Science and Human Happiness
Introduction: Modern science has been considered a boon on mankind, because it has opened our eyes and has removed the darkness of ignorance which always led us on the wrong track.
Science has removed the age-old ideas and superstitions and has taught us how to look at things scientifically. It has taught superstitions are all wrong because it was not supported by scientific argument and observation. People in the past believed that the earth was static and the sun and the other planets revolved round it. But later scientists proved that the earth and other planets move around the sun. In this way science has brought about a total revolution in human thought and action and has totally changed our lives.
Contribution of Science in Human Life: Science has invented a number of things for for human-beings. These scientific inventions have made our lives comfortable. Today we are using electric-lights instead of candles. We are using motor-cars, fan, television, radio, air-conditioner, refrigerator, washing machine, and many other things.
Science has also invented computers, smartphones, emails and internet which have made our work very easy and comfortable. Today everything is done by the machine and man has to simply sit at home and enjoy all these facilities.
Comfort is not happiness: Happiness is a state of mind. Science has not made us happy and cannot bring happiness to us because happiness is not the same thing as comfort or luxury.
Rather the things that we are using have made us idle, dependent and mechanical. Today we are not able to do anything without science. We made the machines to serve us, but now we have become slaves to the machine and this adds to our unhappiness. Today cooking is impossible without a gas cylinder and we have no other alternative when it is exhausted or out of stock.
Thus what we find today is that life is becoming more and more mechanical in this age of science and we sincerely feel as if we are going to be strangulated by these machines. We feel that we should go back to the time when science was not there and we led a life quite independent of other things.
Dangers of Science: Again there are other things that make us more and more unhappy day by day. These include the atom bombs, the hydrogen bombs and other dangers that threaten the safety and security of our life. This is because of the misuse of science.
Conclusion: The scientific powers should be properly used in the service of humanity. Scientists should aim at inventing things that would make life smooth and safe.
Science makes human-life easier and comfortable. However, it also exposes mankind to certain risks. Happiness is an inner-feeling of pleasant emotions. Scientific discoveries should be based on humanitarian objectives.
