Has Science Civilized Us? This is the question being asked by every other intellectual but nobody knows to whom. Some say we the people on the earth have attained a fair degree of civilization, whereas some of them contradict that science has not played a constructive role to make us civilized or in other words, we have not used the science in such a way that can help us to feel civilized. Earth is only one known planet that has an existence of life. With the start of industrialization, the urbanization has become ill-creased. It has resulted in global warming, ill pollution, and life threat for all the creatures. Men have become sufferers of isolation. Being a developing country, India is experiencing the outcomes of urbanization. The people of Indus Valley Civilization were very much thoughtful towards the surroundings. Advancements in science have failed to civilize us.
Contemporary age is a scientific age. Newer inventions are made every day. All that man uses have been provided by science. He just cannot survive without science for one single day. The science has provided eyes to the blind ones and ears to the deaf ones. It has helped man to take off into the skies like birds. This has attained marvels. Let us discuss a number of significant effects on the human civilization.
- Age of Indus Valley Civilization: We have improved a lot since the early days of Indus Valley Civilization. Certainly, we become scientifically superior to our predecessors. We have, however, become more civilized than primitive inhabitants of the earth. Observing the current socioeconomic environment, we are forced to think about the question that has science really civilized us?
- Architectural Layout and Planning: During the primaeval times, the natural forces were valued by the man. However, the Indus Valley Civilization had an exclusive architectural layout and planning. The homes were planned well with a fine drainage system that was linked with the main sewer. The drainages were covered up with the slabs.
- Everyday Life: People were modest and reliable. A birth or marriage in the family was evaluated as a moment of celebration for the entire village. Trees were valued and they were not allowed to cut down. The income source mainly was agrarian, natural fertilizers were utilized in farms and rivers were held in the reverence. Although the rivers got polluted, they were capable to restore themselves before the water reached to the other community. The rate of crime was lower because every person was busy working in the agriculture family business.
Time after the Industrial Revolution in the 18th Century
- Pollution: During the 18th century, the industrial revolution had happened in England. With the beginning of industrialization, urbanization has started. The migration of rural people towards towns, looking for better employment options, had created disproportion. A lot of people still survive in depressing slum conditions where they are having no way into hygiene, sanitation, and potable water. The towns and cities have increased beyond their capability without suitable planning. The water, air, and land have become contaminated. The water and land are choked because of industrial dirt, wastes, and household garbage. Therefore, the pollution has turned out to be a big problem.
- Global Warming: The gases and smoke, emitted by industries and vehicles, have converted the world into a gas chamber. The gases are sourcing pollution and global warming. The outcome of global warming might indicate ice melting in Polar Regions, thus raising water levels of oceans and seas. The low-lying areas might then soak because of an increase in water levels. The experiments have proved that the earth has become warmer compared to last century. The damaging effects of gases have influenced human beings.
- Effects on Developing Countries like India: India, being a developing country, is facing the same problems. The smoke emitted by the industries and vehicles has guided to ruthless atmospheric pollution into Delhi and other regions of the country have also followed the suit. The main water sources are contaminated as untreated industrial sewage and wastes drain into them. Amplified usage of pesticides and fertilizers has contaminated both soil and water. The decreasing forest shield is one more aspect which has been ignored. The nation is already coping with the threat for its tiger assets. Now an increasing number of animal species are being victimized by the human greed.
- Health Problems Due to Industrialization: There is a significant increase in the lung-associated problems, including asthma among the children. The gases are supposed to source cerebral damages in children, during the prenatal stage. Having urbanization, there have been threats to the environmental balance in the world. All the jungles have been removed to create newer residential regions and for the agriculture to give food to the rising population. The wildlife within those regions has reduced drastically as their homes have been ruined and they become cruelly poached. Having the exploitation of fragile food chain, several animals have destroyed.
- The Danger for Existence of Animal Species: The Cheetah of India and Dodo of Mauritius are some examples of destroying species. Lots of animals have become the sufferers of scientific experiments made in laboratories. They become subject of abuse and torture. As the man is making progress, he is deteriorating the value of creatures and his fellow beings.
- Risk of Various Diseases: Having the arrival of monsoon and summer, water-related diseases spread into the country. The badly-maintained water pipes with the insensitivity of the administration are the main reasons for the spreading of these diseases. Open drains and sewers are a common view within India. They become the reproduction ground for all the diseases. Nobody cares about covering the drains. The risk of plague disease in the last few years has not revived the municipal bodies from the sound sleep! Garbage lays everywhere and no work is done to clear that for weeks together. Extensive urbanization has resulted in many diseases like Dermatitis, Asthma, Spondylitis, and many psychiatric and psychological disorders.
- Contemporary Civilization: It is believed that contemporary civilization is scientific civilization. This is true for the material characteristics of civilization and man lives with immense comfort now. He enjoys cinema, television, and radio. He can chat with friends through telephone that is a thousand miles away from him. The science has amplified human comfort and lessened hard work. He no longer has to move with his foot. He can comfortably travel without any tiredness in cars, buses, air-conditioned trains, etc. He no longer needs to bear the hardships of the weather. During the summer season, he can chill in his house using air conditioners and during winter, warm them up with electric heaters. Day or night doesn’t make any difference for him, for nights he can make into days through electric lights!
- Machines, his New Slaves: He no longer needs to toil hard like his uncultured forefathers. Now he doesn’t trail barbarous practice to have slaves. The science has provided him with a new type of slaves, which can do all the hard work. Machines are slaves of contemporary scientific civilization. They do all the jobs for him, whereas he himself behaves like their lord. They chef his food and even dish it up to him. They produce everything which he uses till morning to night.
- The Man has become Selfish: With urbanization, the man has turned into egoistic and self-centred. He lives the life only for himself and as a result, he has turned into secluded in this world. He experiences the spasm of hostility. Contemporary man is full of anguish and it has been erupting of violence around the world. The students’ murder by classmates, cold-blooded killing of aging people and children and lack of concern towards each other is the outcome of unconstrained urbanization.
- Man become Money-Oriented: Eventually, we might state that our progress in the science & technology hasn’t civilized us. On the contrary, we have become money-oriented. Our worry for the objects has amplified and worries for our family and relatives have reduced considerably. We think of ourselves as GOD! Families have become separate and smaller and give importance to objects and money more than our emotions. Life looks to have lost its attraction. We are physically inactive and that has provided an increase of heart-related problems and obesity. Developed countries intimidate developing ones, through exercising their dominance in terms of deadly weapons and wealth.
- The Good Side: Human suffering and pain have been occupied by science. Contemporary civilized men won’t need to bear like their forefathers. Several infections have been under control and the operations may be done without the patient feels pain. Numerous amazing drugs have been found out so man’s life has become much longer and more contented. Man lives with ease likes the master and lord of nature. He has occupied even the outer space, mastered the weather with all the other living organisms. He feels to be very powerful.
- The Bad Side: However, there is one more side of this picture. Science influences only material aspects to make man money-oriented. Television, cinema, radio, and expensive dresses and furniture are symbols of artificial civilization. The civilization has the material and spiritual elements also. Science facilitates the expansion of material aspects plus has no control over spiritual elements.
- The man has become Bankrupt: Science has made the man ethically bankrupt. This has corrupted him. He isn’t inspired by the noble ideas anymore. He considers only about the body, not the soul. Science has converted man into unspiritual. He doesn’t have faith anymore in GOD or religion. He isn’t self-sacrificing and truth-loving anymore. For satisfying his desire and wants, he uses unfair means. Somehow or other, he wishes to have luxuries given to him through science. No ethical considerations control his thoughts or actions.
- Overlook of Art and Literature: The literature and art are important aspects of the civilization; however, science doesn’t do anything to promote them. Somewhat it has undesirable effects on art’s growth. There is a natural opposition between science and art. Science is observation, utility, and experiment, good sense and reason, whereas art is beauty’s worship. This is a motivation. The science has destroyed the imaginative sense of men and made them worshipper of wealth. He now divides and kills the natural objects rather than enjoying their splendor.
- Scientific Innovations: Scientific innovations, including cloning, have provided rise to the fears of human clone development who might spell destiny for the entire civilization. The man has become alienated, callous, and completely irresponsible. The use of any weapons produced by superpowers might bring total destruction to mankind.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, the science has provided man with sheer power; however, it has not amplified his morality or wisdom. It has provided him with the correct usage of weapons. It also has provided him machines; however, machines have now become his masters! Today, the man does not recognize when to heal and when to destroy. He is having atomic energy; however, he does not recognize how to apply it for own prosperity and goodness. Therefore, it is a fact that science hasn’t made us civilized at all!
