The Challenge of Things: Thinking Through Troubled Times
AC Grayling
Bloomsbury
Pp 297
Rs 499
AC GRAYLING, whose earlier book, The God Argument, was quite brilliant, has come out with a series of essays, The Challenge of Things, relating to the world around us. In his new book, Grayling presents his views on various political, social and economic aspects of the world in the light of recent developments, which are making the future uncertain. While the proliferation of free enterprise has been the dominant ideology that has pervaded markets today, there are several undercurrents that cause concern. This is because economic goals, and the routes taken to achieve them, have led to certain undesirable consequences: abuse of human rights, degradation of the environment, and even political instability, as countries have aligned with rogue nations for access to natural resources.
These views come from a very rational person and will strike the right chord with anyone who is humane, free-minded, secular and logical.
Grayling demolishes the argument that China is a country that should be emulated. The growth path and the overall approach in China are dictatorial and inhuman, he says. An imperialistic country, which abuses human rights and has aligned with all deviant countries to gain access to natural resources cannot be a role model for anyone. Grayling also talks about state-sponsored action, where anyone who opposes the government is virtually eliminated by being sent to training camps from where they never return. The removal of organs from human beings for sale is probably the limit to which a country can go to ensure that the strong survive and the weak are dispensed with.
Grayling is also quite scathing in his attack on Russia. He describes President Vladimir Putin as a personality marked with immaturity, irrationality and braggadocio. The problems created by Putin in Chechnya, Abkhazia, Georgia and Ukraine are manifestations of these traits. Add to this the Russian support to Iran in the nuclear field and the overall impression of the country is hardly impressive.
There is also an essay on Ayn Rand in the book in which Grayling draws the line on the tolerable limits of selfishness. While Rand’s heroes have been individualistic and guided by objective reality, reason and self-interest, she was not quite so in her own life. Grayling is critical of Rand’s antagonism to collectivism and compares her philosophy to that of Gordon Gekko’s (a fictional character in the film Wall Street) in the light of the financial crisis. He argues that a capitalist system, which believes in ‘no regulation’ and unbridled self-interest, adds to the phenomenon of strong trampling the weak. Ironically, this system had the weak indirectly bailing the strong out during the financial crisis, as public money was used for the revival of failed banks. This brand of capitalism is to be scorned at, not applauded.
Grayling also makes you think deeper when he discusses the use of drones these days to kill the enemy. While collateral damage is limited and the striker remains safe, there are intrinsic dangers that stem from their misuse. Grayling extends the same reasoning to the killing of Osama bin Laden and asks how a country that believes in justice and fair play could execute him without a trial. However, Grayling admits that not having a trial for bin Laden was maybe a smart decision, as having him in jail facing trial could have led to several other terrorist attacks. But even then, all things said, we are faced with a moralistic quandary when a nation like the US follows double standards.
Grayling is quite vocal in his attack on religion and governance, and this should strike a chord with Indian readers.
He argues that an atheist government works better than one which is aligned to a religion. In the same line of thought, he argues elsewhere that anyone with such biases relating to religion or any other social issue should not be in public service. Here, he talks about gay rights, saying those in the government shouldn’t judge an issue if they are guided by their own ideology. Grayling rightly points out that all our ideas about religion and the consequent intolerance for other religions are ingrained during childhood.
Another point that sounds reasonable is his argument for banning guns rather than drugs. Though they reduce the life of a user, drugs are a personal choice. Possessing guns, on the other hand, is inimical for society, as the number of killings has increased across the globe. Countries need to be judicious, he says.
Similarly, Grayling argues that rather than burning poppy fields to ensure that the growers do not align with the Taliban, the Afghanistan government should instead buy the poppy. This will be economically beneficial and also enhance the income of the growers.
Grayling argues for freedom of speech and points out that one cannot take away such freedom in this age of the Internet. He says the Internet is the biggest ‘toilet wall’ in the world, as it serves the purpose of free expression, which gets in views that can be used constructively. This is also a message for some of our own politicians.
Towards the end of the book, Grayling raises some fundamental questions: does a government know the best? Can it decide for you what’s right or wrong? This will strike a bell for Indian readers, as our governments have their own views on issues like banning food items. Ensuring that there is transparency in stating the ingredients is one thing, but the decision to choose whether or not to consume a certain product should lie with the individual.
The Challenge of Things is a delightful book and a must for everyone in the government, as it will help them take a more balanced view on several issues. Several prejudices and assumptions made in the past have been carried over generations. It’s time that these are questioned and changed. Unless we recognise these fallacies in our thinking, we will not be able to move forward. This, in short, is the main takeaway from this collection.
AC Grayling
Bloomsbury
Pp 297
Rs 499
AC GRAYLING, whose earlier book, The God Argument, was quite brilliant, has come out with a series of essays, The Challenge of Things, relating to the world around us. In his new book, Grayling presents his views on various political, social and economic aspects of the world in the light of recent developments, which are making the future uncertain. While the proliferation of free enterprise has been the dominant ideology that has pervaded markets today, there are several undercurrents that cause concern. This is because economic goals, and the routes taken to achieve them, have led to certain undesirable consequences: abuse of human rights, degradation of the environment, and even political instability, as countries have aligned with rogue nations for access to natural resources.
These views come from a very rational person and will strike the right chord with anyone who is humane, free-minded, secular and logical.
Grayling demolishes the argument that China is a country that should be emulated. The growth path and the overall approach in China are dictatorial and inhuman, he says. An imperialistic country, which abuses human rights and has aligned with all deviant countries to gain access to natural resources cannot be a role model for anyone. Grayling also talks about state-sponsored action, where anyone who opposes the government is virtually eliminated by being sent to training camps from where they never return. The removal of organs from human beings for sale is probably the limit to which a country can go to ensure that the strong survive and the weak are dispensed with.
Grayling is also quite scathing in his attack on Russia. He describes President Vladimir Putin as a personality marked with immaturity, irrationality and braggadocio. The problems created by Putin in Chechnya, Abkhazia, Georgia and Ukraine are manifestations of these traits. Add to this the Russian support to Iran in the nuclear field and the overall impression of the country is hardly impressive.
There is also an essay on Ayn Rand in the book in which Grayling draws the line on the tolerable limits of selfishness. While Rand’s heroes have been individualistic and guided by objective reality, reason and self-interest, she was not quite so in her own life. Grayling is critical of Rand’s antagonism to collectivism and compares her philosophy to that of Gordon Gekko’s (a fictional character in the film Wall Street) in the light of the financial crisis. He argues that a capitalist system, which believes in ‘no regulation’ and unbridled self-interest, adds to the phenomenon of strong trampling the weak. Ironically, this system had the weak indirectly bailing the strong out during the financial crisis, as public money was used for the revival of failed banks. This brand of capitalism is to be scorned at, not applauded.
Grayling also makes you think deeper when he discusses the use of drones these days to kill the enemy. While collateral damage is limited and the striker remains safe, there are intrinsic dangers that stem from their misuse. Grayling extends the same reasoning to the killing of Osama bin Laden and asks how a country that believes in justice and fair play could execute him without a trial. However, Grayling admits that not having a trial for bin Laden was maybe a smart decision, as having him in jail facing trial could have led to several other terrorist attacks. But even then, all things said, we are faced with a moralistic quandary when a nation like the US follows double standards.
Grayling is quite vocal in his attack on religion and governance, and this should strike a chord with Indian readers.
He argues that an atheist government works better than one which is aligned to a religion. In the same line of thought, he argues elsewhere that anyone with such biases relating to religion or any other social issue should not be in public service. Here, he talks about gay rights, saying those in the government shouldn’t judge an issue if they are guided by their own ideology. Grayling rightly points out that all our ideas about religion and the consequent intolerance for other religions are ingrained during childhood.
Another point that sounds reasonable is his argument for banning guns rather than drugs. Though they reduce the life of a user, drugs are a personal choice. Possessing guns, on the other hand, is inimical for society, as the number of killings has increased across the globe. Countries need to be judicious, he says.
Similarly, Grayling argues that rather than burning poppy fields to ensure that the growers do not align with the Taliban, the Afghanistan government should instead buy the poppy. This will be economically beneficial and also enhance the income of the growers.
Grayling argues for freedom of speech and points out that one cannot take away such freedom in this age of the Internet. He says the Internet is the biggest ‘toilet wall’ in the world, as it serves the purpose of free expression, which gets in views that can be used constructively. This is also a message for some of our own politicians.
Towards the end of the book, Grayling raises some fundamental questions: does a government know the best? Can it decide for you what’s right or wrong? This will strike a bell for Indian readers, as our governments have their own views on issues like banning food items. Ensuring that there is transparency in stating the ingredients is one thing, but the decision to choose whether or not to consume a certain product should lie with the individual.
The Challenge of Things is a delightful book and a must for everyone in the government, as it will help them take a more balanced view on several issues. Several prejudices and assumptions made in the past have been carried over generations. It’s time that these are questioned and changed. Unless we recognise these fallacies in our thinking, we will not be able to move forward. This, in short, is the main takeaway from this collection.
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