The Dangers of #AI and Illiberal Thinking with President #HamzaYusuf (2023 Commencement)
Summary
TLDRIn the commencement ceremony speech at Zetuna College, the speaker reflects on the college's 10th anniversary and the significance of knowledge in the Islamic tradition. The address emphasizes the importance of deep thinking, intellectual jihad, and the arts of freedom. It also discusses the impact of technology on society, the need for a coherent policy on technological innovation, and the critical role of liberal education in democracy. The speaker urges graduates to embrace dignity, decorum, and the pursuit of knowledge, and to strive for justice tempered with mercy.
Takeaways
- 🎓 Welcome and commencement: The speaker welcomes guests to Zeytuna College's 10th commencement ceremony for the class of 2023, emphasizing the importance of the event and the beauty of the campus setting.
- 🌿 Symbolism of the Olive Tree: Zeytuna College is compared to an olive tree, symbolizing resilience, enlightenment, and sustenance, aiming to restore the centrality of knowledge in the Islamic tradition while embracing modern cultural currents.
- 📚 Divine Knowledge: The speech references the Quran to illustrate the metaphor of divine knowledge as light, with the human soul as a niche, intellect as a glass, and wisdom derived from the blessed olive tree's oil.
- 🤔 Reflection on Technology: The speaker prompts deep thought about the impact of technology on society, questioning the direction it's taking and the need for a coherent policy to guide technological innovation.
- 💡 Intellectual Jihad: The concept of intellectual jihad is introduced, emphasizing the importance of deep thinking (ishtihad) and defending the mind against invaders, which includes illiberal thinking.
- 🧠 Freedom of Thought: The speaker discusses the five enemies that hinder free thought: ego, ulterior motives, delusion, malevolent insinuations, and illiberal thinking, which must be overcome for clear reasoning and judgment.
- 📚 Arts of Freedom: The importance of mastering language, literature, grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric is highlighted as essential tools for free thought and effective communication.
- 🌍 Community and Brotherhood: The necessity of community, brotherly love, and family is stressed, with the Prophet's teachings on love and the importance of being a merciful and just society.
- 📖 The Role of Education: The speaker calls for a revival of true education that fosters critical thinking and resistance to propaganda, emphasizing the role of liberal arts in maintaining a democratic society.
- 🗣️ Press and Free Speech: The significance of a free press and the right to debate and criticize is discussed, as well as the dangers of a society that suppresses these freedoms in favor of superficial entertainment.
- 🌟 Final Advice: The graduates are advised to carry themselves with dignity, engage in deep thought, and strive to be people whom the Prophet would be proud of on the Day of Judgment, with a reminder to stand for justice tempered by mercy.
Q & A
What is the significance of the olive tree in the context of Zetuna College's commencement ceremony speech?
-The olive tree serves as a profound metaphor in the speech, symbolizing resilience, enlightenment, and sustenance. It encapsulates the purpose of Zetuna College, which seeks to restore the centrality of knowledge in the Islamic tradition while embracing the cultural currents of the modern world.
How does the Quranic verse mentioned in the speech relate to the theme of knowledge and guidance?
-The Quranic verse uses the imagery of a niche, lamp, and glass to symbolize the human soul, divine knowledge, and the human intellect, respectively. The oil from the blessed olive tree represents knowledge, truth, and guidance, emphasizing the importance of wisdom and its role in the educational journey of the graduates.
What is the 'tektronic revolution' as described in the speech?
-The 'tektronic revolution' refers to the merging of technology and electricity, as described by the author in the book 'Between Two Ages'. It highlights the contrast between technical success and social failure, raising questions about the control and direction of technological innovation and its impact on society.
What are the 'Arts of Freedom' mentioned in the speech, and why are they important?
-The 'Arts of Freedom' include deep thinking (ishtihad), intellectual jihad, and the critical examination of ideas. They are important because they allow individuals to defend their minds against harmful influences, make well-informed decisions, and contribute to the common good of society.
How does the speech connect the pursuit of knowledge with the formation of communities?
-The speech posits that the pursuit of knowledge is essential for the formation of real communities. By communicating and sharing common ideas and purposes, individuals can unite and work towards a common goal. The restoration of community is an urgent imperative, and it relies on the free exchange of ideas and the mastery of the arts of communication.
What is the role of liberal arts in a democratic society, according to the speech?
-In a democratic society, liberal arts are crucial for sustaining and extending freedom. Democratic citizens must be able to think for themselves, which requires a liberal education and a body of ideas to think with. The arts of liberty are essential for resisting tyranny and promoting a society where citizens can engage in meaningful discussions and contribute to the public discourse.
How does the speech address the impact of technology on society?
-The speech acknowledges the potential of technology for individual creativity and fulfillment but also warns of its social destructiveness if left directionless. It calls for a conceptual framework to guide technological change towards meaningful and humane ends, emphasizing the need for society to think deeply about the implications of technological advancements.
What does the speech suggest about the current state of education?
-The speech suggests that the current form of education is dying and needs to be revived. It criticizes systems that indoctrinate rather than truly educate, arguing that such systems make individuals more susceptible to propaganda and less capable of critical thinking.
What is the importance of brotherly love and community in the context of the speech?
-Brotherly love and community are emphasized as essential for creating a just and supportive society. The speech encourages graduates to be people of decorum, dignity, and to carry themselves with noble character. It also highlights the importance of family as the foundation of community and the need for more love and unity among people.
How does the speech relate the concept of justice to the graduates?
-The speech urges the graduates to stand firmly for justice as witnesses, but also to remember that justice must always be tempered by mercy. It encourages them to be just to the point where they are willing to testify against themselves, promoting a balanced approach to justice that incorporates compassion and understanding.
What are the 'five enemies' mentioned in the speech that one must free their heart from?
-The 'five enemies' mentioned are ego (naps), ulterior motives (Hawa), delusion (Dunya), malevolent insinuations (shaytan), and illiberal thinking. These enemies hinder deep and free thinking, which is necessary for intellectual growth and effective participation in society.
Outlines
🎓 Welcoming Remarks and Commencement Celebration
The speaker begins by welcoming attendees to the commencement ceremony of Zaytuna College's graduating class of 2023. They express honor in standing before the audience and celebrate the educational journey of the graduates. The speaker references the college's mission to restore the importance of knowledge within the Islamic tradition while embracing the modern world. The speech also includes a Quranic verse that symbolizes divine knowledge, wisdom, and guidance, highlighting the importance of deep thinking and intellectual jihad in the pursuit of truth and the defense of the mind against various 'invaders'.
🤔 Reflecting on Technology and the Importance of Deep Thinking
The speaker discusses the impact of technology on society and the need for deep thinking to navigate its complexities. They mention a board meeting and the use of Chat GPT to generate speeches, raising concerns about the authenticity of leadership in the digital age. The speaker then delves into the concept of 'ishtahad' or deep intellectual effort, drawing parallels with the idea of Jihad in the context of defending the mind against negative influences. They emphasize the importance of freeing one's mind from ego, ulterior motives, delusion, and malevolent insinuations to engage in meaningful deliberation and decision-making.
📚 The Arts of Freedom and the Pursuit of Knowledge
The speaker explores the significance of the liberal arts in fostering freedom and community. They discuss the importance of reason and its role in weighing choices and pursuing beneficial outcomes. The speaker also touches on the negative consequences of neglecting study and knowledge, which can lead to social fragmentation and powerlessness. They highlight the role of education in forming real communities and the necessity of critical thinking to counteract the spread of propaganda and maintain a democratic society.
🌍 The Role of Education in Democracy and Society
The speaker addresses the critical role of education in sustaining democracy, emphasizing that democratic citizens must be able to think independently and engage in intelligent discussions. They reference historical figures and events to illustrate the dangers of a society that lacks liberal education and is susceptible to propaganda. The speaker also discusses the importance of a free press in informing the public and fostering a culture of debate and criticism, which are essential for the survival of a republic.
🕊️ Embracing Mercy and Justice in a Challenging World
In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on the challenges of life, drawing from the wisdom of Imam al-Junaid, who described the world as a place of stress and strife. The speaker encourages graduates to maintain gratitude and patience in the face of adversity. They also remind the audience of the importance of justice, tempered with mercy, as a guiding principle in their lives. The speech concludes with a call for the graduates to live with decorum, dignity, and to strive to be people whom their Prophet would be proud of on the Day of Judgment.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Zeytunah College
💡Commencement Ceremony
💡Olive Tree
💡Intellectual Jihad
💡Liberal Arts
💡Community
💡Technology
💡Critical Thinking
💡Prophet
💡Justice and Mercy
Highlights
Welcome to the commencement ceremony of Zaytuna College's graduating class of 2023.
Zaytuna College seeks to restore the centrality of knowledge in the Islamic tradition while embracing modern cultural currents.
The commencement speaker references the Quran to illustrate the symbolism of knowledge, truth, and guidance.
The speaker discusses the impact of technology on society and the need for a conceptual framework to direct technological innovation meaningfully.
The importance of deep thinking, referred to as 'ishtihad' in the Islamic tradition, is emphasized.
The concept of 'intellectual Jihad' is introduced as the defense of the mind against invaders.
The speaker identifies four enemies of the mind: ego, ulterior motives, delusion, and malevolent insinuations.
A fifth enemy, 'illiberal thinking', is introduced as a threat to balanced deliberation.
The importance of the liberal arts in fostering critical thinking and a well-informed society is discussed.
Shakespeare's mastery of the Arts is cited as a reason for his enduring legacy.
The speaker warns against the dangers of a society that neglects the study of the liberal arts, leading to ignorance and fragmentation.
The necessity of community and communication for the exchange of ideas is emphasized.
The political implications of a lack of liberal education are discussed, including the susceptibility to propaganda.
The importance of brotherly love and community in the face of societal challenges is highlighted.
The speaker calls for graduates to be people of decorum, dignity, and deep thought.
The Prophet's desire to be proud of his community on the Day of Judgment is mentioned.
The Quranic reminder of the world's tribulations and the importance of patience and gratitude is cited.
The call to stand for justice tempered by mercy is emphasized.
Transcripts
foreign on behalf of the Board of
Trustees The Faculty staff and students
at zetuna college
I'd like you to welcome all of you to
the commencement ceremony of our
graduating class of 2023 which has now
begun so please be seated
honored guests
the steam faculty
are bored
proud parents and our remarkable
students graduates now of zaytuna
College's 10th commence commencement
ceremony I'm humbled to stand before you
today amidst the captivating Beauty
of
our campus
adorned with its Gardens and trees as we
celebrate the culmination of your
educational Journey
in the essence of zetuna the Arabic word
for all of we find a profound metaphor
that encapsulates the purpose of our
Noble Institution
just as the Olive Tree serves as a
symbol of resilience Enlightenment and
sustenance zetuna College seeks to
restore the centrality of knowledge in
the Islamic tradition
while embracing the cultural currents
shaping our modern world
as we Embark upon this momentous
occasion let us turn to the Quran where
Allah says
Allah is the light of the heavens and
the Earth the example of his light is
out of a niche in which there is a lamp
the lamp is in a glass the glass looks
like a brilliant star it's lit by oil of
a blessed tree the oil which is neither
Eastern nor Western
in this verse we discover a rich
tapestry of symbolism the niche
represents the human soul while the lamp
signifies the Divine knowledge that
resides within it the glass like a
shining brilliant star reflects the
human intellect
a vessel ready to receive and radiate
wisdom and within this lamp burning
bright is the oil derived from the
Blessed Olive Tree an emblem of
knowledge truth and guidance
so that concludes the speech that was
created by chat GPT
so I was telling one of our
staff
yesterday that we had a long board
meeting yesterday
which some people think is spelled
b-o-r-e-d
but it's actually not
and I was really exhausted I said I've
got I've got to write some words oh she
said oh chat GPT will do that for you so
I said really she said yeah I'll send it
to you so she sent me three different
speeches they were all reasonably good
which deeply troubled me and I'm
wondering how many college presidents
today are giving chat GPT speeches
who I actually met once
um
and asked him if he thought the grand
chess board was still a valid
Theses and he said ah there's more proof
for it now than there was when I wrote
it well he actually wrote a book in 1967
called between two ages and in that book
he said the third American Revolution
which the first is obviously begins in
1776 the second is the Industrial
Revolution but the third he called the
tektronic revolution which was the
merging of technology and electricity
so he said the third American Revolution
highlights the sharp contrast between
our technical success and our social
failure
and it raises basic questions concerning
the control and direction of the thrust
of technological innovation
power choices made why are they made by
whom are they made
what values are involved in these
choices and how can they be crystallized
so that a coherent policy can be shaped
these questions increasingly beset all
modern societies but given the extensive
social scope of Contemporary American
Science and Technology this challenge is
especially important in the United
States because it affects and
potentially threatens the most intimate
aspects of American Life
since it appears true that this Society
has chosen to emphasize technological
change as its Chief mode of creative
expression and basis for economic growth
it follows that the society's most
imperative task is to define a
conceptual framework in which
technological change can be given
meaningful and Humane ends unless this
is done there is a real danger that by
remaining directionless
the third American Revolution so
pregnant with possibilities for
individual creativity and fulfillment
can become socially destructive
so something to think about
I probably could have gotten away with
my chat GPT speech and everybody said I
was okay
so
how do we deal with that well
part of it is that we
we have to think deeply we have to think
about what technology is doing and where
it's taking us
but we have to think deeply and thinking
demands effort
in fact in our tradition deep thinking
is called ishtihad which is the
expenditure of the utmost effort that we
have
it's also related to you jahidu which is
Jihad intellectual Jihad we forget about
that that there is an intellectual Jihad
to think deeply about things but also to
use our intellects to defend the most
important things just as the material
the military jihadist to defend a state
to defend its borders against Invaders
intellectual Jihad is to defend the Mind
against the Invaders of the mind and
they're everywhere today they're in our
homes
we turn them on daily
but to think deeply and freely
necessitates one mind one's mind being
free of four things
ego which we call naps ulterior motives
which we call Hawa delusion which we
call Dunya
and malevolent insinuations which we
call shaytan
without freeing one's heart from these
four enemies we don't stand a chance but
I would add to them a fifth enemy
illiberal thinking
which is related to all four
and
it's necessary for all four to succeed
what do I mean by illiberal thinking I
mean the thought which is done without
the Arts that free one to deliberate
which comes from a beautiful Latin
compound de and Liberia to weigh in the
balance to weigh in the balance in other
words to reckon with the outcomes to
determine whether a choice is a good one
does it benefit or does its harm
outweigh its benefit this is called
Muslim that's the foundation of our
tradition in looking at what is
beneficial and what is harmful because
our tradition says to follow what is
beneficial and to avoid what is harmful
how do what are the sound scales why
does God says
way with an upright scale Imam in his
brilliance
wrote a book of logic called
that reason is that scale that God has
given us but reason enlightened by
Revelation
light upon light the light of reason
when it is illuminated by the light of
Revelation
through sound reason we can weigh a
proposition in the scales of free
thought to determine if it's worthy of
its Pursuit then if necessary one can
through the art of rhetoric persuade
others of the soundness of that course
or of the dangers and the perils
these five enemies are lurking in one's
mind or Heart during the deliberation
one loses one's way and hence one's
ability to weigh
we have only introduced you to these
Arts of Freedom you graduates we've
there you've been introduced to them
you're not masters of them we're not
masters of them we're still studying
them
they're a lifelong study the subtleties
of language and literature through the
Mastery of grammar become clear and more
distinct the more one learns the
fallacies and fallacies Follies of so
much human thought reveals itself
through the Mastery of dialectic and
finally the beauty of effective language
skillfully used for the common good
Shakespeare in his autobiographical
character Prospero most of Shakespearean
Scholars say that Prospero represents
him it's his last play The Tempest he
says of the liberal arts and Prospero
Prospero the prime Duke being so reputed
in dignity and for the liberal arts
without parallel those being all my
study
so if you want to know why Shakespeare's
great and still read in so many places
he was a master of the Arts he had his
genius but he was a trained genius
when caliban the The Savage in the play
advises Stefano and trincolo about
overcoming overcoming Prospero he says
to them remember to First possess his
books for without them he's barasat
this is how the same demons achieve the
usurpation of power from the Muslims
possessed their books especially their
book for without it there but sots
as the great German Juris freyr stated
study conceives knowledge but knowledge
gives birth to love love to likeness
likeness to community community to
strength strength to worthiness
worthiness to power and power Makes
Miracles this is the route to the goal
of magical accomplishment both Divine
and natural well we have something
called
which is to look at what the opposite
meaning because it gives you an
understanding so if we reverse this
neglect of study leaves one in ignorance
ignorance gives birth to hate
gives birth to differences differences
to social fragmentation social
fragmentation to powerlessness and
powerlessness to abject humiliation and
abject humiliation to utter failure
our path lies in the pursuit of
knowledge which prophetically was
determined to be from the Cradle to the
Grave restoration of community remains
our most urgent impaired imperative but
we can only form real communities to the
extent to which we can communicate
share common ideas and purposes as one
of my teachers stated where men lack the
Arts of communication intelligent
discussion must languish where there is
no Mastery of the medium of exchanging
ideas ideas cease to play a part in
human life when that happens men are but
little better than brutes they dominate
by force and cunning and they will soon
try to dominate each other in the same
way loss of Freedom follows
again to paraphrase him we are under the
illusion today that we have a liberal
Society but it is a false liberalism
that confuses Authority with tyranny
that arises when people assume that
everything is simply a matter of opinion
that doctrine that doctrine that
everything is simply a matter of opinion
is suicidal it will result in the
doctrine of Might makes right when we
free ourselves from reason rather than
through it we surrender to the only
other Arbiter in human Affairs Force he
says the political implications of the
liberal arts are not far to seek if
democracy is a society of free men it
must sustain and extend liberal
education or perish Democratic citizens
must be able to think for themselves to
do this they must first be able to think
and have a body of ideas to think with
Shakespeare clearly understood this and
I've repeated this before but it's it's
worth it for tyranny to flourish the
population must be deprived of the Arts
of Liberty
in Henry VI Shakespeare writes this
speech
and this is
from tyranny thou Hast most traitorously
corrupted the Youth of the Realm by
erecting grammar schools
and whereas before our forefathers had
no other books but the score in the
tally consumerism
thou has caused printing to be used and
contrary to the king his crown and
dignity thou has built a paper mill
in other words the spread of knowledge
reading and writing look to that man
like treason
we find this in the archetypal Tyrant of
the Quran the most repeated story in the
Quran
when Allah says
Dr Cleary in in his often brilliant
diction word choice says thus he made
his people flippant
so I looked up flippant just to I you
always have to look up these words
because we learn them very often in
context
it is
equality
that is personified in levity which is
lightness
and that's exactly what the Quran says
he made them light he made them Thief
he made them flippant
he made them people of entertainment
he took away their gravitas what
gravitas from the Latin waited down
gravity it weights you down what did
Allah call our species
the weighty ones that's what we are the
ins and the Jinn are the two weighty
ones
thus he made his people flippant and
they went along with that for they were
indeed a dissolute people tyrants in the
past used armies to control their people
they don't need armies anymore they have
armies of public relations teams
PR firms
propagandists
advertisements
one of the reasons the political science
Hobbes looked to scans at democracy was
according to him it had the tendency to
degenerate into an oligarchy of orators
today
it would be sound bites on tick tock
not tick tock
sub-titak
is good Tick Tock is bad
right
I asked the clock how things were going
he said tick tock
the only force that can oppose this
tendency is the critical capacity of the
citizenry this can only occur if they
are liberally educated but I will say
more
the more educated quote unquote in a
system that indoctrinates rather than
truly educates the less they are
susceptible to propaganda this is one of
chomsky's valid points that the the most
uneducated people in America tend to be
the the least susceptible to the
propaganda
you've been introduced into a dying form
of Education that needs to be revived
John Kennedy
the former president assassinated
give a speech in front of the American
newspaper's Publishers Association
and he said without debate without
criticism no Administration and no
country can succeed and no Republic can
survive that is why the Athenian
lawmaker Solon decreeded a crime for any
citizen to shrink from controversy and
that is why our press was protected by
the First Amendment the only business in
America specifically protected by the
Constitution not primarily to amuse and
entertain not to emphasize the trivial
and the sentimental not to Simply give
the public what it wants but to inform
to arouse to reflect to State our
dangers and our opportunities to
indicate our crisis and our choices to
lead mold educate and sometimes even to
anger public opinion
we need to be able to discuss the
momentous events and ideas that affect
us and our societies with intelligence
and forbearance
this is only done in the spirit of
philia Brotherly Love This is why the
first capital of the U.S
was named Philadelphia
which is where our wonderful
commencement speaker today is from
Philadelphia the City of Brotherly Love
which is now over 10 percent Muslim
our Prophet said none of you truly
believes until he or she he but
understood to be he or she
loves for his or her fellow man he said
brother but all of our commentators say
it means brother inhumanity
until you love for your brother what you
love for yourself
we need more Brotherly Love More
Community but most importantly more
family
because that's that's where it begins
and without that
we have no hope
so leave say tuna
when you're in your bodies but not in
your hearts be people of decorum be
people of dignity be people that carry
themselves comportment to carry yourself
with dignity
Adam we have
ennobled the children of Adam being
noble people don't be flippant people
don't be glib people don't be people
that go to the easy choices think deeply
about the things that confront you be
able to say I don't know
but most importantly make your Prophet
salallahu I'm proud of you on the day of
judgment
because he said I want to be proud on
the day of just
[Music]
I want I'm going to be proud of my
community on the day be amongst those
people that he's proud of because there
are people that he calls them to his
hold and the angels say no
they changed after you
don't be amongst those people be people
that our Prophet is proud of and in
conclusion two things from the Quran
that I want to remind you of and then oh
we have uh
the the first
is
this dunya's tribulation Imam al-junaid
who you all know now who he was if you
didn't before you came here he said
this is an abode of stress of
tribulation of strife
and uh
and he said if you understand that you
will be grateful
and you will be patient if you lose that
understanding you will get frustrated
with this world because it's a
frustrating place for the people that
don't have that knowledge so
um
[Music]
or think you that you will enter
Paradise while such trials will not come
to you as they came to those who were
before you they were touched by poverty
and hardship and were shaken until even
the messenger and those who believed
with him said when will the help of God
come yes certainly the help of God is
near so it's always going to be near so
just remember that and the second one
be
Stand Out firmly for justice as
Witnesses but never forget that Justice
must always be tempered by Mercy and our
Prophet was a merciful Prophet before he
was a just Prophet Allah did not say
he could have
he was sent first and foremost as a
mercy but we need Justice and we're in a
world often defined by Injustice so be
people who are just to the point where
they're willing to testify against
themselves
thank you
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