Philosophy is unfortunately an extremely undervalued discipline in Pakistan. Even in top universities of the country, only the very bravest of students have the courage of selecting philosophy as their major subject. It is often an ignored academic field because people feel that it won’t facilitate them in getting a stable income. Most people don’t even know what philosophy actually is! On the other hand, those who are pursuing it, don’t study it in its real essence.

The word “philosophy” is literally derived from the Greek words “philo”, which means love, and “sophie” means wisdom. In short philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.

I recently graduated from a prestigious university of Lahore – Government College University – with philosophy as my major. Being a student of philosophy, I am apprehensive about the future of this important subject in Pakistan. Various political systems may claim to know how to run the world, but the ideas that they advance are based on political philosophy.

Philosophy plays a significant role in the life of a human being. If we look back into history, we see that philosophy has played a key role in the creation of several great nations. The role of philosophers in the French and Russian revolutions cannot be discounted. Similarly, in the creation of Pakistan, great philosophers and poets played vital roles.

According to Rene Descartes, “It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.” The study of ethics concerns human conduct, character and values. It explores the nature of right and wrong, and the distinction between good and evil. It explores the nature of justice and of a just society, and also one’s obligations to oneself, to others, and to society. There are many benefits of studying philosophy, but within our system of education, the subject has been completely side-lined and ignored.

Not more than five universities in Pakistan teach philosophy as an academic subject from undergraduate to research level. There are many reasons behind this misfortune: the first being that philosophy has little scope as a career and most students in Pakistan seek education to earn money, not to learn and to broaden the mind. The second reason is that philosophy is a very complex subject and is not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea.

Generally, philosophers can think more creatively, understand themselves and their surroundings better, and are ‘smarter’ than other students. Philosophers are not just trained in a specific field, but have been educated to form a holistic view of the world and how its various pieces are — and should be — coalesced. Their sole motive is not to gain profit or pleasure; rather, they recognize that money and indulgent desires are just the means and not the end. Thus they are fully cognizant of how their actions will impact society and the environment.

Recently, in March 2016, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (KPPSC) announced different posts for lecturers in various subjects belonging to social sciences, sciences, engineering, and others faculties.  Social sciences consist of subjects like Political Science, History, Psychology and Geography. However, Philosophy, which is called the mother of all social sciences, was ignored by KPPSC and a position for the subject was not announced. 

It is true that philosophy is a very hard and difficult subject that’s why students feel reluctant in opting for it academically. But if we ignore the subject owing simply to its complexity, it would not be long before Philosophy would grow obsolete, discouraging thousands of students who have formally pursued it, or wish to do so. Ignoring such an important subject completely is no less than playing with the futures of thousands students. If our attitude does not change, we will push a subject that holds a lot of relevance to our social lives as human beings, into academic extinction.

On the basis of the above-given argument, it would be prudent for public and private institutes to fully inculcate philosophy into their curricula. An acute study of philosophy will hinder blind following of any belief system and culture, thereby curbing extremism of any type. This may hopefully create a new breed of adept Pakistanis – a breed that is able to tackle modern challenges and rescue the country from its current abyss.