In search of mind frontiers
By Ashish Joshi
Last Frontiers of the Mind?Challenges of the Digital Age by Mohandas Moses, pp 440, 2005 Prentice Hall of India Ltd.
The human mind is perhaps the most complex object in the universe, the most baffling, perhaps also the most fascinating, and has provoked passionate debate amongst writers, philosophers, linguists and scientists down the ages. As technology grows more advanced, the mind instead of becoming redundant thrives in spite of itself and dreams of taking man to unknown frontiers to confront ever greater challenges.
The Ashoka Hotel lounge bar served as the perfect backdrop of the posthumous release of Mohandas Moses? remarkable volume Last Frontiers of the Mind, a book that veritably drips with the calculated wisdom of the ages. The author, a former civil servant, who also served as an advisor to the governor of Jammu and Kashmir, has drawn inspiration from the greatest minds of humankind that run the gamut from Hippocrates in ancient Greece to the more radical philosophers such as Turing, Penrose and Weizanbaum.
Eleborating on the book, Dr. Kireet Joshi, director of Indian Council of Philosophical Research, said that the book addressed a very topical subject and that the present crisis of man was the crisis of the mind. In these days of increasing mechanisation, there is an urgent need for man to go beyond the frontiers of the mind to discover his true identity. Calling the volume a ?rare book?, he described Mohandas Moses as a multi-faceted figure, who combined the learning of a philosopher, futurist and psychologist. The material of the book is rich in meaning and inspiration and it is couched in language that is chaste and pregnant with possibility.
Commenting on the man-machine interface, and on whether increasing mechanisation would lead to a dystopian state of affairs, the eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani rubbished such a possibility, attributing such ideas to a section of scare-mongers, who failed to grasp the implications of technological advancement. The computer is merely a tool that serves the human need and since it cannot think for itself, the argument is self-defeating, he explained.
There is absolutely no fear of machines taking over the world, he said, and dominating its human masters to do their bidding. He praised the book and said seldom do we come across such an intellect, and it mystified him as to how the author found the time to do his research for ?this brilliant book?. He added that the book was an attempt to address the most fundamental questions of existence, such as who we are, where we are heading, what is the meaning of life, thoughts that have puzzled philosophers for centuries. On a more personal note, he said he was well acquainted with the author and would often drop by for a chat, and though he was no more amongst us, his ideas would inspire us all and urge us to reach for the unknown, for that is the true mission of the human mind in all its glory and infinitude.
It was during cocktails that Mrs. Achala Moses revealed to me what inspired Mr. Moses to write this seminal book. While serving as a governor of J&K, he was deeply affected by the pain and suffering of the ordinary masses, and decided to write down his thoughts that delved into the human mind in all its richness and variety. It was essentially a cathartic experience, which helped the author to come to terms with himself, and in a way, served as an extension of his humanitarian principles which he held so dear. The book was penned post-retirement, and she expressed the hope that it would find a wider audience, and if it made people stop and think, there could be no greater tribute for the author.
