Faculty of Intellect & Inner Conscience

Faculty of intellect and inner conscience are two inseparable components of human essence. In fact men are born with these two components that distinguish them from that of animal. Malfunctioned or the separation of either of these two components would resulted for men to be to the extreme most of to the lowest most as then they would be worse than that of animal, “bal hum adhal” as being mentioned in the Holy Quran.

Men are born with the faculty of intellect. It is not to be seen as a material-physical structure in human being. Not as what we see in hands, legs, mouth and even brain itself. Faculty of intellect is somewhat an inner-side of human being. It is spiritual in nature that can only functioned by the will of one who possess it and not by others.

Ibnu Khaldun divided faculty of intellect into three divisions that are; discerning intellect, experimental intellect and speculative intellect. Oneself to get his faculty of intellect functioning will go through the three divisions above. Being able to perceive whatever he touch, see, taste, hear and smell through the five senses and to be able to tell what it is through thinking is a level of discerning intellect. While for being able to discover facts and define what is life through experimenting the events of life is the level of experimental intellect. And by speculating the events that has, currently and will happen in the life in order to find reasons, causes and effects of it in search of what, why and how is actually our life is the level of speculative intellect.

Here is when we can see at the importance of faculty of intellect for a human. Without which, men are nothing but a piece of crap lying dead. Even nothing compared to animal or even worse. Through the exercise of a functioning faculty of intellect, men would think before acting, acted with reasons and causes, ready to face consequences with responsibility and even more important, they acted on what they believed in. They acted with principle.

The emergence of the BERSIH rally, HINDRAF demonstration and the BAR Council march last year shown that these people wants explanations of what have happened in the current Malaysian socio-political scenario. Why? Because people wants reason and causes why did there exist complaints on mal-practice of the Election Commission in the general election. People wants to know why do there exist allegation of the non-independency of the Malaysian judiciary? People want to know why is there an imbalance of the distribution of wealth in Malaysia? These questions arose out of the practice of the faculty of intellect that cannot just accept happenings around them without justifying them.

Thus, this brought us to the second, not less important components of human being that is inner conscience. Why does inner conscience exist? What is inner conscience? It is an even more complex spiritual element of human being. If we could say that it is the brain where the faculty of intellect is being processed but where does inner conscience takes place? Is it our heart where the inner conscience being processed?

It is our inner conscience that tells us what to do, what to search and what to be aim for in our life. It is our inner-conscience that guides us to have perception in our life and through that build a principle out of it to be followed. Muslim believed that it is the “fitrah” that is the original state of men that ask and search for what life is. People in their life would act through what they believe that is best for him. Socrates told us “he who knows right will act right”. Which shows that people will acted what they perceive is right and is best for them.

Nevertheless, what being perceives as right would differ greatly from one another. Some will believe that to do justice, everything must follow according to the laws. But there are also that believe that justice is the end result and thus everything must be done to achive it.

We can see the difference in the case of Ooi Khean Tong who were being compounded by the DBKL for kissing his girlfriend in the public at KLCC Park. It is regarded as an immoral act in the public of Malaysia, but there are also that believed that it is not immoral and even so, it is the couple rights to express their feelings. Then, who’s moral is actually right? The public or the couple’s? What if this happens in somewhere else in the world for instance France, USA or other Western state? Isn’t it being seen as normal?

These all shows how justice is being perceived from different angle according to the locality where the event takes place. Polemarchus has a point when he says that justice is to give what is proper for him. Even so, we can see some similarities with the definition of justice in Islam that is to put things on its rightful place.

Then, Plato also might be right to say that justice is part of human, it is the human’s virtue. Because, our inner conscience that tells us what is right and what is wrong? How do we tell? It is through the answer that we get when we ask about our life. Big and many questions will lead us to know more answer and more about life.

Our inner conscience is guided to learn the answer of life. Inner conscience is often also being guided by the principle that being build through the life that been walked. Inner conscience and faculty of intellect acted as a check and balance for each other.

Let us see the position that Prof. Hart took in interpreting the legality of a law. For him morality has no connection or whatsoever to laws. Thus, morality should not be the basis, not to be a source and not to be imposed through laws. As how, Prof. Hart ruled that the Nazi’s law are legitimate although it opposed the value of morality. The stand that he took as a positivist has shown to us the imbalance of the two components of human essence. This is what would resulted when faculty of intellect is not guided with inner conscience.

As also, we must see the other ways. For example the suicide bombers that often are being related to the Muslim terrorist. They bombed the public to show their resistance and their opposition. Is this legal? Is this right? For them, they may have exhausted of choices and that may be the last resort. Thus, they claim that as one of their “jihad”. We can see how they perceive what is moral for them guided by their principle that they believed founded in the religion. Although for them it is noble, but is the disastrous effect of their act can justify it when it kills innocent people? It is a condemn act that is only lead by inner conscience that build their strong emotion towards their act. By believing that it is God’s will, they acted upon it. But, where does the faculty of intellect being placed in this act of theirs?

Then, what are justice and what is morality would bring us back to the root again. The balance of the inseparable components of human essence. This faculty of intellect and inner conscience will guide each other in leading us to think and feel what our act would be.

Through these we will be able to differentiate and define what is good and what is bad? What is right and what is wrong? What is the truth what is it that will locked us in the ignorance of life. Socrates invitation for us to fist knows our own self would get us started. Know thy self, thus thy will know life.