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Thomas Carlyle once famously remarked that “the history of the world is but the biography of great men.” (Humans). This observation gains renewed meaning when re-examined in the context of the role of intellectuals — the intelligentsia — in society.

Where are our Lost Mirrors?

Intellectuals have always been the opinion-makers, system-builders, and prime movers of history in every epoch. There is a great Biblical saying: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Similarly, the Al-Kitab (the Glorious Qur’an) defines humans as the vice-regents of the Absolute Idea — of Allah.
Thus, the intellectuals who have ruled the world can be found among leaders, warriors, inventors, thinkers, and visionaries. From Socrates to Noam Chomsky, there have always been restless minds — those who could never remain satisfied in their search for the Good for all.
To name just a few: Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Edison, Einstein, Plato, Marx, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Antonio Gramsci, and Edward Said.
In every age, intellectuals have been the true mirror of their societies — the conscience-keepers who spoke truth to power and raised their voices whenever humanity lost its moral compass.

Endangered Species or Critically Threatened?

It is a tragic irony that we have the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which maintains the Red Data Book to record endangered plants and animals — yet we have no such list, no such register, to document the endangered minds of our time. Perhaps, we need one — a “FigarBook,” as I would call it — to chronicle the vanishing breed of original thinkers and moral voices.

Indeed, in this contemporary era of conformism, it is the intellectuals who have become the world’s most endangered — or perhaps critically threatened — species. Gone are the days when their voices echoed loud and clear. Today, they are drowned out by the cacophony of casino capitalism, where money and media decide what truth should sound like.

Critical thinkers and independent voices are shrinking in number or being deliberately sidelined. Knowledge, virtue, and wisdom are slowly dying, replaced by shallow information, statistical games, overloaded data, and manufactured values.

Research has been replaced by plagiarism, and the organic intellectuals that Antonio Gramsci once envisioned are now caged again — this time by the new avatars of artificial intelligentsia. Meanwhile, populism and herd mentality — the new sheep culture — have taken the place of true scholarship.

What Is to Be Done?

To come out of this crisis — both at the individual and collective level — we, as humans, must reinvent ourselves in the light of today, while staying rooted in the inheritance of free thinking.
The first step is simple yet revolutionary: refuse to surrender your mind. Let thinking once again become our greatest capital asset — not for profit, but for purpose. Let the flame of inquiry and dissent burn until the lost ground of reason, creativity, and moral courage is reclaimed.

When societies perish, they seldom do so with thunder or roar. More often, they collapse silently — their moral, social, cultural, and psychological foundations already hollowed out long before the final fall. The corrosion of creative and critical thought reaches its zenith in such dark ages, leaving behind ruins where vibrant intellect once thrived.

Gone are the days when commitments were sacred and not transactional. Gone are the days when souls and spirits were not auctioned in the marketplace of consumerism — where pleasure and pain are reduced to commodities. This diversion and distortion have pushed cultures, civilizations, and entire societies to the brink of collapse, where meaning itself seems to dissolve into dust.

We now inhabit a world hauntingly reminiscent of the Hobbesian “state of nature,” a war of each against all — where ideas find no refuge, where civilizations fade not by conquest but by corrosion, and where philosophy and discourse wither for lack of fertile ground.

It is this desolation that our Nobel Laureate so seriously reveals. László Krasznahorkai has given language to what many only sense — an apocalypse not merely as a single catastrophic moment, but as a slow, multidimensional unraveling. It stretches from nuclear science to religion, from ethics to sculpture, from art and literature to the climate itself — from the spiritual to the existential.

In our times, lies are not only spoken but also manufactured and sold. Beauty, race, Genes poetry, culture, intellect, even entire geographies — villages, towns, cities — are on sale in the cheapest of markets. Truth itself has become layered and fragmented, sometimes imprisoned, hence stripped of its originality, its relevance, its power to inspire or unite.

When this society was dying, we did bear witness to its last rites. It is not God, Nature, fate, or mere accidents of history that destroyed us — it is we, humans ourselves, who diluted and, in one way or another, killed our own society. When truth came to us, we manipulated it through deceit and mistrust. Our greed, indifference, neutrality, and moral laziness have given birth to hysterical societies filled with selfishness — societies that have stripped away reason and compassion.

Self-interest may be natural and pragmatic, but it is selfishness that has led to our downfall. From small market shops to multinational corporations, we lie, cheat, and remain divided in everything. From humble kitchens to the United Nations General Assembly, we tolerate injustice, dispossession, and disempowerment. From our bodies to our souls, we have learned to dominate and dictate, seeking what John Austin once described as unquestioned, unwarranted, and unconditional obedience.

We like to see ourselves in concave and convex mirrors — distorted, comfortable reflections — but we rarely look at ourselves in the mirror of time, honour, respect, and dignity. This fall of humanity, along with the collapse of civilizations, has never been born in a vacuum. It is a direct result of our ideological blindness and complacency.

We are not bystanders to this collapse — we are its partners. Partners in the crime of the fall of humanity.

🎨 Art as the Final Savior

Indeed, I agree with the Nobel Laureate that art is the last friend, philosopher, and guide in this multidimensional decay. When religion falters, when politics becomes coercive, when technology dehumanizes, it is art that binds us together — as our survivor, our final revelation, our moral force, our awakener, and our last messenger.

It is art that builds creativity out of nothing. It is art that teaches us to redefine ourselves in the light of knowledge, truth, and the power to change and transform the societies in which we live and breathe. Above the core of the Earth and below the exosphere, there is indeed a power of art that can purify our biosphere — humanity’s only living space.

And when art is embraced holistically, not in fragments, its power can help us find our way out of this collective astray. There must be art in science as well as in the social sciences; art in literature, religion, politics, culture, schools, homes, peer groups, states, and the world at large. It is the power of art that teaches us that more than machinery, we need humanity — because deep down, in our undisputed and undiluted nature, we are all lovers of humanity.

It is the power of art that can shatter all chains of slavery, even those forged of gold, diamond, or digital code. It is the power of art — and of the artists who carry its flame — that can purify the Earth, its rivers, its flora and fauna, its morality and its ethics. It is only through art that we can enter a world of liberty, equality, justice, rights, and fraternity — in both letter and spirit.

But this art must not be parochial. It must be universal, not divisive; unifying, not fragmenting; accommodative, not exclusive; decentralized, not controlled. It must rise above dubious constructions — our rigid schools (not schools of thought), our copy-pasted research, colonial measurements like GMT, and even the artificial barriers of tectonic plates, latitudes, longitudes, meridians, and academic compartmentalization.

Sadly, we have long confined “science” to physics, chemistry, biology, or mathematics, and dismissed art as secondary — something “other” (Akin to untouchables or ghettos) But the words of the Norwegian Committee while bestowing the Nobel Prize for Literature 2025 reaffirm the transformative power of art — a ray of hope for all of us.

The fall of humanity is multidimensional; therefore, its solution must also be multidimensional. Let us unite under the cosmopolitan, universal, and all-embracing message of art — to purify ourselves, our societies, and our polities. Let us build a world where science and rationality grow alongside intuition and intellect; where narratives and meta-narratives work together to heal humanity.

Above all, we are humans. And in that shared humanity lies our last hope.

Greta Thunberg’s decision to travel with the Global Samud Flotilla to Gaza is more than an act of protest—it is an act of profound courage. At a time when the world feels fractured, her journey stands as a beacon of justice, humanity, and solidarity with the oppressed. It reminds us that in history’s darkest nights, there are always voyagers who swim against the tides, guided by justice, propelled by fraternity, and ignited by hope. 

The world needs more young people like Greta—fearless, compassionate, and willing to act on conscience. Her stand is not merely political; it is a call to our shared humanity, teaching us what it truly means to be human. 

Greta as the Joan of Arc of Our Time

History remembers Joan of Arc, who at seventeen lifted a sword to confront tyranny. Centuries later, Greta, at twenty-two years young, lifted her voice and conscience—and shook the citadels of power across the world. Both remind us that history bends not to empires, but to the courage of those who refuse silence. 

Her stand carries the spirit of Gandhi, from Champaran and Kheda to Sabarmati and Nakhodli, representing the marginalized and turning truth and non-violence into a powerful weapon. It carries the compassion of Florence Nightingale, who lit her lamp in the fields of war, and the resilience of Nelson Mandela, who emerged from prison unbroken, bearing freedom for millions. It echoes the courage of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, whose convictions showed that even the smallest acts can topple injustice. 

Greta’s courage reminds us that genocide may strip humanity of much, but not of hope. Free minds like hers are the light that keeps hope alive. Guided by the teachings of her mentor, Jane Goodall, Greta embodies the truth of Goodall’s words: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Through this voyage, she has become the hope of the hopeless, the voice of the voiceless, and the agency of the powerless. 

The world may one day commemorate a “Greta Day,” akin to Vasily Arkhipov, the Soviet naval officer who saved humanity from nuclear catastrophe in 1962 by defying an order to launch nuclear missiles. When he said, “No, sir, I will not fire,” he prevented global annihilation. Greta’s defiance, too, may be remembered as a moral “No” to the silence that allows humanity to drift toward destruction. 

A Legacy of Courage Across Time

Compassion, courage, and integrity have always defined humanity’s finest hours. From young people resisting tyranny during the Second World War to contemporary activists, history shows that conviction alone can challenge the greatest oppression. Greta and her companions continue this lineage, wielding voices and truth rather than rifles or barricades. Their defiance demonstrates that conscience, not force, preserves humanity. 

Even in despair, the fragile flame of hope can burn brighter than oppression. Greta’s journey reminds us that courage is timeless, and even small actions, when guided by conscience, ripple across history. 

The Human Touch

Carl Jung once wrote, “Know all the theories. Master all the techniques. But as you touch a human soul, be just another human soul.” Greta embodies this. Knowledge and skill are essential, but empathy, authenticity, and shared humanity transform lives. 

Her stand is not just about data or politics—it is one human soul meeting another with honesty and compassion. Greta calls us to remember that no person is merely a statistic or a problem; they are a human being with dignity, fears, and hopes. To “be just another human soul” is to meet others in humility and solidarity, balancing expertise with kindness. 

A Beacon of Hope

Greta’s bravery cannot be praised enough. If anyone deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, it is she and her companions. She is turning the ocean of darkness into light, awakening the conscience of the world, and leaving a mark that will be remembered in history. 

Her actions also carry forward the visions of Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, and Swami Vivekananda. Tagore dreamed of a world “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.” Gandhi showed that truth and non-violence can challenge the mightiest powers. Vivekananda reminded us of the divinity within every human being and the duty to serve humanity selflessly. Greta embodies their collective vision: universalism, courage, and selfless service in a fractured century. 

The Universal Human Bond

At the heart of it all, we share feelings, hopes, and fears. Our countries, religions, and ideologies may differ, but our common humanity unites us. True achievement lies not in power or wealth, but in honoring the humanity within us all. 

Greta’s journey is a call to conscience. It reminds us that swords rust, empires crumble, and prisons fall—but the voice of conscience never dies. 

Yet, it is also a moment for introspection. Beneath the rubble in Gaza lie not only the bodies of innocent Palestinian children, women, and fathers who went out searching for food, but also the carcass of Western liberal democracy, the hypocrisy of Muslim leaders, and the helplessness of the so-called Ummah (comradeship). 

May your words, Greta, become our spiritual guide: “I am not scared of Israel. I am scared of a world that has seemingly lost all sense of humanity.”   May the path shown by Greta to all of us in this darkness of highly televised Genocide guide our thoughts and actions, that we shall not go quietly into the darkness of this night, and we shall not vanish without a fight.