Industrial developments following World War II produced conditions for millions of workers and villagers to join with intellectuals. In the year 1970 alone, the number of intellectuals in the U.S.A. increased by 20%. This number is still increasing. Mechanization and automation necessitates rapid improvements in science and techniques. In turn, such progress necessitates an increase in manpower to carry out the tasks. This is an issue that is confirmed even by Islamic leaders. The number of scientific workers within advanced industrial states is approximately doubled every ten years. If these statistics are correct, it can easily be realized that, during the next twenty years, the number of intellectuals will increase to a staggering figure. Islamic leaders are of the view that a third and perhaps even half of the intellectuals within advanced industrial countries are engaged in scientific and technical aspects of the main industries. Currently, within capitalist industrial nations, between thirty to fifty per cent of work is covered by engineers and technicians who are mainly engaged in industries such as electronics, rockets, atomics, chemicals and others. Along with the developments in these industries, management is assumed to have a great deal of importance. The Islamic leaders confess the validity of the above points and believe that the number of students in capitalist countries is continually on the increase. The number of students within capitalist states is on the increase with an amazing speed. In 1950, the students numbered on the world scale did not exceed 6,300,000, while this number in 1968 rose to 23,100,000. The current figure undoubtedly is many times above that of 1968. In parallel to industrial developments, the related service industries and social services such as health and culture have gained importance on a large scale. In 1900, for every eleven medical practitioners in the U.S.A., there was only one nurse allocated, while today, for every medical practitioner, there are three specialist staff members assigned. Industrial developments have contributed to progress through mass media industries such as television, radio, cinema, newspapers, etc. on a huge scale and have had impact in every aspect of social and cultural fields in society, so that developed cultures within advanced industrial nations can be branded as a specific class. A review of intellectuals’ conditions within industrial capitalist states reveals that up to 80% to 90% of these intellectuals are wage earners. This is another proof of their non-class based status as compared with in the past. The specific profession of intellectuals within present capitalism, such as the court and judicial services, are rapidly losing their importance. But what are the measures for the recognition of intellectuals? To measure intellectuals’ status, the Islamic leaders are still using the old methods of verification. According to the Islamic leaders, an intellectual is referred to as a person engaged in mental activities. Such a method of recognition was used in previous centuries to differentiate between those engaged in physical work and those who did not. With regard to office workers, the Islamic leaders consider these as mental workers operating under duress. Scientists, authors, artists, teachers, university lecturers, medical practitioners, engineers and lawyers and some others are branded as intellectuals according to Islamic leaders. Islamic leaders consider the graduates of universities and science academies in general as representing intellectuals, while many scientists, artists, and authors are without educational qualifications. However, not every person with an educational qualification should be considered an intellectual. Some may be engaged as office workers. Not every office worker should be considered an intellectual. For instance, how could a comparison be made between heads of universities, lecturers, and academics with workers in registry offices, accountants, and teachers in rural areas? In this way, the classification of intellectuals by specific Islamic methods also uses other forms of classification, and at times, the comparisons are very difficult to establish. For instance, how could one place highly distinguished university lecturers and prominent thinkers in the same class as minor staff at registry offices? Here, the differences amongst the intellectuals in society are clearly evident. In the meantime, the existence of those elements in between intellectuals and physical workers should not be ignored. Now even amongst intellectuals who have rise through working-class populations, a deep demarcation has come to exist. It has for some time been the case that, within Islamic societies, between other groups and intellectuals there are those who represent the classes in between. In Islam, these groups in between are deployed to oppose the intellectuals. As an example, we are reminded that in industries there exist various groups of technicians and technical workers between the engineers and workers. Amongst medical practitioners and lower-skilled staff there are large groups of managerial personnel, midwives, and others whose numbers exceed those of the intellectuals in this field. Therefore, the recognition and classification of pure intellectuals within Islamic society is a difficult task that is sometimes impossible. Apart from this, other groups have come to exist between farmers and workers whose numbers are gradually increasing further than those of the workers. This process of change and conversion does not belong to Islamic society alone. Both in the capitalist system and in the Islamic system, the creation of very large classes between intellectual workers and physical workers is in progress at a considerable speed. These changes and conversions are undoubtedly derived from the current great scientific and technological revolution. The scientific and technological revolution has disturbed many of the classifications and in some cases destroyed them. A careful study of workers special features in advanced industrial states reveals that the working classes are different to those of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As mentioned earlier, the numbers of workers and those from rural areas within advanced industrial nations are decreasing, while the number of technical workers and technicians is on the increase. Less than five per cent of ordinary workers and those from villages in advanced industrial states are engaged in work on farms, and about ten per cent of industrial workers are in factories. Remaining positions are occupied by town technicians and specialized workers. The scientific and technological revolution will do away with all forms of old relationships, and physical workers in future will form insignificant minorities. This condition is already evident within industrial countries and has turned itself into a reality. The classifications of intellectuals during the techno-scientific revolution undertaken by the Islamites have lost their significance.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:56:00 +0000
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