiments that when it comes to economy it is unto your experience unto mine, referring to each culture and society having its own unique economic solutions. Whereas Naveen Iftikhar, the former ERU employee at Finance Ministry, recently published an op-ed quoting ‘the economy is too important to be left to economists’.  This column too has long been advocating a rethinking of economic thought since 2010.

One could agree or disagree with the thoughts being put forward by Asad, Nadeem and many others. That is a separate matter. But the good thing is that there is at least some, however small, progress in that direction. If ‘reconstruction of Islamic thought’ is too tall an order for Pakistan’s intellectuals – a void that is being filled by extremist mindsets - then at least they could try reconstructing the economic thought. Reconstruction, however, is difficult to come by without an emphasis on humanities as a discipline in higher education.

Perhaps in recognition of this, the universities in Pakistan are tuning over a new leaf. The universities and higher education in general were professionalized since the Ayub era, resulting in the production of degree-awarded individuals with little or no ability for critical thinking. However, today even business schools – the likes of LUMS, IBA, Szabist and so many others – have also started offering undergrads in social sciences. The philanthropic arm of the Habib family has taken another leap by starting off its university not as a business school – but with a dedicated liberal arts and science framework that offers interdisciplinary education with its unique liberal core. That liberal core by the way traces its roots to western, oriental and even Islamic traditions.

The discipline of humanities does not merely teach what one knows not; instead it teaches how to think creatively and critically, to reason, and to ask questions. A great humanities programme does not only teach you how to learn but also how to unlearn, because unlearning is equally paramount.

Latest research has also shown that humanities are also important for tech graduates, those whiz kids who produce fancy technologies. Why?  Because at the end of the day technologies are supposed to serve people, and the people, society and culture are better understood through a humanities education than the so-called professional degrees. Whether humanities education will gain currency in this country depends not only on the HEC, but also on family elders who have a big influence on higher education of their children.