In a world enamored with the relentless pace of technological advancement, a pervasive belief has taken root: that the natural sciences, with their capacity to harness and transform the physical world, are the sole arbiters of progress. This creed, driven by instrumentalism, celebrates efficiency, utility, and measurable outcomes while relegating disciplines like literature and the human sciences to the margins. However, this paradigm, while undoubtedly powerful, fails to grasp the full breadth of human existence. The natural sciences might illuminate the mechanisms of the universe, but it is literature and the human sciences that give meaning to our place within it.
The contemporary world moves with astonishing speed, propelled by scientific breakthroughs and technological innovations. Yet this acceleration often obscures the void it leaves behind—a void of understanding, of ethics, of purpose. The natural sciences tell us how things work, but they are silent on why they matter. Literature, in its essence, disrupts this silence by engaging with the “whys” of existence. It offers no definitive answers but instead opens spaces for reflection, ambiguity, and the exploration of human experience in all its complexity.
Consider the notion of “use.” The instrumentalist ethos, which pervades the modern mindset, prizes what is quantifiable, what serves an immediate function. By contrast, literature thrives in the realm of the “useless.” A poem does not solve a mathematical equation; a novel does not cure disease. Yet their “uselessness” is precisely their power. In reading Tolstoy, Rumi, or mirza Ghalib , we are not engaging in a transaction but encountering the ineffable. These works draw us into a dialogue with our inner lives, challenging us to confront the intangible aspects of humanity: love, despair, hope, and longing.
The human sciences, including philosophy, history, and sociology, similarly challenge the technocratic view of the world as merely a collection of resources to be manipulated. They reveal the intricate webs of meaning, culture, and relationships that underpin our existence. Without these insights, the very technologies we revere become instruments of alienation. A smartphone, for instance, is a marvel of scientific ingenuity, but its ubiquity has led to a paradoxical isolation. Humans are more connected than ever yet lonelier, reduced to profiles, algorithms, and data points. It is literature, with its emphasis on narrative and the uniqueness of the individual, that resists this reductionism.
Natural sciences are undeniably essential. They have eradicated diseases, extended lifespans, and unveiled the secrets of the cosmos. Yet their triumphs often come with unintended consequences—environmental degradation, ethical dilemmas, and the loss of wonder in the face of commodified knowledge. Here, literature and the human sciences act as correctives. They remind us that progress is not merely about achieving more but about being more—more ethical, more empathetic, more attuned to the sacred mystery of existence.
The humanities, however, are not just about critique. They also offer tools for reimagining the future. Literature, for instance, can cultivate a sense of awe and reverence for the natural world that pure scientific data cannot inspire. Consider the works of Dostoyevsky , Tagore, or Gabriel Garcia marquez : their writings do not merely describe nature but invite us into an intimate relationship with it. This relationality is a bulwark against the technocratic impulse to dominate and exploit.
Philosophy, as a branch of the human sciences, plays a crucial role here. It asks foundational questions about the nature of knowledge, ethics, and existence that the natural sciences often take for granted. The philosophy of science itself demonstrates how scientific paradigms are not neutral but shaped by historical, cultural, and even literary influences. Thomas Kuhn’s concept of paradigm shifts, for instance, owes as much to the narrative structures of literature as to empirical observation.
Finally, let us return to the question of meaning. The natural sciences can illuminate the “what” and “how” of the universe, but it is literature and the human sciences that engage with the “who” and “why.” Who are we in the grand scheme of things? Why do we suffer? Why do we create? These questions cannot be answered in a laboratory but must be lived, imagined, and reimagined through stories, philosophies, and shared human experiences.
In the end, the relationship between literature, natural sciences, and human sciences is not one of competition but complementarity. The natural sciences provide the tools to navigate the physical world, while literature and the human sciences offer the compass to navigate the inner and social worlds. Together, they form the twin pillars of a truly humane civilization—one that values both precision and poetry, efficiency and empathy, knowledge and wisdom.
To privilege one at the expense of the other is to misunderstand the human condition itself. Science and technology may expand the horizons of what is possible, but it is literature and the human sciences that teach us why those horizons matter.
Subzar Ahmad works as Lecturer urdu in the department of school education Jammu & Kashmir. He can be contacted via email at [email protected]
