The Dark Side of the Light

Anthony Kila writes about the moral decadence in the society and the need for public officials especially police officers and hospital workers to be alive to their responsibility.

Dear Readers

Let us today take some time off and our attention away from trending issues that directly and openly affect our everyday lives like the economy, security and infrastructure to ponder on some other things that are in reality at the root of many of our problems but that we do not tend to link to the same problems.

In that light, we understandably tend to focus on the fruits of our discontent or achievement while we ignore the tree or the soil that yields these fruits. We don’t like to remember it but in reality, and gruesome as it may sound, there is always someone or some people benefiting from the pains and discontent of others.

Think about this: Every time you walk into or have to deal with an office that does not work efficiently some members of staff of that office and or some other privileged stakeholders are benefiting from the chaos that you term as inefficiencies and that cost you time, money and maybe emotions.

You are the discontent one whilst the others are the beneficiaries of the chaos. How did we get here and what is the essence of such situation? In a lot of cases, we are dealing with the dark side of the light of modernity. Let us put things into context and widen our framework of reflection. It is generally assumed that modernity and progress are intrinsically linked and that modernity allows progress to come to fore whilst progress is perceived as an index of modernity.

In between and around modernity and progress is knowledge or more generally information. We are able to progress and become more modern because many know more and most can do more.

A simple and very visible symbol of knowledge is literacy, yes, it is very possible to be knowledgeable without being literate but literacy allows more people to do more and it allows even more people to share the knowledge and ingenuity of others. Modernity shows this clearly where many more can now access the bible and other classic texts without guidance. The light of modernity is even clearer when we consider how many more people can aspire to higher education and thanks to mass media even many more can discover and aim for an array of goods and services before now considered exclusive and reserved for the view.

Information, technology and the import of finance has in modern times killed aristocracy. Let it be clear that I refer here to moral and intellectual aristocracy.

Death and dearth of any form of aristocracy aside, the darkest side of the light of modernity is however more visible when we consider the effect of literacy without knowledge. Whilst literacy gives all access to know, to express and even justify and articulate our thoughts and desires, it is knowledge that gives us the discipline to ponder on the why, to fully perceive the consequence of the what, to possess the desire to dig deeper, the stamina to resist the wrong and the endurance to persevere and do the just.

In the society or system of literate but unknowledgeable members, everyone can talk and opine because they can read and most do read headlines and hear soundbites but few actually listen to understand words and messages or dig deeper to decipher desire, interests, justification or desperation. Think of those who you know in private and public life that regurgitate and expatiate partisan lines, religious positions, favourable ethnic stances or common places without blinking and with a certainty and confidence that makes you sometimes doubt if a fact is real.

I have seen people who have never read let alone analysed the constitution engage in conversations or even debates on matters of law and institutions with an aplomb that would make a jurist stutter.

A dark side of the light of our times is that it is no more fashionable to tell someone to keep quiet and not to have, let alone express, opinions on matters for which they have not been trained or charged to manage.

Fully disclosure here as some people from CIAPS might be reading, I am also guilty of indulging students to express their views before learning but if I may put forward a defence and an excuse, I do that using a Socratic method that I very much cherish and in a declared learning environment with established safeguards and protocols.

The case is very different in our police stations or hospitals where doctors do not seem to be in charge and in control of their wards or officers in charge of their station and men any more. Only those who have the misfortune of visiting a police station lately can fully and accurately understand my pain and the level of chaos and indiscipline that has taken over our stations. Rather than order, officers tend to beg their subordinates to do tasks like take statements or attend to other matters that they are paid and charged to do.

In many state-owned hospitals, too many doctors are treated by nurses and other staff like nuisances that call to disrupt the peace of those busy with phone calls, chats and gossips.

Mind you even parents are struggling to guide their children as offsprings are now prone to viewing and living instruction as obtrusions. Some have argued that the case of the chaos at police stations is due to corruption and connivance, yes that is a strong case but what about hospitals and the situations we have with parents and children? My view is that these are all symptoms of society that is been engulfed by the darkness that light of modernity brings with its appearance. It is a darkness that makes people think that all must be treated equally regardless of knowledge and position in system and society.

It is time we commence serious conversations around roles and responsibilities in our society and systems, right now it is all about rights and views and that is dangerous. 

Join me if you can on twitter @anthonykila to continue these conversations.

-Kila is Institute Director at CIAPS. www.ciaps.org.