Scientist have made major
discoveries that have improved the lives of millions of people,but, the use of
science and technology has also created new problems.The level of pollution we
find today,for example,was not a concern faced in a past.Nor,was there a fear of
powerful,destructive weapons.Science and technology raise questions of how they
can be used for good and not harmful purposes.
Huge changes have taken place in the world in your own life time.If you look at
the lives of your parents and grandparents,you will discover many more changes
that have transformed the world.The 20th century was a period in which great
political and economic developments took place.New discoveries were made in
science and technology.The last century was also filled with wars and conflicts
across the world.All these events had a major impact on people's ways of
life.Many transformations in the 20th century were due to what happened in
previous centuries.Two of these events were colonial rule and the industrial
revolution.They had a significant impact on how the world developed in the
modern period.
Many people preferred to use a broader concept to describe the transformation
they desired.They increasingly began to use the term "modernization". The term
appeared to capture progress that was more than economic growth.However,it was
far from clear what it meant to become modernized.Different groups of people
understood this term in very different ways.In the following sections,we examine
different views about modernization.We also study a related concept known as
''development''. We find out about some of the different meanings that have been
given to it.
In world history,we find many eras and periods.We read about civilizations that
existed long ago in ancient times.We learn about classical periods noted for
their great creativity and achievements.We also come come across terms such as
the medieval age or middle age.A stretch of time linking two periods:The remote
past and The recent centuries.Historians also refer to the modern
period.However,they are not agreed on exactly when this period started.Some see
it as beginning with major scientific discoveries and intellectual advances in
the 17th and 18th centuries.Others link it to the political,economic and social
changes in the 19th and 20th centuries.What historians agree on is that the
modern age is a period of great change.We examine some important questions that
this new phase in history has raised for societies and communities across the
world.
From the word modern,we get other terms such as modernization and modernity.The
act of being modern has many meanings.Living in the present.One of the meanings
of being modern is living in the present.However,if we examine this meaning more
closely,we find that every age is also modern in this sense because it also has
it's own present.Accepting what ever is new.Another common meaning of being
modern is to accept whatever is new and to discard what is old or
traditional.This view can be questioned because not everything which is new is
better and not every thing that is old is worthless.
Another meaning for being modern is to be progressive and
advanced.However,progress is a difficult concept to define.People in the future
might argue whether our modern age was more progressive or advanced than other
periods.They might recognize some achievements but,they would also point out the
enormous suffering caused by modern warfare and global pollution.Some people
view being modern as being westernized,since western societies were the first to
become transformed.This meaning also has problems.The west made up of many
nations,societies and communities.Different groups have different views about
what it means to be modern.Also,there is no reason why there should only be one
model of being modern,simply because it started in a particular region of the
world.A more important meaning of being modern is linked to making changes in
our ways of life.This raises the questions of which changes are good for us and
which ones are not.We need to examine change by means of broader principles and
values.
Societies all across the world have undergone change in the modern period.They
have seen both beneficial and harmful outcomes of these changes.People today are
increasingly asking what criteria ought to be used to define change.They wish to
have greater say over what kinds of societies they want for the future.Different
groups of people have turned to different sources of values to guide them on
what it means to be modern.We find both secular and religious views on this
questions.For example,in the 20th century,the communities promoted views of
modernization in which religion was strongly discouraged.For religious
communities,religion is an important source of principles that helps them define
their ways if life in every age.Religious traditions can be
dynamic,creative,intellectual and inspiring.They can be act as an important
light to define what it means to be modern.
There are many paths to modernization.As we have seen,to be modern can mean many
things.It is defined by different criteria.What beliefs and values we hold will
determine how we define and apply change to our lives.There are many
understandings of being modern and many paths to becoming modern.Some people see
modernization as a goal,while others see it as a process.We examine different
views that have emerged on the question of modernization.
The challenges raised in the modern period have not been easy to address.The
changes people have experienced in their societies have been complex and
far-reaching.They have affected many aspects of human
life-political,economic,social,cultural and religious.The subject of modernity
deals with the issues raised by the modern age.It centers on the question of
what it means to modernize or become modern.
In the colonial period,we find Muslims leaders and thinkers who wanted to
modernize their societies using Islam as their source of inspiration.One of
these reformers was Sayyid Ahmad Khan.He introduced reforms among Muslims in
India so that they would benefit from modern changes while also retaining their
faith of Islam.Other reformers were Jamal al-Din Afghani and Muhammad Abduh.They
too worked hard to change the attitudes of Muslims so that they would see Islam
as the means of improving their societies in the modern times.
An important concept linked to modernity is development.To become modern is
often understood as becoming developed.What does it mean to become
developed?Human development does not have any single meaning.It is a concept
that is understood to different ways by different people.In modern times,the
search for happiness and fulfillment is no less important to people than it was
in past.We find that material wealth by itself is not enough to create inner
contentment.Human beings are always searching for something deeper and more
lasting.
When some parts of the world became industrialized they generated vast material
wealth for their societies.They used this wealth for improving the living
conditions of the people living in that countries.These nations came to be
viewed as the developed country.Other countries also wanted the same standards
of living as in industrialized countries.As they were in the process of becoming
industrialized,these nations were labelled as the developing countries.In the
21st century,we have to ask what kinds of societies we can help create that are
based on fuller notions of human development.
So let us, modernize our country and through it we could also modernize our
world too.Let us bright up the name of our country Pakistan and make it rank
highest across the world.