1.The Inter-relation of Opinion and Conduct

[kalamazoo]

Asalaam aleykum.


Man faces many things in life and with none of them can be deal properly unless he forms an opinion about the nature or condition of that thing and his own relationship with it. Right or wrong, an opinion has to be formed about everything and until such an opinion is formed no man can decide what behaviour and what attitude he should adopt towards a particular thing. This is an experience, which is a part of your daily life. Whenever you meet a person you need to know: Who is he? What is his position and status in life?


What are his personal qualities? What sort of relation subsists between both of you? You cannot determine how to deal with the man to the aforesaid questions. In the absence of all such information, you nevertheless have to form a conjectural opinion on the basis of appearances and whatever conduct you adopt towards him is controlled by the opinion so formed. You eat the sort of things, which according to your knowledge or conjecture contain food value. The things you cast away, or make use of; the things you preserve adore or loathe; the things you fear or love-your varying attitude towards all these things is regulated by the opinion which you have formed about their nature and propensities and your relations with them.


The correctness or impropriety of your behaviour towards these things is dependent upon your right or wrong opinions you have formed about them. The validity or fallacy depends on whether you have formed the opinion about them on the of knowledge, conjecture, whim or observation through senses. A child, for instance, sees fire and on bare observation through senses forms the opinion that it is an attractive, glaring plaything. This opinion leads him to the act of stretching his hands to hold the fire.


Another man sees the same fire and through conjecture or whim comes to the conclusion that it embodies in itself some attribute of Divinity or, at least, it is an emblem of Divinity. On the basis of this conclusion he determines to bow his head in supplication before the fire, thus signifying his relationship with it. A third man looks at the fire. He begins to investigate into its nature and properties and through knowledge and research arrives at the conclusion that fire can bake, burn or heat things. He further forms the opinion that his relationship with fire is like that of master with his servant. Fire, in his opinion, is neither a plaything nor a deity. On the other hand it is a thing which can be pressed into service for cooking, burning orheatingpurposes,whenever the need arises. Among the foregoing different attitudes, those of the childandthefireworshipper are definitely based on ignorance. Experience negates the child’s opinion that fire is a plaything. The opinion of the worshipper of fire that fire is God or an emblem of godhood is based upon whims and caprices rather than on any proof furnished by true knowledge. In contrast to both these opinions, the attitude of the man who regards fire as a useful agent in the service of man is a scientific attitude as it is based upon knowledge.



Chapter 2
THE BASIC PROBLEMS OF LIFE

The Opinion and Attitude of Man towards Life



Keeping this premise in mind let us divert our view from the details to the
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[kalamazoo]

Chapter 2

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THE BASIC PROBLEMS OF LIFE​

The Opinion and Attitude of Man towards Life


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Keeping this premise in mind let us divert our view from the details to the fundamentals. Man finds himself living on this planet. He possesses a body which is endued with divergent potentialities. A magnificent expanse of earth and sky lies beforehim. This universe contains an endless variety of things and man has the power to press all those things into his service. Man is surrounded by countless millions of other human beings, animals, plants and minerals and his life is inextricably linked with all these things. It is possible for you to imagine then that man can adopt a mode or dealing with these things without first forming an opinion about his own self, the nature of things which surround him and the position in which he stands in relation to those things? Is it possible for a person to adopt a way of life without determining: Who am I? What am I? Am I responsible or irresponsible? Am I independent or subordinate to someone? If I stand in a subordinate position who is my superior and if I am responsible to whom am I accountable? Has my worldly existence any end, and if it has, what is it? Similarly, can a person propose to expend his powers without first deciding the questions: Do these powers belong to him or are a gift endowed by someone else? Is there some one to call him to account for expending his powers? Is the use of his powers to be regulated himself or by someone else? In the like manner is it possible for a man to adopt a certain behaviour towards things which form part of his surrounding without ascertaining: Is he himself their master or someone else? Does he command unlimited power over them or are his powers restricted? If his powersare confined within bounds who does set limits to his powers? Likewise can a man devise a modeofbehaviour towards his fellow men without first forming a definite opinion as to what are the ideals of humanity? What is the basis of distinction and disparity between man and man? What are the motive forces underlying friendship and animosity,coalescence and discord, co-operation and non-co-operation? Similarly is it likely that a man can on the whole adopt an attitude towards this universe until he arrives at certain definite conclusions about the nature of the system of this universe and his own position a part of this system?


On the basis of the premise I have already discussed, it can be stated without hesitation that it is impossible to adopt an attitude without forming an opinion about all these matters. As a matter of fact, every living man, consciously or sub-consciously holds certain opinions-nay is constrained to hold certain opinions- about these questions of life; for without this opinion he cannot move even a step in this universe.


It is not essential that every man might have deliberated in a philosophical manner upon all these questions and might have arrived at certain conclusions about each and every matter after detailed investigation. Nay, most men have no definite idea of these questions, nor do they consciously exercise their minds over them. Despite all this, all men do form some sort of a negative or positive opinion about everything and the attitude of every man towards life is inevitably controlled by the opinion he has formed.


The Bases Of Individual or Collective Behaviour are the same


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At this rule holds good in the case of individuals, so it is true i

 

[kalamazoo]

The Bases Of Individual or Collective Behaviour are the same

At this rule holds good in the case of individuals, so it is true in respect of groups as well. These questions lie at the root of human life and unless matters relating to these questions have been clearly determined, it is impossible to frame a programme for the body politic and raise on edifice of culture and civilization. The moral code of a society will reflect whatever conclusions would be drawn about these vital questions of life, the concept of morality will be shaped in consonance with them. The various institutions of life will be modelled on the same conclusions, indeed the whole fabric of society will be moulded by these conclusions. In point of fact, there can be no two opinions on this matter. The attitude of an individual or a society will be determined by the nature of conclusions arrived at in answer to these questions. If you wish, you may analyse the attitude of an individual or a society and very easily as certain what conclusions about life’s basic questions are the motive force of the existence of this individual or society. It is definitely impossible that the nature of an individual or collective behaviour should be at variance with the nature of conclusions drawn in answer to these questions.Words and actions may disagree but nature of the answer of these questions that dwells in the inner self of a man cannot conflict in any case with the nature of his practical behaviour.




Chapter 3



DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS OF THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE



Let us take a step further. All those fundamental problems of life the solution of which is imperative for the active existence of man are metaphysical in essence. The answer to these questions is not written on the horizon for every man to read on his advent into this world, nor is the answer self-evident so that everyone could comprehend it. It is due to this reason that there is no single solution upon which all men may agree.


Men have always held divergent opinions on these questions and various men have found various solutions to them. The question now presents itself as to what are the possible solutions to these problems, what means have been adopted to solve them and what possible solutions emerge out of all these means.


1. One way of solving these problems is to rely upon one’s senses and opinions about all matters should be formed on the basis of sensorial perception and observation.


2. The second way is to derive a conclusion by means of sensorial perception aided by speculation.



3. The third alternative is to put one’s faith in the solutions to these problems offered by the Prophets of God who claimed to possess direct Knowledge of the Truth.So far, only the above three means of arriving at a solution to these problems have been made use of and probably only these three ways are possible. In each of the above cases different solutions have been found by different means. Each solution gives rise to a particular attitude of mind and a particular pattern of morality and culture,which in its basic characteristics is completely different from the attitude produced by other categories of solutions. Let me show you now the different solutions to these problems arrived at through different means and the attitude of mind produced by each solution



Chapter 4



FIRST SOLUTION---SHEER IGNORANCE



Relying exclusively upon his own senses when a person arrives at some opinion in relation to these problems, he, in a manner quite
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