Humanity Challenges Man… in the Drama “The Man Who Knew Infinity”

Wael Al-Kurdi

During the days of World War I, in the biographical drama film The Man Who Knew Infinity, the world took notice of the genius and brilliance of the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan and his groundbreaking scientific achievements. However, there was another equally significant aspect highlighted in the film: the stance of Professor G.H. Hardy, a prominent mathematician at Trinity College, in his defiance of rigid academic traditions. He stood against the overwhelming tide of racism directed at non-Europeans in Britain at the time, championing Ramanujan’s rightful place in academia. Against all odds, Hardy succeeded in securing Ramanujan a Fellowship of the Royal Society and later, a membership at Trinity College, allowing him to walk on the institution’s prestigious green lawn alongside its greatest scholars—something that had once seemed utterly impossible.

This struggle was evident from the very first moment Hardy received Ramanujan’s letter. It continued through their collaboration, with moments of both attraction and friction, and culminated in the emotional farewell when Hardy embraced Ramanujan as he returned to Madras, India. Hardy later confessed to himself that his relationship with Ramanujan had been the only true romantic experience of his life. The ultimate moment of truth came when Hardy delivered a deeply emotional speech at Trinity College during Ramanujan’s memorial. Overwhelmed by grief, he expressed his profound pride in having worked alongside the Indian genius, stating that, out of all the scholars, he was the one privileged to have been Ramanujan’s collaborator.

This illustrates how opposites always exist in everything. Often, the strongest resistance to oppressive forces emerges from within those very forces. The tide of humanity, driven by the power of natural reason and brilliant logical thought, prevents a person from blindly succumbing to the injustice imposed by their own society—even if they were raised within it. Did the Prophet Muhammad not say of his people, “I hope that God will bring forth from their descendants those who worship Him alone without associating anything with Him”? Upbringing alone, then, is not the sole compass guiding a person’s life; it is upbringing coupled with the discipline of the will that truly shapes one’s path. Many parents educate their children, but they either neglect—or fail—to cultivate their willpower.

It seems there is a kind of innate enlightenment, an internal conscience of unknown origin, within every human being that directs and disciplines the will toward a certain path. The strength of this enlightenment is determined by one’s closeness to the true sacred—whatever the mind and soul hold as sacred. Professor Hardy was an ardent atheist, yet this intrinsic enlightenment pulsed strongly within him. God was present deep within his soul, though Hardy’s rationalist upbringing, empirical mindset, and the dominance of logical materialism in English thought overshadowed this truth. This created an internal conflict, one that seemed dormant on the surface but raged in secret—a struggle Hardy chose to ignore.

Then, Ramanujan entered his life with his astonishing mathematical genius and ignited a revolt against atheism within Hardy’s soul. Ramanujan claimed that he did not know how the mathematical formulas materialized in his mind; they simply came to him as divine inspiration. He believed that God placed those equations in his consciousness, and that his formulas held no value or truth unless they reflected the idea of God.

Thus, Hardy’s deep attachment to Ramanujan was not just about mathematical brilliance. It was also fueled by the way Ramanujan provoked Hardy’s inner enlightenment, urging him to free his will from the chains of his rigid upbringing. This hidden sacred force within Hardy, awakened by his relationship with Ramanujan, ultimately led him to stand before the Royal Society and declare, while advocating for Ramanujan’s fellowship, that the Indian mathematician had contributed to realizing humanity’s mythical dream of reaching infinity. This revelation turned Ramanujan himself into a purely spiritual phenomenon. Hardy concluded by saying:

“At last, I am certain—we, as mere humans, are in no position to test Ramanujan… let alone God.”

Thus, humanity—or conscience—within man ultimately challenges man himself. It battles his will, keeping him in a state of constant struggle until he perceives the truth within himself and the universe.

So what about us—when God has given us this true sacredness in the form of a book to read with our own hands?

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