The essay 'What I Require from Life' (1940), first published in The Daily Worker, reflects socialistic convictions demanding democratic activities in work places. The writer wants more freedom of speech than most people. This essay is written in simple and lucid language.
About the author J.S.B. Haldane and the text 'What I Require from Life'
J.S.B. Haldane was a British scientist known
for his work in different fields of science. He left England
in 1956 because of his political (राजनीतिक) beliefs (आस्था) and came to India. He became a naturalized
Indian citizen (A naturalized citizen of a
particular country is someone who has legally become a citizen of that country,
although they were not born there) in 1961.
This essay was published in the year 1940. It
contains various philosophical (दार्शनिक)
and political views relation to requirements (आवश्यकता) of people’s lives. This essay focuses on socialistic (समाजवादी) conventions and democratic (लोकतान्त्रिक) principles in the workplace (कार्यस्थल).
(This is an ideology (विचारधारा) or system based on the collective, public
ownership and control of the resources used to make and distribute
goods or provides services.)
Key points of the essay What I Require from Life
At the start of the essay, Haldane accepts the
reality (वास्तविकता) of the world. He doesn’t think about a
perfect world. He says that, as a youth, he wanted a peaceful (शान्तिपूर्ण) life. But World War First changed
his concept of living peacefully. At that critical juncture (stage समय), he wanted to make his time best by focusing on his basic
needs like food, water, clothes, and shelter.
After this, he talks about the four
basic human needs. These are the things that he also requires.
1. Work
1)
He
wants work, which fetches (provides) a decent (उचित)
salary.
2)
He
thinks himself lucky that he has got the work of his liking.
3)
He says
that if he hadn’t been a scientist, he would have written children’s stories or
would have delivered political speeches.
2. Freedom (स्वतन्त्रता)
1)
He says
that freedom is an essential (महत्वपूर्ण) requirement (आवश्यकता) of
human beings.
2)
He
wants freedom in his work. For him, freedom of speech is the most important.
3)
He also
says that he is constrained (विवश) by law otherwise he would have exposed (उजागर) various ills (bad things) of the society as well as
politics.
3. Health
1)
JBS
Haldane also wants good health in life because good health is the prerequisite (पूर्वशर्त) of happiness and success in
life.
2)
If
people have good health, they will aspire (हौसला राख्नु) for other positive things in life.
3)
Efficient
(कुशल) work is also closely related to good health.
4. Friendship
1)
Haldane
wants sincere (ईमान्दार) friendship of
his colleague (सहकर्मी) and fellows (मित्र).
2)
He wants people of equal standard (स्तर) for friendship. Though he wants a society that encourages (प्रोत्साहन दिनु) criticism (आलोचना), yet
he wants that his friendship should be away from domain (अधिकार-क्षेत्र) of criticism.
Besides these things, he wants certain other things in the essay 'What I Require from Life'
1)
He
wants adventure (साहसिक काम). He
is fully aware (सचेत) that there are a lot of risks involved in an
adventure.
2)
He also
wants books and his room. A car and a beach (समुद्रको किनारा) are within reach.
3)
He
wants that people should earn in commensuration (equivalence) with their
capabilities (क्षमताहरु).
4)
He
believes in socialists’ ideas and therefore wants that workers should control
the industry.
5)
He
wants economic revolution (क्रान्ति) so that class disparity (असमानता) is reduced.
6)
He
wants an end to Fascism (a political system of government led
by a dictator having complete power), which has threatened (जोखिममा पार्नु) world peace.
7) He also wants that education and scientific temper (प्रवृत्ति) should become all-pervasive (व्यापक).