What I Require from Life

 3. What I Require From Life

 J. B. S. Haldane (1892-1964)

 Introduction 

This personal essay What I Require From Life has been written by a British-Indian scientist John Burdon Sanderson Haldane. He is known for his work in the study of physiology, genetics, evolutionary  biology, and mathematics. He served in the British Army during World War I. After returning from the war, Haldane began his teaching career at University. 

This essay was initially published in a newspaper named The  Daily Worker in 1940. It has included various political and philosophical views related to the requirements of the people’s life. It has mainly focused on socialistic convictions demanding democratic activities in workplaces. The writer has used very simple and lucid language in his essay. His requirements and experiences of life also resemble the requirements of most of the working-class people of the world. This essay has presented basic and general needs of working-class people to survive in different circumstances properly.

Summary 

J. B. S. Haldane begins the essay with his acceptance of the concept of the world as it is. He doesn’t want to require the impossible things in his life. He says that if he tries to imagine perfect beings in a perfect world, he shall do harm rather than good for others .

He says he was born in a peaceful age.  He wanted to live his life peacefully in his youth but he involved himself in his heroic age as a soldier because of the outbreak of devastating World War 1st during 1914. The World War 1st changed his concept of living. He desired to make his time best through his basic needs as food, water, clothes and shelter in such a situation.

In this essay, the writer has talked about four general human needs which are quite important. They are work, freedom, good health and friendship.

For the writer, Work with a decent wage is important for all. He wants work which is hard but interesting and fruitful. He thinks he is lucky as he can choose his own desirable work in a large extent. He can be a war correspondent, or write children’s stories, or make political speeches if he has time for them despite his scientific work.

The writer wants to enjoy a good deal of his second requirement, freedom. It is very necessary for all. He wants particularly more freedom of speech. He likes to say and write what he thinks about various poisonous aspects.  The law of libel prevents him from doing so.

The writer requires good health to work in life. It enables people to get to everything. He wants to be fit for work and enjoyment in the intervals, and to die when he can´t work any longer.

The writer requires friendship of his colleagues and comrades in scientific and political work. He wants the society of equals who will criticize him, and whom he can criticize. He wants equality for criticism among all people. He requires friendship being away from the concept of obeying and ordering. Without criticism. He finds friendship between rich and poor people very difficult. So, it should be done with same rank of people.

These four things are general human needs.  The writer also demands adventure in his life despite some ricks. For him, love of adventure doesn’t mean love of thrills. The satisfaction of adventure is something much more solid than a thrill.

There are other things that he desires but doesn’t demand. He likes to have a room of his own with some books, a motor- car, a daily bath, a garden, a bathing- pool, a beach, or a river within easy reach. 

The writer thinks of being lucky to get a good deal of work and rest that he wants. But he can’t be happy while his fellows don’t have essential requirements in their life. He wants to see every healthy man and woman on the planet at work. But he finds unemployment everywhere. As a socialist, he wants the workers to see the fruit of their own work as well as their friends´ well- being. The profits  of their work shouldn’t be for others. 

He says he wants to see the workers controlling their conditions of work. As a socialist, he wants industry to be controlled by the workers. Freedom should begin in the workshop. He wants everybody to be healthy with sufficient food, housing and medical benefits of modern technology. He wants to see the end of class subjection and sex subjection. The equality among the people is needed to achieve fraternity. As  economy plays vital role, there should be economic revolution to end the class subjection and sex subjection.

As a socialist, he wants to see everybody enjoying the advantages that he enjoys himself. If he lives to see capitalism overthrown and the workers in power throughout most of Europe, he will die happily. He wants to see the end of fascism which caused world war and lack of peace and security. He realizes that peace and security are rightful aims, and that his own desire for violent adventure is probably just an adaptation to the age in which he lived.  

He desires to see the spread of education and an increasing application of scientific methods in all branches of life. 

Summing up his essay, he requires food, work, liberty, health and friendship. For the society socialism is necessary.