Literary Vistas:Notes of TY B Com

1. Notes of ThirdYear B.Com 2017
Dr PriyaAdwani
SDJ International College
Surat Page 1
NOTES
Unit I Prose
2: The Scientific point of view
J.B.S.Haldane
Summary
In the view of Haldane, The scientific point of view must come out of the laboratory
and be applied to the events of daily life. The revolutionized industry, agriculture,
war and medicine must be applied to the family, nation and the human race. He says
that science affects us in two ways – we are benefited by its application for example,
using cars, buses and motor vehicles instead of using horse drawn vehicles and for
disease we are going to Doctor instead of going for superstitious things (Witch,
Tallish-man).
The second one is it influences on our opinions, as now everyone believes that the
earth is round and the heavens are nearly empty instead of solid. Haldane says that
the scientist is superior to God as he is ethically neutral; he works out of the
consequences of many actions Haldane says that science attempts to be truthful and
impartial. By comparing scientific point of view with legal point of view, he says
that a judge may only be impartial in giving his judgment between two individuals,
whereas a scientist is impartial not only between people but also about a tape worm
and the solar system. By comparing scientific point of view with God’s view,
Haldane says that scientist simply interprets the consequences of many actions rather
than passing judgments, which is while done by God.
The tendency of average man, as Haldane opines, always dwell on the emotional and
ethical side of an issue rather than on facts. For this first he mentioned the problem
of American Negros. Some Americans believe that Negros is inferior to them and so
should be segregated from them. While some believe that they should enjoy the
same rights like white Americans. But the scientist makes it clear that both these
groups of people are comfortable only in their respective areas and both of them die
of consumption whenever they step into each other’s areas.

2. Notes of ThirdYear B.Com 2017
Dr PriyaAdwani
SDJ International College
Surat Page 2
Haldane remarks that our approach to the problem of disease is even less rational.
He says that the pre-Christians believe that if someone was suffering from any
disease, it was a punishment from some goddess fora sin either by the sick person or
his family or of his whole community. But Haldane makes it clear that civilized and
savage (uncivilized) man, health and sickness are equally parts of nature.
Haldane says that modern medicine has come out with miraculous drugs but it has
become very hard to apply its results in practice. With the example of diabetics
Haldane remarks that diabetes can easily be controlled by injecting insulin, but they
hardly take the suggestions of doctors regarding to take medicine. By taking typhoid
disease as an example, Haldane remarks that the common people always attempt to
‘cure’ from their disease. But Haldane says that a scientist attempts to ‘prevent’ the
disease instead of cure it.
Finally Haldane says that average man and woman should not be guided by false
principles. He concludes that unless and until humans adopt scientific point of view,
the enemies of science can’t be conquered.
Author
J.B.S. Haldane was son of the noted physiologist John Scott Haldane, he began
studying science as assistant to his father at the age of eight and later received formal
education in the classics at Eton College and at New College, Oxford (M.A., 1914).
After World War I he served as a fellow of New College and then taught at the
University of Cambridge (1922–32), the University of California, Berkeley (1932),
and the University of London (1933–57). In the 1930s Haldane became a Marxist.
He possessed a combination of analytic powers, literary abilities, a wide range of
knowledge, and a force of personality that produced numerous discoveries in several
scientific fields and proved stimulating to an entire generation of research workers.
Haldane’s major works include Daedalus (1924), Animal Biology (with British
evolutionist Julian Huxley, 1927), The Inequality of Man (1932), The Causes of
Evolution (1932), The Marxist Philosophy and the Sciences (1938), Science
Advances (1947), and The Biochemistry of Genetics (1954). Selected Genetic
Papers of J.B.S. Haldane, ed. by Krishna R. Dronamraju, was published in 1990.

3. Notes of ThirdYear B.Com 2017
Dr PriyaAdwani
SDJ International College
Surat Page 3
I.Answer the following in one sentence:-
i. Give an example of how science benefits the common men and
women.
Ans. The common men and women are benefited by scientific
applications like usage of cars, buses and motor vehicles instead of
using horse drawn vehicles and for disease we are going to Doctor
instead of going for superstitious things (Witch, Tallish-man).
ii. What will help a scientist to overcome his/her awe for the solar
system?
Ans. Everyone believes that the earth is round and the heavens are
nearly empty instead of solid, this opinion helps his/her awe for
the solar system.
iii. According to the essay, how does a scientist view a disease?
Ans. A scientist view a disease as a part of nature.
iv. According to Haldane, what is the first step in a return to nature?
Ans. According to Haldane, the first step in a return to nature is to
discard clothes.
v. What is the author’s view on the dictum, ‘ live according to nature’?
Ans. Read summary of the lesson.
I. Answer the following in 30-40 words each :-
i. What is the scientific point of view? How does it help us when applied to the
events of daily life?
Ans. In the view of Haldane, The scientific point of view must come out of the
laboratory and be applied to the events of daily life. What has already revolutionized
industry, agriculture, war and medicine must be applied to the family, nation and the
human race. He says that science affects us in two ways – we are benefited by its
application for example, using cars, buses and motor vehicles instead of using horse
drawn vehicles and for disease we are going to Doctor instead of going for
superstitious things (Witch, Tallish-man).

4. Notes of ThirdYear B.Com 2017
Dr PriyaAdwani
SDJ International College
Surat Page 4
ii. Name the two ways in which science affects the average man or woman.
Ans. Same as Ans.(i)
iii. How is science ‘ethically neutral’?
Ans. Haldane says that the scientist is superior to God as he is ethically neutral; he
works out of the consequences of many actions Haldane says that science attempts
to be truthful and impartial. By comparing scientific point of view with legal point
of view, he says that a judge may only be impartial in giving his judgment between
two individuals, whereas a scientist is impartial not only between people but also
about a tape worm and the solar system.
iv. State how the pre-christian attitude to disease is contrasted with that of the
scientist?
Ans. Haldane opines that the pre-Christians believe that if someone was suffering
from any disease, it was a punishment from some goddess for a sin either by the sick
person or his family or of his whole community. But Haldane makes it clear that
civilized and savage (uncivilized) man, health and sickness are equally parts of
nature.
v. What are the important causes which help civilized humans to live longer than the
uncivilized ones?
Ans. Same as above.
vi. Why does the author feel that the discovery of drugs does not protect people very
much?
Ans. Haldane says that modern medicine has come out with miraculous drugs but it
has become very hard to apply its results in practice. With the example of diabetics
Haldane remarks that diabetes can easily be controlled by injecting insulin, but they
hardly take the suggestions of doctors regarding to take medicine. By taking typhoid
disease as an example, Haldane remarks that the common people always attempt to
‘cure’ from their disease. But Haldane says that a scientist attempts to ‘prevent’ the
disease instead of cure it.
vii. Who are the real enemies of man and how are they to be conquered?
Ans. Ignorance and unscientific thinking are the real enemies of man. He concludes
that unless and until humans adopt scientific point of view, the enemies of science
can’t be conquered

5. Notes of ThirdYear B.Com 2017
Dr PriyaAdwani
SDJ International College
Surat Page 5
II. Answer the following in 150 words each :-
i. Explain why Haldane thinks that the scientific point of view has definite
advantages for civilization?
Ans. Science influences the average man in two ways- its practical applications are
useful to man and it affects his opinions also. One of science’s main contributions to
common man was its presenting man with a scientific point of view. Science
continuously tells us we should give up smoking and consumption of liquor, and
adopt walking and swimming daily activities to remain healthy. Once we viewed
these warnings skeptically, but we now have begun to understand that there is sense
and logic in these warnings. That is science’s contribution, creating this awareness
and consciousness of health. The average man is attracted by the emotional and
ethical aspects of a problem, not by the facts, whereas a scientist considers only the
facts. A scientific point of view places everything and everyone on the same
emotional level which is impartial and truthful. Because of this equalization in
emotional levels, scientific point of view can be called the God’s eye-view. A good
scientist will, like God, view and examine things impartially and truthfully, and will
not have emotional considerations and pass judgments. Even though the enemies of
science wish science to do both, and abuse scientists for being deaf to moral
considerations, a scientist will remain such impartial that Mr. John, Mr. Chang, Mr.
Smith, the Tape Worm and the Solar System will be equal to him. A scientific point
of view enables people also to adopt the same view of an impartial scientist, in
analyzing things of importance to him.
ii. How has development in the science of medicine helped civilisation?
Ans. Preventive medicine could be made into moral equivalent of war. Adopting the
scientific point of view helps solve the problem of diseases. For ages, and even now,
common people think that diseases are caused by the Sin of man. But now, thanks to
science, more people know that diseases are caused by the attack of foreign
organisms known as microbes. By studying microbes with a scientific point of view,
preventive medicines can be developed against diseases. The moral use of war is its
teaching people lessons fast. Scientific point of view also teaches people lessons
equally fast. That is why J.B.S.Haldane theorizes that scientific point of view is the
moral equivalent of war. It teaches people lessons as fast as war. Knowledge of
biological facts helps people prevent diseases. Diseases are manifestations of
nature’s laws. By knowing about these laws, people can cure or prevent these
diseases. The only problem remains is, people not being punctual and regular in

6. Notes of ThirdYear B.Com 2017
Dr PriyaAdwani
SDJ International College
Surat Page 6
administration of their prescribed medicines. Attitudes like this are such common
that discovery of insulin has not helped reduce the death rate of diabetic patients in
England and elsewhere, for medicines and their usage do not still have a scientific
basis among people. It is a paradox that ‘the study of medicine, apart from its
scientific basis, has created more neurotics than scientists,’ Haldane observes.
TEACHINGS OF LESSON
Average man and woman should not be guided by false principles. Unless and
until humans adopt scientific point of view, the enemies of science can’t be
conquered.