Dr. Hossam Badrawi Official Website
The Courage to Think and the Freedom of Choice
Hossam Badrawi
Translated by Chat GPT
The inspiration for writing this article comes from the philosopher Immanuel Kant and his famous essay “Dare to Know” (in Latin: “Sapere aude”). The corresponding English phrase is “Dare to know” or it can also be translated into other expressions such as “Dare to think” or “Dare to be wise.”
The origin of this phrase can be traced back to the Roman poet and writer Horace (65 BCE – 8 BCE) in his book “Epistles.” This phrase is directly associated with the Enlightenment era, and it became well-known and widely spread after Kant used it in his famous essay published in 1784. Kant made “Dare to Know” the motto of the Enlightenment era, using it to develop his theories that aimed to apply the capabilities of reason in public affairs and human affairs.
Throughout history, mature rational thinking has provided the possibility of balance for humanity. It has left us with the task of thinking with our minds. We seek evidence, doubt, discuss, and convince ourselves. We review statements to believe, and we strive to interpret the accumulated knowledge that our ancestors did not possess.
Reason and thinking are the miracles of creation within us. So, how do some people try to eliminate them and prohibit their use out of fear for the preservation of customs, religion, and the beliefs of the past? As if God needs protection from those who think. And how do some try to eliminate them to maintain power, economic status, or political situation, as if the nation is exclusive to a particular group?
Awareness, gentlemen, is a mental state through which we perceive the reality and the facts happening around us, by connecting with the environment in which we live and interacting with it, thus providing us with opportunities for choice.
The ability to choose is the topic of the hour and the subject of the future. We can turn every opportunity before us into a problem and crisis, or we can see and discover in every crisis we face new opportunities that can be utilized for development. It depends on our awareness of all aspects of matters and our approach to the reality that presents multiple opportunities to transition into a new era.
The ability to make the right and best choices, which consider the authentic values that should be integrated into the conscience of the individual, the family, and the entire society, stems from the gateway of knowledge and the use of reason and the scientific approach in thinking.
This is the meaning of this article: to dare to think freely without fear, and to engage in dialogues about our thoughts without intimidation, as long as we respect differences and refrain from judging or accusing others simply because they are different.
Courage in thinking and expression is the essence of my words, as I see the best in people and I am not afraid to share my ideas through words, writing, and conversations. I am not afraid of different opinions or changing my mind when I find logical arguments based on convincing evidence.
The question I ask myself is: Can the Egyptian people achieve better governance in politics, economy, and finance? The answer is yes, as Egypt is filled with qualified individuals and capabilities, and we can strive for the best.
Can society have access to education, healthcare, transportation, and all services of high quality? The answer is also yes, as financial social assistance has no value without high-quality education and healthcare that do not burden citizens.
It is not just about spending money or increasing salaries for government employees, who are not the majority (around 5 million out of 25 million workers). It is about rights that we should provide for everyone.
Have we been affected by price increases and job scarcity? Yes.
Were the major projects that were initiated sufficient to drive development after almost complete halt? My answer is no. They were not sufficient due to shifting priorities and inefficiency in spending.
However, based on my experience, I know that the post-crisis and post-war phase carries challenges.
I also recognize the many challenges we face, the accumulation of negatives, and the emergence of new negatives. And I realize that raising the standard of living for a wide sector of citizens depends on an interconnected system of reforms, as well as sustained high growth rates for many years, which does not happen automatically due to citizen rebellion and anger, but rather through planning and working towards it.
And the question, why am I not angry with the angry people now, which I clearly feel in the streets and among all social classes, and whoever doesn’t see it is blind to the truth? Why don’t we get rid of the government and show them that the people are capable of that and start anew?
The Egyptian people have done that twice in five years. Once in 2011, and the army rushed to support them and got rid of Mubarak’s rule, leading the society to parliamentary and presidential elections, and bringing the Muslim Brotherhood from prisons to seats of power.
But as things worsen, services deteriorate, the country’s borders are violated, people’s freedoms are restricted, and Egypt becomes hostage to one group, excluding everyone else in the face of the Brotherhood’s monopolistic desires and political orientation.
Within a year, the Constitutional Court was besieged to prevent its meetings, and the Media Production City was besieged to suppress opinions and their expression. The president granted himself immunity for his decisions, and the judiciary, media, police, army, and all citizens who do not belong to their group were prepared against. We witnessed the killing of Sadat in the October Victory celebrations, and governors who committed terrorist crimes were appointed and sat in positions of power. Angry protests besieged the Union, and hordes of the Brotherhood attacked them savagely. We witnessed the prelude to a religious dictatorial rule that does not align with the dreams of the people.
Meanwhile, the prices continued to rise, and electricity was cut off. The infrastructure was torn apart, roads were broken, and services rapidly deteriorated.
The people decided to change once again and initiated a peaceful popular revolution against the Muslim Brotherhood. Their army was called upon once again on June 30 in a historic precedent.
And now, I see tendencies towards calling the masses to chaos once again.
Let us contemplate this time and ask ourselves before participating in the destruction of our nation, above everyone’s heads, what will we gain from another chaos or even a revolution? Are there economic solutions proposed within a new political framework that will suddenly change the situation? Or is it merely a desire for destruction and sometimes revenge? If those who call for chaos have solutions, then let us hear and understand them before allowing the destruction of everything.
Will the protests, chaos, and price disturbances decrease, or will they bring us the misfortunes we have seen before?
Will investments increase and services improve simply by demolishing what we have, or will we be further and further away from the possibility of that?
This time, we will not escape the fate of Syria, Libya, Iraq, and Yemen. We will not have the ability to endure new gaps in the economy, labor, and services. The presence of Eastern and Western armies and militias will only mark the beginning of a reality we still witness in beautiful countries filled with competencies and capabilities that have been unable to prevent the slide towards the abyss of civil wars and destruction.
The best for my country is to propose alternatives and work, work, work, and dare to think and speak.
The most successful for my country is to maintain stability that comes with movement, not stagnation, without compromising on improving the efficiency of the government and institutions.
The most valuable for my country is to contribute with my work, rather than allowing the ignorant to kill my job opportunities and terminate them.
Yes, we want more, and this is our right.
Yes, we acknowledge the shortcomings in performance, and this is our duty.
But the great Egyptian people have learned a lot in recent years. We must build upon what has been achieved, not on the ruins we destroy.
Despite my occasional anger and frustration and my observation of the failure to implement the constitution or even agreed-upon economic policies, I will stand against chaos and support my country, my parliament, and my government to make them better.
However, the parliament must truly represent the people, and the government should be held accountable if it continues to repeat the same mistakes while expecting different results.
After calling for daring thinking, I now call for freedom of speech and expressing opinions. I will always voice my opinion freely, and I will give the president and his new government the opportunity to change course and implement what they declare.
I am a positive and independent-minded person, and I will always support my state and my homeland, especially in times of crisis.
I will hold the government and the president accountable for what the constitution grants me in terms of freedoms of choice and the means provided by the law.
This is my choice, and it is up to society to dare to think, initiate, express opinions, and build, not destroy.
Long live Egypt.
