Ideas That Helped Mankind
Ideas That Helped Mankind : BERTRAND ARTHUR WILLIAM RUSSELL (1872-1970) A British philosopher historian, mathematician, advocate for social reform, pacifist and a prominent rationalist of the twentieth century was a prolific writer.
He was also a commentator on a large variety of topics. His comments on sex, marriage, politics, religion, science, psychology, philosophy, socialism, education Christ mars, Buddha and a host of other topics are pithy and full of fairness.
In 1950,Russell was awarded the Nobel prize in literature in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought.
‘ As one of the world’s best-known intellectuals, Russell’s voice carried great moral authority. He was original and provocative in his attitude and clear and forceful in his style. His writing emphasizes reason, intelligence, human happiness, peace and liberty.
His major works include A history of western philosophy, Human Knowledge: Its scope and limits, authority and the individual, Has man a fact and fiction, My philosophical Development, conquest of happiest , Marriage and Morals roads to freedom , In praise of idleness, why I am not a Christian.
Ideas That Helped Mankind EXPLANATION IN ENGLISH
The British philosopher, Bertrand Russell examines a few ideas to see which of them helped mankind.
Numbers
Russell has no doubt that the increase in human population has helped mankind. Long age Homo sapiens lived in caves. They were scared of wild animals. Unlike monkeys, they had no fur or hair to protect their bodies from cold. They had to move from place to place in search of food.
At that time their higher intelligence could not outweigh these disadvantages. Their number was small. Later they made use of their technique and skill to increase their numbers. Decidedly, this helped mankind.
Unlike animals
Humans have grown less and less like animals particularly in two respects. First, in acquired rather than in congenital skills. Secondly, in domination of thought over impulse.
Animals and humans suffer from calamities. Whereas humans remember the causes of their sufferings, and take measures to overcome similar calamities in future, animals forget them, and they can suffer from them again. But this makes humans less happy.
They keep worrying and suffer from forethought than by actual misfortune. Even those who have secure income are not free from the pain of the thought of what might happen in future. This is the result of curbing the impulse that leads to forethought.
Diversity of enjoyment
Humans have the ability of diversity of enjoyment that animals lack lions in captivity were shown a movie of successful depredations of lions in the wild. The lions did not get any pleasure from that scene. Animals get no pleasure out of music, poetry, science, etc.
It is intelligence that helps humans to get such a great variety of enjoyment. But this ability comes from animals because humans know much more than animals.
Has civilization taught us to be friendlier?
Human beings are more friendly to one another than any other species within a herd. They look after their old and sick. In this respect, they are more friendly to each other than most species. But they are ferocious to those outside their head.
Their intelligence gives them scope to be more fierce than the most ferocious animals. Maybe in times to come they may learn to be friendly to one and all.
According to Russell ideas that helped mankind can be divided into two categories:
1. Those that contributed to knowledge and technique.
2. Those that are concerned with morals and politics.
Ideas That Helped Mankind
Development of language
Language evolved gradually. But it was a great step to help mankind because it helped to hand on discoveries and inventions from generation to generation.
Then developed the art of writing. It also developed gradually. At first pictures were used to convey a message. From picture to syllable writing and then to the alphabet was a slow and gradual process. In China the writing of the alphabet was never invented.
Fire
Use of fire was a great step that helped mankind. Probably, in the beginning, fire was by our ancestors to keep wild animals away. But they also found its warmth agreeable. It is being used for cooking food.
The discovery of use of fire for cooking might have been by accident. Someone might have thrown a piece of meat into the fire by chance. When it was taken out, it must have tasted better. So fire came to be used for cooking food.
Taming of animals
Taming of animals, especially the taming of cows and sheep has helped mankind. Some anthropologists believe that the utility of domestic animals was not foreseen. Tribes kept animals that they worshipped. Those who worshipped cows and sheep prospered.
Invention of agriculture
Invention of agriculture was a very important step. But it also involved fertility rites requiring human sacrifice. Children were sacrificed to Moloch, to have a good harvest. But slowly, the practice was given up because corn can grow without sacrificing children.
Referring to sacrificing children Russell that in the early years of industrialization, very small children were employed in the production of cotton goods. Most of those children used to die. Now children are not employed.
It took centuries to discover that crops would grow without sacrificing children; but it took only a century to discover that cotton goods could be produced without employing children. It indicates that there has been some progress.
Question & Answer Ideas That Helped Mankind
Q. 1 Has civilization taught us to be more friendly towards one another?
Ans.- Yes, civilization has taught us to be more friendly towards one another. Birds do not treat their elders as human beings do to their elders providing old age pension.
Q. 2 What is our attitude towards those ‘out-side our herd’?
Ans.- our attitude towards those ‘out-side our herd, in spite of all that has been done by moralists and religious teachers, our intelligence enables us to give them a scope which is denied to even the most savage beast.
Q. 3 What are the two broad categories of ideas that have helped mankind?
Ans.- Two broad categories of ideas that have helped mankind are those that contribute to knowledge and technique, and those that are concerned with moral and politics.
Q. 4 Did language play a role in human development?
Ans.- Yes, language played a prominent role in human development. At what stage language began is not known, but we may be pretty certain that it began very gradually.
Without it, it would have been very difficult to hand on from generation to generation the inventions and discoveries that were gradually made.
Q. 5 How many languages do you know apart from your mother tongue? How it helped you in any way?
Ans.- I know some other languages apart from my mother language like English, Sanskrit, Urdu etc. Yes, It has helped me in many ways such as to contact another person who does not know our mother tongue and we use English to express our feelings. English is widely spoken all over the world.
Objective Questions Ideas That Helped Mankind
1. Ideas that have helped mankind’ is written by……….
(a) Zakir Hussain
(b) M.K Gandhi
(c) Bertrand Russell
(d) Martin Luther King
2. Civilization taught us……………
(a) to be cruel
(b) to be human
(c) to be violent
(d) to be uncivilized
3. Bertrand Russell was a philosopher and a……………………
(a) historian
(b) writer
(b) politician
(d) singer
4. ………………was also a commentator on a large variety of topics:
(a) Zakir Hussain
(b) M.K Gandhi
(c) Bertrand Russell
(d) Martin Luther King
5. Bertrand Russell was …………..
(a) American Philosopher
(b) Indian philosopher
(c) British philosopher
(d) African philosopher
6. Birds die of hunger in large numbers……
(a) during summer
(b) during rain
(c) during winter
(d) during autumn
7. During summer birds……….
(a) remember this catastrophe
(b) forget this catastrophe
(c) fear from this
(d) enjoy it
8. We are able to get variety of enjoyment due to………….
(a) our physical strength
(b) our riches
(c) our intelligence
(d) our love
9. Survival for homo sapiens primarily was………..
(a) a problem
(b) not a problem
(c) easy
(d) very easy
10. The taming of domestic animals made life…………
(a) pleasant
(b) fearful
(c) harmful
(d) tough
Ideas That Helped Mankind
11. The invention of………………..was more important than domestication of animals.
(a) agriculture
(b) weapons
(c) vehicle
(d) love
12. Animals get pleasure from………….
(a) music
(b) football
(c) cricket
(d) none
13. After language the second most important thing which helped mankind was……..
(a) gold
(b) silver
(c) fire
(d) love
14. A History of Western Philosophy, Human Knowledge, Why I am not Christian is written by…..
(a) Bertrand Russell
(b) Shiga Noaya
(c) John Donne
(d) Johnson
15. Bertrand Russell was……………
(a) historian & mathematician
(b)writer
(c) politician
(d) singer
16. Bertrand Russell got the Nobel Prize in……….
(a) 1845
(b) 1945
(c) 1950
(d) 1956
17. Russell was awarded Nobel Prize for…………
(a) philosophy
(b) literature
(c) medicine
(d) teaching
18. Bertrand Russell was born in……….
(a) 1872
(b) 1870
(c) 1880
(d) 1886
19. Bertrand Russell died in………….
(a) 1960
(b) 1980
(c) 1970
(d) 1977
20. In……. the last step (alphabet ) was never taken.
(a) India
(b) China
(c) America
(d) Britain
21. …… would not help the corn to grow unless he was allowed to feast on the blood of children.
(a) Toloch
(b) Moloch
(c) Noloch
(d) Boloch
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