The Real is the Rational

Hegel’s Philosophy and the Collapse of Rational Governance in India

REPUBLIC DAY DAY, 26th January, is approaching when it will be celebrated in India as the day on which the Indian Constitution was promulgated. But I never celebrate it, so let me explain why,

There is a well-known statement by the eminent German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831):

“The real is the rational, and the rational is the real.”

What does this mean?

To explain its meaning, one can consider a historical example.

Before the French Revolution of 1789 France had a feudal system of governance, a king, an aristocracy, etc. By 1789, because of the coming of industries and capitalism in France, this feudal system of governance no longer corresponded to the reality, ie the advances in the economy, and had thus become irrational, and therefore unreal.

It had therefore inevitably to be overthrown and replaced by an alternative system which corresponded to the new economic realities.

Hegel’s dictum squarely applies to the India of today. The Indian Constitution, and the system of governance in India, have become so irrational in India today that they can be called unreal.

Everything has collapsed in India today, and our Constitution has become a scarecrow and unreal, as explained here.

We have a ‘democracy’ which has become feudalized as it largely runs on the basis of caste and communal vote banks, skilfully manipulated by our crafty and unscrupulous politicians who polarize society and incite caste and communal hatred and violence, seeking power and pelf for themselves, and totally indifferent to the sufferings of our masses.

We have freedom of speech and religion and liberty ‘guaranteed’ by our Constitution, but which exist only on paper, and have become a joke and a cruel mockery on our people, as they are violated with impunity by our rulers.

We have a judiciary which was supposed to be independent and neutral, but which in fact often caters to the interests of the ruling political party (vide behavior of former CJIs Deepak Mishra, Ranjan Gogoi, and DY Chandrachud)

We have a bureaucracy and police which shamelessly toe the line and do the bidding of their political masters.

We have a handful of big businessmen who have amassed fortunes while poverty, unemployment, hunger, malnutrition etc have increased exponentially, prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed, and proper healthcare and good education have become almost non existent for our masses.

It is thus obvious that every thing has become irrational, and therefore unreal, in India. The prevailing political system is therefore bound to be overthrown, like the feudal system in France prior to 1789.

But what will replace it ? It will be a political and social order in which the economy is rapidly progressing, in which there is rapid industrialization, and in which the standard of living of the people is steadily rising and people are getting decent lives.

That alone can be said to be rational, and therefore real, as Hegel would regard it.

Also Read: Building Greater India: Lessons from History

Disclaimer : PunjabTodayNews.com and other platforms of the Punjab Today group strive to include views and opinions from across the entire spectrum, but by no means do we agree with everything we publish. Our efforts and editorial choices consistently underscore our authors’ right to the freedom of speech. However, it should be clear to all readers that individual authors are responsible for the information, ideas or opinions in their articles, and very often, these do not reflect the views of PunjabTodayNews.com or other platforms of the group. Punjab Today does not assume any responsibility or liability for the views of authors whose work appears here.

Punjab Today believes in serious, engaging, narrative journalism at a time when mainstream media houses seem to have given up on long-form writing and news television has blurred or altogether erased the lines between news and slapstick entertainment. We at Punjab Today believe that readers such as yourself appreciate cerebral journalism, and would like you to hold us against the best international industry standards. Brickbats are welcome even more than bouquets, though an occasional pat on the back is always encouraging. Good journalism can be a lifeline in these uncertain times worldwide. You can support us in myriad ways. To begin with, by spreading word about us and forwarding this reportage. Stay engaged.

— Team PT