The Value of Dissent Essay for CSS and PMS Aspirants | CSS Essays | PMS Essays | Essays by Sir Syed Kazim Ali
Hamza Obaid has attempted this essay on the given pattern, which Sir Syed Kazim Ali teaches his students, who have consistently been qualifying their CSS and PMS essays. The essay is uploaded to help other competitive aspirants learn and practice how to write a comprehensive outline; how to write bullets in an outline; how to write the introductory paragraph; how to connect sentences and paragraphs; how to write a topic sentence; how to put evidence within the paragraphs.
Outline
1- Introduction
Dissent, and difference of opinion, promote tolerance and freedom of speech in the community, and it helps people scrutinize public laws and revolutionize societies by breaking their shackles of fear, eventually leading to society’s development.
2- Debunking the term
- ✓ What is dissent?
- ✓ Dissent and its importance
3- What is the role of dissent in the progress of society?
- ✓ Paves the way for the intellectual and scientific growth of humanity
- Case in point: Copernicus and Galileo’s dissent against Catholic Church- a base for modern science and astronomy
- ✓ Improves governance through opposition dissent in law-making
- Case in point: Democracies, such as Canada, Croatia encourages debate on policies for better refinement and implementation
- ✓ Revolutionizes societies by breaking their shackles of fear of imperial legislators
- Case in point: India and Pakistan have gained independence by dissenting against the unjust policies of the British government
- ✓ Portrays society as more accepting and easier to live in
- Case in point: Scandinavian countries, such as Norway, Denmark depicts a softer image by accepting dissent
- ✓ Promulgates freedom of speech, strengthens peoples’ government and makes them aware of their rights
- Case in point: Democracy thrives in the presence of freedom of speech.
- ✓ Promotes tolerance necessary for the co-existence of different cultures in society
- ✓ Refuge of the powerless against injustice
- Case in point: Nelson Mandela’s Anti-Apartheid Movement and Martin Luther King Civil Rights Movement
4- Case Study of Muslim Spain and Ancient Spain
6- Critical analysis
7- Conclusion
The degree of dissent- the difference of opinion from those ideas commonly or officially held in society- in a country portrays its image as a soft or hard country on the world canvas. This portrayal has proven to be a pillar on which social and political bases of society stand in this globalized world. For instance, Muslim Spain has been a glaring example of a multicultural society where dissent leads to innovation and better governance, making the then Spain touch the pinnacle of societal and political growth. The example of Spain is enough to understand the importance of dissent for the development of modern society, as the difference of opinion, on the one hand, promotes tolerance and freedom of speech in the community. Further, it also helps people scrutinize public laws and revolutionize societies by breaking their shackles of fear, eventually leading to society’s development. However, in the absence of dissent, a repressive society emerges where there is no space for reason, rationality, and pragmatism. Clearly, without dissent, a country would lack a rational approach and, therefore, cannot prosper and progress. Hence, for the prosperity of society, dissent must be encouraged and accepted. This essay sheds light on why dissent is essential for the progress of society and how the absence of it would lead society towards chaos.
Dissent is a disagreement between a person or group from an existing opinion, belief, or decision. Dissent is the beauty of human nature, as it helps give birth to new and innovative ideas. Moreover, to comprehend the pros and cons of an idea, a healthy debate over it is necessary. As a result, a community grows ten folds where the difference in opinion is appreciated rather than seen as a symbol of disgrace or humiliation. For instance, Europe was in disarray and dissent was seen as a sign of dishonour in Catholic Europe; however, Europe has reached its zenith in modern times because society accepts dissent. Therefore, dissent has proven to be fruitful for the progress of humanity and made society more patient.
It is pertinent to throw light on the role of dissent in the progress of society. To begin with, dissent in society paves the way for intellectual and scientific growth in society. The debate over an existing or new idea is fruitful, providing room for improvement or innovation. For instance, Copernicus and Galileo argued that the universe is heliocentric through experimentation and rational arguments. However, the then Catholics condemned and punished them for their difference of opinion. Nevertheless, their evaluations have proven right and provided the base for modern astronomy and science. Therefore, this example shows that dissent has always played a great role in advancing and improving society.
Additionally, the acceptability of differences of opinion by the opposition in law-making and government decisions has improved governance by leaps and bounds in the modern era. For the flourishment of democracy and betterment of government, dissent between the opposition and government on certain policies is necessary. An example of this can be the democracies of Canada and Croatia, where debate on new laws is encouraged for better refinement of the law. As a result, public interest has been protected through debate, and better implementation of laws is possible for the betterment of society. Therefore, dissent between government and opposition on certain policy-making issues is essential for better governance.
Not only dissent improves governance, but also it breaks the shackles of fear of imperial legislators from the minds of the masses. People start to raise their voices against their imperialistic policies. Moreover, many revolutions begin when people start dissenting from their imposing leaders. A glaring of this is the Indo-Pak revolution of independence. Muslims and Hindus begin to revolt against the British’s commanding policies and share their vision for a separate homeland. This example is enough to understand how dissent shapes individuals’ minds and breaks their manacles of fear. Hence, the difference of opinion is crucial for nurturing of valiant society.
On the one hand, dissent makes people fearless; on the other hand, a dissent-tolerable society depicts a softer image to the world. This is because the globe sees it as more accepting and forward than the one where dissent is frowned upon. For example, all Scandinavians, such as Norway, and Denmark, portray a soft image of themselves around the globe by openly accepting the dissent of media, opposition, or people from other cultures, living there. As a result, they are seen as more open and friendly compared to the countries such as Saudi Arabia, and China, where a difference of opinion from the government is considered a crime and a punishable offence. Therefore, a tolerant society towards dissent depicts a softer and more friendly image to the whole world.
Furthermore, dissent promulgates freedom of speech in society and, eventually, strengthens the government of people in a country. Through the difference of opinion, democracy gets a strong foothold in a state. Moreover, people are more aware of their constitutional rights and are not afraid of anyone. Institutions share their insecurities more openly, and the government has to listen to them for the betterment of society. For instance, in almost all developed countries, strong democracies exist, and these societies are more tolerant towards dissent. They respect the opinion of another person, which leads to the strengthening of the people’s government. Therefore, for the better flourishment of democracy, people must be lenient towards dissent.
Besides the promulgation of freedom of speech, dissent promotes acceptance among people of different cultures to simultaneously live in the same place. A community, tolerable towards differences in opinion, knits individuals of diverse backgrounds into one large family. Moreover, in this globalized world where multicultural societies exist, the acceptability of others’ ideas is vital, as it provides breathing space for all sects, religions, and cultures. Furthermore, people work together for the betterment of society, not just their sect or religion. Thus, for harmony among people of a community with different cultural or religious settings, dissent plays a critical role.
Last but not least, dissent is the last shelter of the powerless. They cannot do anything except raise their voice against the elites. Therefore, the only motive is equality; all people are treated equally irrespective of their colour, creed, or race. In this regard, Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid movement is of great note, eventually bringing justice to South Africa. Similarly, Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement brings equality to society. Therefore, dissent is the last weapon of the weak against the powerful. Hence, dissent must not be down or considered a symbol of disrespect but rather a sign of revolution.
The case of Spain is enough to cement the importance of dissent for a society. In Muslim Spain, people are given religious, social, and political freedom, and every citizen has been given equal rights in the state. As a result, the state has thrived in every possible field, such as science, politics, sociology, and astronomy. People live there as a citizen of the state and give their input in every matter. However, when Christians captured Spain from the Muslims, they imposed their own religion on every citizen and announced punishment for anti-Christ. Consequently, Spain has fallen from its zenith and paid a heavy price by becoming orthodox in every field. Therefore, Spain lost all its glory achieved during the Muslim era. Hence, this shows the importance of dissent for the progress of society in the world.
Critically, dissent plays an important role in the progress and prosperity of multicultural society. It promotes the values of harmony and tolerance among people. However, without dissent, the emergence of a rational and pragmatic society is not possible, as people cannot counter an opposite idea or never accept others’ opinions. Moreover, inter-societal harmony disturbs and shreds into pieces. On the one hand, people fight among themselves, and on the other hand, they can never form a strong polity without dissent. Therefore, dissent plays a vital role in shaping the character of society by making it stronger, tolerable, and livable.
In a nutshell, the value is dissent is unimaginable for the proper upbringing of society. However, it plays an important role in promoting tolerance and harmony among people of different cultural and religious backgrounds. Moreover, it is also necessary for the social and scientific development of the country. Difference of opinion also stabilizes democracy in a country and promotes democratic norms in society. However, the absence of dissent could result in an irrational and unpragmatic society. Therefore, for the progress of society in every field, dissent should be valued society and must not be frowned upon by the people.
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