A "Philosophical" Story

During the lockdown period, I have completed three worthwhile activities worth sharing and these are below.

I read "Backstage" by Montek Singh Ahluwalia. If you'd like to get a view of India's economic journey from the early 80s, interwoven with his fascinating life story, go for it. The rollercoaster journey of liberalised India is fascinating, and the chapter which details the role of the Planning Commission in India's governance is enlightening. For those interested in this sort of thing, it is a worthwhile read.

Though he is not fashionable in many quarters these days, I have long been an ardent admirer of Dr. Raghuram Rajan. My belief that he is one of the finest economic minds in the world today has been thoroughly reinforced by the reading of his last book, "The Third Pillar" , in which he examines the interplay between governments, markets and communities. His theses is that market economies have left communities behind, and we need to reinstate their importance. It is an absolutely fantastic read. Deeply researched, written in easy prose and very, very profound.

Now that I have done my book promotions(!), onto the main purpose of this article. My son recently started university. He is studying for a degree which includes Philosophy as a subject. As a commerce and business grad, one was naturally suspicious about what one always considered a bit of waffle. Until, that is, he suggested that I read a book called, "Justice: What's the right thing to do?" by Prof. Michael Sandel. I was instantly hooked. It turns out that his course is available on the Harvard digital platform, and I signed up for it. I'll tell you why in a minute, but a caution first. To complete the course, you need 40-48 hours of time allocation. Some of the material becomes really heavy. And some of the debates have been going on for, yes, centuries! It can do your head in.

However, should you be brave enough to jump in, you'll enter a different world altogether.

Candidly, I signed up because I found the book a compelling read. Equally, I wanted to build a new bridge of conversation with my son. The course examines introduces us to basic concepts of philosophy: utilitarianism, liberalism, foundational democracy, consequentialism, and many more. The professor is able to simplify the concepts so that us laymen can understand them , and more importantly, relate to them.

The first thing that will hit you is how practically all dimensions of our daily life are governed by philosophical concepts. As an example, it is commonly held that any action of the government which benefits a majority of society is usually considered 'good'. After all, that's what democracy is all about! The philosophers agree; and challenge this notion by introducing the opposite force of individual human rights. Does someone holding a minority view forfeit their rights as a citizen? How does one balance these opposing forces??

Another searching examination is that of "motives". Do motives matter when we do the 'right' thing? A current example is that of a number of folks who stepped up to help others during the Covid19 crisis. A friend remarked that some folks were feeding the hungry only to post some pictures on their Facebook wall, and not out of a sense of duty. The course will help you understand how to navigate such issues. In management speak, getting under the skin of this issue will help you understand your colleagues and your team better, and make you more effective.

There are several other fascinating discussions and topics covered in the curriculum. It's not the kind of study most of us would do in the normal course. I'm recommending it to you because it enriched me. And I hope it'll enrich you too.