THE TRUTH SHALL NOT SET US FREE!

[The main points in this post are drawn from Vinay Lal's 'Modern Knowledge and its Categories'.]

Modern academic knowledge thrives on overspecialization, and has become the pursuit of an expert few- this explains why it is rarely subject to public criticism. Such a situation, however, has meant that modern knowledge has increasingly and dangerously assumed the form of prescriptive truths (regarding development, democracy and technological progress, to name a few) that encourages uncritical acceptance from the students.

Take the example of the distinction between developed, developing and underdeveloped nations that is common parlance in the academic world. Implicit in such a classification is the acceptance of the development paradigm- indeed it legitimizes the emulation of advanced countries by so-called backward nations, and makes development and the opening up of markets appear as the inevitable way ahead for these countries. If anything, the modern project of development has resulted in large-scale environmental destruction, loss of traditional livelihoods, and displacement from ancient homelands.

Another category of modern knowledge that has enjoyed uncritical acceptance is that of the nation-state. People’s movements and agitations at the local level against injustice are thus easily labeled illegitimate and state repression justified. We need to remember that the nation state as a collectivity is of recent origin, and just one of the multiple identities that people cherish. Yet another sacred cow has been the idea of democracy, that has been accepted as an unconditional good, alongwith the universalist discourse on human rights.

But if not for any other reason, we need to be wary because it is with these same categories of academic knowledge that we view and form opinions regarding the world. Our uncritical acceptance of them would only restrict our faculties of imagination and narrow our options for resistance. Perhaps it is because of a primary education system based on the rigorous enforcement of discipline, that even in our later years we fail to question the prescriptive knowledge contained in our textbooks. But even the ‘truth’ in the Bible, when preached in an authoritarian manner by the clergy, we must remember, intimidates more than lighting the way.

It is about time we realized that the neo-imperial order is maintained not only by advanced weaponry and trade monopolies, but also by the categories of modern knowledge. The truth shall not set us free. It may not be enough to be critical about the events that happen around us; we need to be critical about the very knowledge that we assume to be the natural and infallible way of thinking about the world. So be brave. Arise. And slaughter the sacred cows that intimidate you.

coming soon