Sociologist throws light on modernisation at Chandigarh’s IDC
Sociologist Dipankar Gupta, during his presentation, spoke about modernisation, how it has acquired a bad name and how it’s not just about modern possessions but about modern thought
The Institute for Development and Communication (IDC), Sector 38, Chandigarh, organised Professor Randhir Singh Memorial Lecture Series 2023-24 on Wednesday.
Sociologist Dipankar Gupta, during his presentation, spoke about modernisation, how it has acquired a bad name and how it’s not just about modern possessions but about modern thought.
“Modernity never ends. The biggest mistake that philosophers like Hegel and Marx made is that they said that dialectics ends with us. It is a continuous human effort, like democracy,” said Gupta, who was formerly a professor in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
While speaking about ethics he said, “Ethics is about others.” Gupta compared it to using the turn signal in a vehicle, where the signal has not been made for the self but to help others. He also shared his views about how morality focuses more on the self than others and how it is easier to be moral than ethical.
The sociologist also piqued the audience’s interest by talking about fashion and emphasised on how it is a great indicator of modernity, and not about showing off or wearing expensive clothes but about making a difference like Coco Chanel. He explained how snobbery is different from good manners.
Further, Gupta drew a tangent between modernisation and sports, and talked about how a social arena bound by rules tends to make people more innovative and modern. He said that because there are rules, Michael Jordan and Sachin Tendulkar became the sports icons they are today. To explain how sports are different from games, he described how the gladiator fights in ancient Rome were usually fixed as per the fancies of the rulers while modern sports have fixed universal rules.
Meanwhile, speaking about citizenship, he said, “You cannot say everyone is equal. As a citizen, you should start as equal and then be allowed to build whatever inequalities that exist.” He examined religion and casteism using this definition.
He said that democracy needs leaders to take a stand and do what’s right and wait for the people to back them in the next election. He explained this is how we got rid of things like child labour and untouchability. While he praised the work of Mahatma Gandhi, he said that a modern world would not need mahatmas.
IDC Chandigarh director Pramod Kumar and professor BS Ghuman also spoke on the occasion.
