For new, not static, social values
Friday, 9 November 2007
Nusarat Hashimi
What constitutes morality? Morality is but a code of conduct applicable in a given time and place. It ought not to be understood as a static concept in man's history. What is regarded as inviolable morality of one period might become quite redundant in another. The new awakening can quite expose the debauchery or nihilism in the previous moral code. A society, with a future, can very quickly grasp this changing nature of morality and shed its outdated and useless moral tenets for the more useful and exciting morality of the day. Another that continues to wallow in the mire of its old but impotent values will find itself not travelling well enough in the new moral highway to get its benefits.
Notwithstanding the importance of morals in the present context of Bangladesh society, one is led to questioning what should constitute proper moral values in our situation. Some of our traditional values seem to have lasting good in them. But there are others which are superficially attractive but on close examination their shortcomings can be seen. These are more crippling from the perspective of development or economic advancement.
Transparency International identified Bangladesh as the most corrupt nation in succession for five years except in the current year. International organisations and known personalities have no two views about corruption being a fundamental developmental problem for Bangladesh. The country could, by curbing corruption, attain a higher economic growth rate for the benefit of all its people, they conclude.
But is it so black and white a choice? Is the morality crisis in Bangladesh so simple as only taking bribes ? It could be easier to tackle if this was the case. As it is, a close look will show that the morality issues or problems are far more complex in Bangladesh.
There are many retarding factors in Bangladesh society which are immoral but are ironically considered as moral. Take, for instance, the case of women's role. In some sections of the society, a woman who restricts herself strictly to her house and household chores, wears the burqa (shroud) and has the least contact with the outside world or men, is highly regarded as a pious lady. Social or religious values, thus, promote such a life style among woman. But talk to an economist and he could tell you that women constitute fifty per cent of the population or constitute an important segment of its available workforce. The economy and society will not gain hardly anything of substantive nature as long as this fifty per cent of the country's population are kept in the seclusion of their homes out of a distorted notion of virtue and morality. Such a notion has really no true sanction of religion but is promoted by some obscurantist forces.
What constitutes morality? Morality is but a code of conduct applicable in a given time and place. It ought not to be understood as a static concept in man's history. What is regarded as inviolable morality of one period might become quite redundant in another. The new awakening can quite expose the debauchery or nihilism in the previous moral code. A society, with a future, can very quickly grasp this changing nature of morality and shed its outdated and useless moral tenets for the more useful and exciting morality of the day. Another that continues to wallow in the mire of its old but impotent values will find itself not travelling well enough in the new moral highway to get its benefits.
Notwithstanding the importance of morals in the present context of Bangladesh society, one is led to questioning what should constitute proper moral values in our situation. Some of our traditional values seem to have lasting good in them. But there are others which are superficially attractive but on close examination their shortcomings can be seen. These are more crippling from the perspective of development or economic advancement.
Transparency International identified Bangladesh as the most corrupt nation in succession for five years except in the current year. International organisations and known personalities have no two views about corruption being a fundamental developmental problem for Bangladesh. The country could, by curbing corruption, attain a higher economic growth rate for the benefit of all its people, they conclude.
But is it so black and white a choice? Is the morality crisis in Bangladesh so simple as only taking bribes ? It could be easier to tackle if this was the case. As it is, a close look will show that the morality issues or problems are far more complex in Bangladesh.
There are many retarding factors in Bangladesh society which are immoral but are ironically considered as moral. Take, for instance, the case of women's role. In some sections of the society, a woman who restricts herself strictly to her house and household chores, wears the burqa (shroud) and has the least contact with the outside world or men, is highly regarded as a pious lady. Social or religious values, thus, promote such a life style among woman. But talk to an economist and he could tell you that women constitute fifty per cent of the population or constitute an important segment of its available workforce. The economy and society will not gain hardly anything of substantive nature as long as this fifty per cent of the country's population are kept in the seclusion of their homes out of a distorted notion of virtue and morality. Such a notion has really no true sanction of religion but is promoted by some obscurantist forces.