Bertrand Russell was a great Mathematician and Philosopher. Though his 1927 book "Why I am not a Christian" is not a good read for staunch Christians, it communicates a value that cannot be seen in many intellectuals (or non intellectuals) today. He could not just follow what he did not understand. His 1927 Papers also assert why intellectuals have to stand by their own. No wonder, when he won his Nobel Peace price, he was uneasy why the people who could not comprehend his mathematics could find a reason to believe he was the winner.
Bertrand said,
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always
so certain of themselves, and wise people so full of doubts." And the
same can be seen in Kenya, and especially in the young minds in
universities who are supposed to inject clarity of though and reason to
the ideals of the country and the thinking of its people. Poor minds!!
Albert Einstein could tell you that any fool can know, the point is to understand! But my problem is that the so called intellectuals cannot give you an ear. They will instead employ their intellect to demean you, abuse you, and direct all manner of vendetta and vengeance for seeing a fault in them. And especially if you are a young man, or woman.That is why Abigail Van Buren said that “The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back.” Oh, Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish, so said the legendary Euripides Bacchae!!
Look here good people. An intellectual who uses his intellect to defend the corrupt, manouvre through laws, manipulate policies for the wrong, and even ensure that generations are weakened is as good as evil. When intellectuals do not stand firm, then we fail. They are like mothers of destiny. A gaze down the memory lane tells me that it was the likes of Willy Mutunga, Prof. Micere Mugo, Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong'o, James Orengo among other intellectuals who stood firm and the result was the democracy that Kenya enjoys. I do not want to explore the sorry side of the politics in it but the point is that intellectuals were the solid backbone of the transformation. Look at the US, the civil rights movement was inspired by intellectuals who were not compromised at all. King himself had several degrees!!
When you study Mathematics, don't study to know it, understand it and be a better person because you are a guru in Math. If you cannot be better, freer or wiser when you know or get educated, you are as good as a deadly and poisonous concotion.
(The paper will be discussed in the Africa Leadership Academy Annual Convention in October)
Albert Einstein could tell you that any fool can know, the point is to understand! But my problem is that the so called intellectuals cannot give you an ear. They will instead employ their intellect to demean you, abuse you, and direct all manner of vendetta and vengeance for seeing a fault in them. And especially if you are a young man, or woman.That is why Abigail Van Buren said that “The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back.” Oh, Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish, so said the legendary Euripides Bacchae!!
Look here good people. An intellectual who uses his intellect to defend the corrupt, manouvre through laws, manipulate policies for the wrong, and even ensure that generations are weakened is as good as evil. When intellectuals do not stand firm, then we fail. They are like mothers of destiny. A gaze down the memory lane tells me that it was the likes of Willy Mutunga, Prof. Micere Mugo, Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong'o, James Orengo among other intellectuals who stood firm and the result was the democracy that Kenya enjoys. I do not want to explore the sorry side of the politics in it but the point is that intellectuals were the solid backbone of the transformation. Look at the US, the civil rights movement was inspired by intellectuals who were not compromised at all. King himself had several degrees!!
When you study Mathematics, don't study to know it, understand it and be a better person because you are a guru in Math. If you cannot be better, freer or wiser when you know or get educated, you are as good as a deadly and poisonous concotion.
(The paper will be discussed in the Africa Leadership Academy Annual Convention in October)
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