What I Require From Life? by J.B.S. Haldane (Summary, Main Points, Analysis, Question-Answers)- Grade 11

 

Summary 

Witten by J.B.S. Haldane, in the essay entitled 'What I Require from Life', talks about the socialistic convictions seeking works places where the workers can have a democratic environment. It has been written in a very simple and clear form that readers can get the real purpose of his writing, which is to uplift the working class.

At the beginning of the essay, Haldane states that he is required to accept the universe as it is. He illustrates four requirements of the human being that are exciting work, good health, friendship, and freedom. 

Haldane shows the connection of his individual necessities with the hopes for the rest of the human beings. He is against capitalism and the bourgeois capitalists because they only think about enrich themselves and do not think about the workers, especially in times of economic depression, which will leave them jobless. For this reason, he raises the voice in favor of workers. According to him, workers should control their conditions of work they can enjoy their democratic workplace. He objects the sex subjection with the view that both men and women should get equal economic benefits.

The descriptive essay eventually bears an argument of the politics. Freedom has been described as a global need, instead of personal preference. He claims for unity in the society, which should move ahead being organized to experience freedom to all the members of the society. To achieve equality, a sense of freedom, and peace in society, socialism is required in the view of the writer.

Capitalism

Main Points

The writer:

·        wants to see his friends happy with their requirements

·         wants to see healthy people at work in the entire world

·         wants to see all the friends working for them not to enrich the capitalists

·         wants to see all the workers controlling the industry

·         wants to see the end the class subjection and sex subjection

·         wants to see equality among people for union

·         wants to see all the workers in powers

·         wants to see the end of fascism

·         wants to see the education and scientific methods in all branches of life

Four General Human Needs

·         Work

·         Freedom of speech

·         Health

·         Friend

Capitalism: an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. 

Socialism: a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

Fascism: some people describe it as a type or set of political actions, a political philosophy, or a mass movement. Most definitions agree that fascism is authoritarian and promotes nationalism at all costs.

Answer the following questions.

 

a. How does the writer distinguish between a peaceful age and a heroic age?

 The writer distinguishes between a period of peace and a period of heroism:

 Peaceful age: the moment of birth

Heroic age: his youth

Even though he wanted to live in peace, he involves in the heroic war in his early twenties.

 

b. Why does the writer want more freedom of speech than most people?

 Because he wants to point out and write about the people and institutions that are very precarious.  He wants to write down his opinion against the capitalists who have full control of all the industries. He wants to write his protesting ideas and talk about them.

 

c. According to the writer, what are the four general human needs?

 The writer mentions work, freedom of speech, health, and friend as four general human needs.

 

d. What is the difference between desire and demand according to the writer?

The author differentiates desire and demand with a perspective that desire is a simple wish for a person to have an exact advantage in life, and demand is a desire that is specifically supported by the ability and enthusiasm to pay for a specific good.

 

e. Why does the writer demand security?

Because: the safety of life is more significant than any other aspect. The safety of life is the chief aspect while other necessities are secondary. During the toughest time of war, the author claims the security of life because if it is confirmed, all the doors of life are open.  

Explain the following lines with reference to the context:

 a.      “The satisfaction of adventure is something much more solid than a thrill.”

 Adventure is not only about emotions, but also about satisfaction in performing creative activities. Even after serving in a war for six months, he finds the thrill in reading Rambud's poetry for a thrill.

 

b.      “I want the workers to see the fruit of their own work not in profits for others, but in their own and their friends’ well-being.”

 Being a socialist, he is on behalf of the workers and opines that he wants to see that the workers do not work for the capitalists, but they work to enrich themselves.

 

c.    C.  Why do you think the essayist has taken reference from the ancient philosophers?

 To make his argument stronger

 

d. Discuss the essay in terms of its language, purpose, subject, point of view, and mode of writing.

Language: simple and lucid to talk about socialism

Purpose: as a sociologist he wants to uplift the lives of working-class people.

Subject: concerning the needs, rights, and classes of people in his presentation of the major subject of life-related requirements.

Point of View: Writer's point of view

Mode: Begins with descriptive mode, but also raises arguments in the second part of the essay