Logic is the cradle in which reason is born. It is the foundation upon which all meaningful thinking rests, the unseen structure that supports clarity, coherence, and enlightened action. In an age overwhelmed by information, distractions, and rapid change, it becomes the need of the hour to realign our academic priorities toward what truly enables intellectual growth: the discipline of logic, nurtured and perfected in the study of Philosophy.
Without logic, the human mind is like a bird without wings—alive, but unable to rise. Just as wings empower a bird to fly, logic empowers human beings to think, choose, analyse, and act with precision. Every great civilization has understood this truth, and every flourishing education system has placed logical and philosophical training at its core. Yet, in many places today—including regions like Kashmir—the subject that cultivates logic, clarity, and critical thinking remains painfully absent from the curriculum. This absence is not just an academic gap; it is a cultural and intellectual loss.
Philosophy is not merely another subject. It is the mother of all disciplines, the art of thinking well, the science of reasoning, the guide to meaningful living, and the foundation of ethical, political, scientific, and spiritual inquiry. When philosophy is removed from education, logic withers, and without logic, society loses its ability to think deeply, argue rationally, and act wisely.
The great Greek philosopher Plato understood this perhaps better than anyone else. His academy—the first institution of higher learning in the Western tradition—was not open to everyone. He famously stated that students lacking logical ability could not enter his academy. For Plato, logic was not optional; it was the prerequisite to grasping truth. Without a disciplined mind, one could not understand justice, beauty, virtue, or the nature of reality. Plato believed that the unexamined life is not worth living, and an unexamined life is impossible without logical thought.
Long before Plato, the Pre-Socratic thinkers had already begun shaping the intellectual landscape through reason. Thales looked for natural explanations of the cosmos rather than myths. Heraclitus analysed change and contradiction through logos. Parmenides used logical deduction to question the nature of being. These early thinkers planted the seeds of rational inquiry, showing that logic is not a modern invention but a timeless human necessity.
Much later, the analytic philosophers of the 20th century—such as Bertrand Russell, G.E. Moore, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and the thinkers of the Vienna Circle—revolutionised the world of thought by insisting that philosophy must be grounded in logical clarity. For them, to think clearly was to live responsibly. They treated logic as the grammar of the mind, a discipline that distinguishes meaningful statements from mere noise. Their work strengthened sciences, mathematics, linguistics, artificial intelligence, and modern epistemology—all because they placed logic at the heart of intellectual inquiry.
If we look closely at our academic environment today, we notice a distinct void. Students excel in memorization, but many struggle with reasoning. They gather information but lack the skill to interpret it. They pass examinations but find it difficult to argue, analyse, or articulate their thoughts with clarity. This gap is not due to lack of talent—it is due to the absence of a subject that teaches students how to think.
This is precisely why philosophy must be introduced at the +2 and undergraduate levels in regions like Kashmir and beyond. If we expect the next generation to think logically, act wisely, and contribute meaningfully to society, they must first be taught how to reason. Without providing them the tools of logic, we cannot expect their minds to flourish. A river cannot flow without a source; logic cannot emerge without philosophical training.
Philosophy trains the mind the way physical exercise trains the body. It sharpens perception, deepens understanding, strengthens analytical skills, and cultivates intellectual humility. It teaches us to question without doubting aimlessly, to analyse without becoming cynical, and to reflect without losing direction. It helps students recognise fallacies, understand arguments, evaluate evidence, and search for truth. It broadens the mind and refines the character.
To deny students the opportunity to study philosophy is to deprive them of one of the greatest gifts education can offer: the ability to think for themselves. It is time for educational policymakers, teachers, parents, and intellectuals to recognise this urgency. Kashmir, a region rich in cultural wisdom and intellectual history, deserves an education system that nurtures critical thinkers, not passive learners. Introducing philosophy is not merely an academic reform; it is an investment in the future.
Philosophy does not provide ready-made answers, but it teaches students how to search for answers thoughtfully. It does not promise certainty, but it guides the mind toward clarity. It does not produce conformity, but it cultivates originality. A society that thinks philosophically is a society that grows, questions, innovates, and uplifts itself.
Just as a bird must stretch its wings to soar, the human mind must learn logic to think freely. And there is no subject more capable of shaping logical, ethical, and enlightened minds than Philosophy. Our future generations deserve this gift. It is time to restore philosophy to its rightful place at the heart of education—for the sake of clarity, for the sake of progress, and for the sake of the winged mind.
The author is a research scholar. javidqureshi139@gmail.com
