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Stray Reflections

Stray Reflections

Content

Stray Reflections, 1910
Art -art-art
The Discovery
Human Intellect
The Economics of Charity
The Existence of God
A Dialogue
The Satisfaction of Vanity
Cruel Psychology
The Power of Belief
The God of Islam
Hegel’s System of Philosophy
15th May 1910
Forms of Government
Poetry and Logical Truth
Personal Immortality
History
Metaphysics
Fanaticism
Patriotism
Justice
Muslim Solidarity
The German Nation
The Modern Hindu
Right and Might
The Future of Afghanistan
Life as Criticism of Poetry
European Christianity
Christ and Spinoza
Aristotle
The Madness of Nietzsche
Aurangzeb
The Conquest of Persia
Ghalib
The Tutelage of Nations
The Popularity of a Poem
Hegel, Ghalib, Goethe, Ghalib, Bedil and Wordsworth
Parables
The Jewish Contribution to Civilization
Mazzini
The Dependence of Science on Metaphysics
Modern Science and Democracy
The Relationship of Ideas to Their Historical Context
Polygamy
The Spiritual Ideal of the German Nation
On Loving One’s Enemies
Ideas
White Man’s Burden
Goethe’s Faust
Milton
The Soul of Oscar Wilde
Robber Nations
The Memory of Man
Amusements in Muslim Countries
The Power of Minorities
Scepticism and Religion
Arab Poetry
Wonder
The Critical Period of the Muslims of India
The Interpretation of History
Equality
The Worth of Things
The End of Education
God is Power
The Powerful Man
The Touch of Power
The Thought of the Powerful Man
Waiting for the Mehdi
The Idea of Nationality
Kant’s Categorical Imperative
To Revitalize the Dying Organism
Self-Control
Idolatry
The Wonderful History of the Muslim Community
To Reconstruct This World
Suffering
Infinity
The Poet and the World-Spirit
The Vague and the Obscure
The Gramophone of History
Sin and Piety
Virtuous People
Contemplation Without Action
Success in Life
To Become a Public Leader
A Successful Man
The Lazy Mind
The Moral Value of Suffering
The Big Library
Miracles
Democracy
Democracy and Imperialism
Moral Readers
The Young Prophets and the Muslim Woman
Poets and Politicians
A Prophet
Philosophy and Poetry
Plato and Goethe
The Most Charming Thing on Earth
Conformity Without Dogma
Sunset on the Banks of the Ravi
True Political Life
The Importance of a True Marriage
God and the Devil
Think of the Devil
Thanksgiving
The Psychologist and the Poet
The Instinct to Collect Testimonials
The Anatomy of the Human Mind
Man and Infinity
The Poet As a Human Being
The Effect of Philosophy and Poetry
Shakespeare and Goethe
The Value of the Moment
Experience and Knowledge
Common-place Facts
Horace, Montaigne and Azad
Literary Criticism
Goethe and Heine
Hafiz
Love is a Playful Child
Seeking Wisdom
The Man With a Single Idea
Art Alone is Boundless
Absolute Knowledge and Moral Growth
Flattery


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Polygamy

The institution of polygamy was never meant to be a universal institution. It was permitted to exist in order to meet certain difficulties which are not peculiar to Muslim society alone. The worst of permitted things, according to Islam, is “divorce”. It was partly to avoid “divorce” becoming a common social phenomenon that polygamy was tolerated. Of the two social evils divorce and polygamy (evils if universalised), the later is certainly the lesser. But the avoidance of divorce is perhaps not the only justification for this institution; it is partly a concession to the nature of the male who, according to this institution, is allowed to indulge in his inclination for variety – without escaping scot-free from the responsibility arising out of this indulgence. In England the individual, does in some cases, indulge in such inclinations, but the law leaves him absolutely free from the responsibilities which may arise from his sexual freedom. He is not responsible for the education of the children he produces. Nor can such children inherit their father. The consequences, in some cases, are awful. France has been compelled to recognise prostitution as a social institution which it is the ugly duty of the State to keep healthy. But perhaps the greatest criticism on monogamy is the existence of the superfluous women in several European countries where various forces of a social and political nature are tending to enhance the number of women who cannot secure husbands. They cannot become mothers, and consequently they are driven to seek interests, other than the bringing up of children. They are compelled to “conceive” ideas instead of children. Recently they have conceived the inspiring idea of “votes for women.” This is really an attempt on the part of the superfluous woman, or, if you like an attempt on her behalf, to create “interests” for her in the sphere of politics. If a society cannot allow their women to produce and bring up children they must give them something else to be occupied with. The Suffragette movement in Europe is at bottom a cry for husbands rather than votes. To me it is nothing more than a riot of the unemployed.

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Polygamy

Polygamy


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