Anwar warns decline in reading and shallow thinking threaten civilisation

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has warned that a decline in reading culture and the rise of superficial thinking in the digital age could jeopardize the very existence of civilisation. In a Facebook post, he shared his reflections on James Marriott's latest book, "The New Dark Ages: The End of Reading and the Dawn of a Post-Literate Society".

The prime minister argued that the risk to civilisation does not arise from a lack of knowledge accessibility - the world now brims with an abundance of information. Instead, the issue lies in a diminishing love and patience for reading, reflection, and critical, in-depth thinking.

Anwar pointed out that while society is flooded with information, it is becoming increasingly impoverished in wisdom. He emphasized that the critical question is not whether humans continue to read, but whether they still desire to think deeply.

Recalling historical events, Anwar noted the immense public outpouring of grief when renowned French writer Victor Hugo passed away in 1885, with an estimated two million people attending his funeral in Paris. A similar scene unfolded when Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky died in 1881, with tens of thousands participating in his funeral procession in Saint Petersburg. These events underscored the profound respect society held for these intellectuals and their profound influence on the collective consciousness.