Absurdity in society

1. Absurdity in society
Let’s discuss why lack of rational thinking is the
Biggest problem our society is facing right now

2. How can we define absurdity?
Absurdity is simply described as the quality or state of being ridiculous or wildly
unreasonable. Any thing which doesn’t have any logical or rational basis can be
considered as absurd

3. What is rational thinking?
Rationality is the quality of being guided by or based on reasons. In this regard, a
person acts rationally if they have a good reason for what they do or a belief is
rational if it is based on strong evidence

4. But why rational thinking?
whoever can make you believe absurdities can make
you commit atrocities. ~ Volitare
Rational thinking allows us to see things in a clear, concise way, and it helps us make sound decisions based on facts rather than
emotions.if a person thinks rationaly he can give birth to new ideas while questioning the old norms which are bad yet common in society.
For Example a huge part of our society especially the poor people suffer because dowry is stlll practiced in our society just because it is a
norm which exists from a long time ago.

5. Some absurd practices which existed in some part of world at some point
Animal courts in Medieval England:
Life in medieval times could be tough, and this didn't just apply to humans. Just like their two-legged owners,
all manner of animals from livestock to insects were put on trial if suspected of breaking the law. There are
records of at least 85 animal trials that took place during the Middle Ages and the tales vary from the tragic to
the absurd, as described in the book "The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals," by E. P.
Evans (E. P. Dutton and Company, 1906).
By far the most serial offenders were pigs, accused and convicted of chewing off body parts and even eating
children. Most were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging or being burned at the stake. In 1386, a
convicted pig was dressed in a waistcoat, gloves, drawers and a human mask for its execution.
History

6. Tradition of Marrying deceased in Ancient china:
Believers in the custom of marrying the dead have been practicing ghost weddings for over 3,000 years as a means of ensuring that the
unmarried dead are not alone in their life after death. According to the traditional custom, these weddings were meant only for the
deceased; they were conducted by a living priest to wed two deceased individuals who had died single.
An example from a prayer for one of these weddings included the following recitation,
“…You died at a young age and thus did not realize the great principle of marriage. You sleep alone in the dark world and lack the
intimacy of man and woman. Just as living people long for companionship, the dead fear loneliness as well… We sent a betrothal
for you so your souls might meet… We also set out an offering next to your shrine tablet… Please send your spirit down to the
banquet and eat the meal.”
In ghost marriages, which involve two dead people, the bride’s family requests a dowry and a bride price from the groom’s family; this may
include servants, jewelry, and land, all in the form of paper tributes. While conducting these weddings, age and the families’ backgrounds
are more important than they are for ‘normal’ weddings between the living. Therefore, the participating families tend to employ feng shui
masters as matchmakers to ensure that the wedding ritual is conducted smoothly.

7. Killing people in name of witchcraft in Westren Europe:
Witch hunts were seen across all of Early Modern Europe, but the most significant area of witch hunting is considered to be
southwestern Germany, where the highest concentration of witch trials occurred during the years 1561 to 1670.
In the late 15th century in Europe, over 80 thousand people were put to death because they were thought to practice witchcraft.
They were predominantly elderly women from small villages, who were targeted, labeled as witches, and killed
Various acts of torture were used against accused witches to coerce confessions and cause them to provide names of alleged co-
conspirators. Most historians agree that the majority of those persecuted in these witch trials were innocent of any involvement in Devil
worship.[52] The torture of witches began to increase in frequency after 1468, when the Pope declared witchcraft to be "crimen exceptum"
and thereby removed all legal limits on the application of torture in cases where evidence was difficult to find.[53]
In Italy, an accused witch was deprived of sleep for periods up to forty hours. This technique was also used in England, but without a
limitation on time.[54] Sexual humiliation was used, such as forced sitting on red-hot stools with the claim that the accused woman would
not perform sexual acts with the devil.[55] In most cases, those who endured the torture without confessing were released.[56]
The use of torture has been identified as a key factor in converting the trial of one accused witch into a wider social panic, as those being
tortured were more likely to accuse a wide array of other local individuals of also being witches.

8. The transition of Europe from dark ages to the early modern era:
It would not be wrong to say that Europe slowly and steadily conquered the world
only through their advancements in technology. They prospered when they started
to think rationally and to see things on the basis of cause and effects.
The Renaissance is a period in European history marking the transition from the
Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized
by an effort to revive and surpass ideas and achievements of classical antiquity.

9. Invention of printing press and the scientific revolution
While Europe was already being influenced by the ideas of the renaissance. A great invention
took place by the name of printing press. Which completely changed the dynamics of the
society and caused a boom in literacy rate.
The printing press was also a factor in the establishment of a community of scientists who
could easily communicate their discoveries through widely disseminated scholarly journals,
helping to bring on the scientific revolution. Because of the printing press, authorship became
more meaningful and profitable.
After a long dark age people actually started to take interest in science and rational thinking.

10. Age of Enlightenment:
The Age of Enlightenment, or simply the Enlightenment, was an intellectual and
philosophical movement that dominated Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries with
global influences and effects
“The Enlightenment” has been regarded as a turning point in the intellectual history of the West. The principles of religious tolerance,
optimism about human progress and a demand for rational debate are often thought to be a powerful legacy of the ideas of Locke,
Newton, Voltaire and Diderot.
The Enlightenment helped establish science as a source of knowledge, and defend human rights against tyranny. It also gave us
modern schooling, medicine, republics, representative democracy, and much more.

11. Rational thinking in present day around the Globe:
Unfortunately in some parts of the world people still believe on things which have no
rational or logical basis
Here are some few examples:
Here are some statistics taken from a survey taken on usa citizens

12. Amount of people who still believe on superstitions in usa:
Source https://www.statista.com/statistics/959295/belief-in-superstitions-in-the-us/

13. Absurd things which are still part of our society
Microcephalics and shrines:

14. One prominent case of mistreatment of children is that of artificial microcephaly. A ritual in which a newborn’s head is locked in an iron mask to restrict
the growth of skull, this savage act occurs in the Shrine of Saint Dolah located in Gujrat. The ritual is indicative of a wider reality in Pakistan: the strong
beliefs that people have in saints and their shrines. The peculiarity of the Saint Dolah Shrine is the age old tradition associated with it.
According to this tradition, a married couple having no luck with children comes to offer a sheet of flowers & prays at the Shrine of Saint Shah Dolah in
hope of having a baby. If the couple is lucky, they have to pay a much bigger price. They have to give their first born to the administration of the Shrine
as a gesture of gratitude. The parents are then not allowed to meet their baby; however, they get to keep their other children if the mother gives birth
again.
These infants are subjected to artificial microcephaly. With a tiny sloped skull on a normal body their head starts to grow deformed , these children are
called “Rats” or “Chuhas” (a term used by the locals) of the Shrine of Saint Shah Dolah.
They are made to wear a green cloak and are then dispersed on the streets around the Shrine. Having no education or other skill to earn a living, these
children are forced to beg the visitors and local people for money. Along with this tradition comes a superstition that ignoring or rejecting these “Rat
Children” for money brings bad luck, therefore people fill their bowls with coins and paper money. This money is later submitted to the administration of
the shrine.
Source : https://www.nation.com.pk/27-Aug-2017/the-rat-children-of-pakistan

15. Fake spirtual masters (peers) in society
Despite thousands slain, maimed, traumatised and sexually abused, faith healers are attracting people as usual. As
no law exists to regulate them, self-proclaimed spiritual leaders go about fleecing people who throng them for the
solution of their problems, at times deepening their spiritual and physical illness rather than curing them.

16. High literacy rate but still no development in society !
In medieval and ancient age those who could read and write were though to be
literate. But this definition of literacy should be updated. Only those who could think
rationally and critically should be considered literate.We have a lot of educational
institutions in our society but they failed to develop rational thinking in the citizens.

17. Causes:
● Illiteracy
● Low quality of education
● Moral crisis
● Poverty
● Political instability
● Ignorance of history and philosophy
● Child labour

18. Effects:
 Extremism
 Stagnation of scientific development
 Fascism
 Racism
 Social classes
 Lack of scientific Research
 Terrorism

19. Government solution to the problems
 Government opened many schools in urban areas to increase literacy rate
 Government opened institutions of higher studies and funded many public scholarships to promote
scientific research
 Government opened research centers IN many areas of the country
 Government took measures to prevent child labour

20. My proposed solution to the problem
 Education should be available to every person in the society
 Child labor should be eradicated from the society
 Education system should be reformed so research can be encouraged and memorization should be
discouraged
 Subjects such as history and philosophy should be encouraged so students can learn from history

21. Any questuions?