Scientific temper: Difference between revisions
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Removed wrong and redundant content and also some misleading text. The article previously incorrectly stated that Nehru first used the term rather than saying that he popularized it. I corrected this. I also added Bertrand Russell's quote that explains the term using an example. I also added one of the early definitions of the term from the 19th century. |
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The ''' |
The term '''scientific temper''' is broadly defined as "is a modest open-minded temper—a temper ever ready to welcome new light, new knowledge, new experiments, even when their results are unfavourable to preconceived opinions and long- cherished theories."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Diggle|first=John|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Expositor/rtSzmamY6fQC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=scientific+temper&pg=PA451&printsec=frontcover|title=The Faith of Science|date=1898|publisher=|editor-last=Nicoll|editor-first=W. Robertson|series=The Expositor (Fifth Series)|volume=VII|location=London|pages=451-452|language=en}}</ref> It is a way of life (defined in this context as an individual and social process of thinking and acting) which uses the [[scientific method]] and which may, consequently, include questioning, [[observation|observing]] [[physical body|physical]] [[reality]], [[experiment|testing]], [[hypothesis|hypothesizing]], analyzing, and communicating (not necessarily in that order). Discussion, argument and analysis are vital parts of scientific temper. |
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[[Bertrand Russell]] used the example of [[Albert Einstein]] to explain the meaning of scientific temper:<ref>{{Cite web|last=Russell|first=Bertrand|title=Free Thought and Official Propaganda|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/44932/44932-h/44932-h.htm|access-date=2021-06-05|website=www.gutenberg.org|language=en}}</ref> |
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==Background== |
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"Can the scientific temper and method exist harmoniously , in the same mind , with the religious temper and method?" writes an author in the Tracts of the American Unitarian Association - Issues 71-125 - Page 4 in 1827. The term has been used widely in literature as a simple google books search reveals. Bertrand Russel, for one, suggested in 1922 in his address "Free Thought and Official Propaganda": "My plea throughout this address has been for the spread of the scientific temper, which is an altogether different thing from the knowledge of scientific results. The scientific temper is capable of regenerating mankind and providing an issue for all our troubles." |
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<ref>1</ref> |
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The genesis and development of the idea of the scientific temper is connected to the freethinker movement and even to earlier ideas of the Age of Enlightenment. In one of the examples of later propagation of these ideas could be seen in [[Charles Darwin's]] works when he said, "[F]reedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds, which follows from the advance of science,"<ref>{{cite web|last=Darwin|first=Charles|title=Darwin Correspondence Project|url=http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/entry-12757|work=Darwin, C. R. to Aveling, E. B. 13 Oct 1880|access-date=29 August 2013}}</ref> and by [[Karl Marx]] when he said, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the [[opium of the people]]. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions." |
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{{quote|"We have had in recent years a brilliant example of the scientific temper of mind in the theory of relativity and its reception by the world. Einstein, a German-Swiss-Jew pacifist, was appointed to a research professorship by the German Government in the early days of the war; his predictions were verified by an English expedition which observed the eclipse of 1919, very soon after the armistice. His theory upset the whole theoretical framework of traditional physics; it is almost as damaging to orthodox dynamics as Darwin was to Genesis. Yet physicists everywhere have shown complete readiness to accept his theory as soon as it appeared that the evidence was in its favour. But none of them, least of all Einstein himself, would claim that he has said the last word. He has not built a monument of infallible dogma to stand for all time. There are difficulties he cannot solve; his doctrines will have to be modified in their turn as they have modified Newton’s. This critical undogmatic receptiveness is the true attitude of science." —[[Bertrand Russell]] (1922)}} |
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==History== |
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"scientific temper" as a notion existed for a long time and the origin of the term is unknown. It, most likely, can be found in the literature of the 18th century and the notion was expanded later in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was used as a center thesis of "religious temper" and even "historical temper". |
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[[Jawaharlal Nehru]], the first Prime Minister of independent India, |
"Scientific temper" as a notion existed for a long time, and the origin of the term is unknown. It, most likely, can be found in the literature of the 18th century and the notion was expanded later in the 19th and 20th centuries. Beginning in 1946, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], the first [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] of independent [[India]], popularized the use of the phrase "scientific temper" to further propagate the notion.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mahanti|first1=Subodh|title=A Perspective on Scientific Temper in India|journal=Journal of Scientific Temper|date=2013|volume=1|issue=1|pages=46–62|url=http://op.niscair.res.in/index.php/JST/article/view/1099}}</ref> He gave a descriptive explanation: |
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{{quote|"[What is needed] is the scientific approach, the adventurous and yet critical temper of science, the search for [[truth]] and new [[knowledge]], the refusal to accept anything without testing and trial, the capacity to change previous conclusions in the face of new evidence, the reliance on observed fact and not on pre-conceived [[theory]], the hard discipline of the mind—all this is necessary, not merely for the application of science but for life itself and the solution of its many problems." —[[Jawaharlal Nehru]] (1946) ''[[The Discovery of India]]'', p. 512}} |
{{quote|"[What is needed] is the scientific approach, the adventurous and yet critical temper of science, the search for [[truth]] and new [[knowledge]], the refusal to accept anything without testing and trial, the capacity to change previous conclusions in the face of new evidence, the reliance on observed fact and not on pre-conceived [[theory]], the hard discipline of the mind—all this is necessary, not merely for the application of science but for life itself and the solution of its many problems." —[[Jawaharlal Nehru]] (1946) ''[[The Discovery of India]]'', p. 512}} |
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Nehru wrote that the scientific temper goes beyond the domains to which science is conventionally understood to be limited to, and deals also with the consideration of ultimate purposes, [[aesthetics|beauty]], goodness and truth. He contended that the scientific temper is the opposite of the method of religion, which relies on emotion and intuition and is (mis)applied "to everything in life, even to those things which are capable of intellectual inquiry and observation." While religion tends to close the mind and produce "[[Social tolerance|intolerance]], [[credulity]] and [[superstition]], emotionalism and irrationalism", and "a temper of a dependent, unfree person", a scientific temper "is the temper of a [[freedom|free]] man |
Nehru wrote that the scientific temper goes beyond the domains to which science is conventionally understood to be limited to, and deals also with the consideration of ultimate purposes, [[aesthetics|beauty]], goodness and truth. He contended that the scientific temper is the opposite of the method of religion, which relies on emotion and intuition and is (mis)applied "to everything in life, even to those things which are capable of intellectual inquiry and observation." While religion tends to close the mind and produce "[[Social tolerance|intolerance]], [[credulity]] and [[superstition]], emotionalism and irrationalism", and "a temper of a dependent, unfree person", a scientific temper "is the temper of a [[freedom|free]] man." He also indicated that the scientific temper goes beyond [[objectivity (philosophy)|objectivity]] and fosters creativity and progress. He envisioned that the spread of scientific temper would be accompanied by a shrinking of the domain of [[religion]], and "the exciting adventure of fresh and never ceasing discoveries, of new panoramas opening out and new ways of living, adding to [life's] fullness and ever making it richer and more complete."<ref>{{cite book |first1=Jawaharlal |last=1Nehru |title=The Discovery of India |edition= Centenary |publisher=Oxford: University Press |year=1989 |page=513}}</ref> He also stated, "It is science alone that can solve the problems of [[malnutrition|hunger]] and [[poverty in India|poverty]], of insanitation and [[literacy in India|illiteracy]], of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resources running to waste, of a rich country inhabited by starving people."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kar|first1=Devi|title=THE NEED TO FOSTER A SCIENTIFIC TEMPER|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120821/jsp/opinion/story_15874879.jsp#.VJeYScFcBg|access-date=22 December 2014|work=The Telegraph|date=21 August 2012}}</ref> |
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==Fundamental duty of Indian citizen== |
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The [[Constitution of India]] encourages the citizens of India to have a sense of scientific temper. According to the [[Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties of India|Fundamental Duties]] under Article 51 A(h):<blockquote>It shall be the duty of every citizen of India] To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.<ref>*{{Cite book| title = Introduction to the Constitution of India| last = Basu| first = Durga Das| year = 1993| edition = 15th| place = New Delhi| publisher = [[Prentice Hall|Prentice Hall of India]]| isbn = 81-203-0839-5| page = 131}}</ref></blockquote> |
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==Recognition in India== |
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The first major programme under the [[Government of India]] to popularise scientific temper among the people was the ''Vigyan Mandir'' (temple of knowledge/science) experiment in 1953. It was created by [[Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar|S. S. Bhatnagar]], at the time Head of the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] (CSIR), in Delhi and launched by Nehru on 15 August. Its purpose was to “disseminate scientific information of interest to the rural population” and the centres were furnished with scientific tools, films, and books.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Rautela|first=G. S.|last2=Chowdhury|first2=Kanchan|date=2016-09-01|title=Science, Science Literacy and Communication|url=http://insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol51_2016_3_Art05.pdf|journal=Indian Journal of History of Science|volume=51|issue=3|pages=494–510|doi=10.16943/ijhs/2016/v51i3/48850|doi-access=free}}</ref> |
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CSIR started publishing a popular science periodical ''Vigyan Pragati'' (''Progress in Science'') in Hindi in 1952. It introduced an English monthly journal ''[[Science Reporter]]'' in 1964,<ref name=":0" /> and then a Urdu quarterly journal ''Science Ki Dunia''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bagla|first=Pallava|title=Bridging the Communication Gap in Science and Technology: Lessons from India|last2=Binoy|first2=V. V.|publisher=Springer|year=2017|isbn=978-981-10-1025-5|location=Singapore|pages=150–151|oclc=973396802}}</ref> In 1982, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) was established under the [[Department of Science and Technology (India)|Department of Science and Technology]]. NCSTC "is mandated to communicate Science and Technology to masses, stimulate scientific and technological temper and coordinate and orchestrate such efforts throughout the country."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://dst.gov.in/scientific-programmes/st-and-socio-economic-development/national-council-science-technology-communication-ncstc|title=National Council for Science & Technology Communication NCSTC|website=dst.gov.in|access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref> |
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NCSTC organises annual programmes such as [[National Science Day]] and [[National Mathematics Day]], the National Children’s Science Congress, National Teacher’s Science Congress, and [[Science Express]].<ref name=":1" /> It specifically dedicated the National Science Day on 28 February 2014 to the theme "Fostering Scientific Temper" to spread Nehru's vision.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Keshavamurthy|first1=H.R.|title=Fostering Scientific Temper is Fundamental to Innovation and Progress|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/efeatures.aspx?relid=104309|publisher=Press Information Bureau, India|access-date=22 December 2014|date=27 February 2014}} |
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</ref> |
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The [[National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources]] launched the scholarly serial ''Journal of Scientific Temper'' in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Journal of Scientific Temper''|url=http://op.niscair.res.in/index.php/JST/index|publisher=NISCAIR, India|access-date=22 December 2014}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
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*[[Constitution of India]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 00:33, 5 June 2021
The term scientific temper is broadly defined as "is a modest open-minded temper—a temper ever ready to welcome new light, new knowledge, new experiments, even when their results are unfavourable to preconceived opinions and long- cherished theories."[1] It is a way of life (defined in this context as an individual and social process of thinking and acting) which uses the scientific method and which may, consequently, include questioning, observing physical reality, testing, hypothesizing, analyzing, and communicating (not necessarily in that order). Discussion, argument and analysis are vital parts of scientific temper.
Bertrand Russell used the example of Albert Einstein to explain the meaning of scientific temper:[2]
"We have had in recent years a brilliant example of the scientific temper of mind in the theory of relativity and its reception by the world. Einstein, a German-Swiss-Jew pacifist, was appointed to a research professorship by the German Government in the early days of the war; his predictions were verified by an English expedition which observed the eclipse of 1919, very soon after the armistice. His theory upset the whole theoretical framework of traditional physics; it is almost as damaging to orthodox dynamics as Darwin was to Genesis. Yet physicists everywhere have shown complete readiness to accept his theory as soon as it appeared that the evidence was in its favour. But none of them, least of all Einstein himself, would claim that he has said the last word. He has not built a monument of infallible dogma to stand for all time. There are difficulties he cannot solve; his doctrines will have to be modified in their turn as they have modified Newton’s. This critical undogmatic receptiveness is the true attitude of science." —Bertrand Russell (1922)
"Scientific temper" as a notion existed for a long time, and the origin of the term is unknown. It, most likely, can be found in the literature of the 18th century and the notion was expanded later in the 19th and 20th centuries. Beginning in 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, popularized the use of the phrase "scientific temper" to further propagate the notion.[3] He gave a descriptive explanation:
"[What is needed] is the scientific approach, the adventurous and yet critical temper of science, the search for truth and new knowledge, the refusal to accept anything without testing and trial, the capacity to change previous conclusions in the face of new evidence, the reliance on observed fact and not on pre-conceived theory, the hard discipline of the mind—all this is necessary, not merely for the application of science but for life itself and the solution of its many problems." —Jawaharlal Nehru (1946) The Discovery of India, p. 512
Nehru wrote that the scientific temper goes beyond the domains to which science is conventionally understood to be limited to, and deals also with the consideration of ultimate purposes, beauty, goodness and truth. He contended that the scientific temper is the opposite of the method of religion, which relies on emotion and intuition and is (mis)applied "to everything in life, even to those things which are capable of intellectual inquiry and observation." While religion tends to close the mind and produce "intolerance, credulity and superstition, emotionalism and irrationalism", and "a temper of a dependent, unfree person", a scientific temper "is the temper of a free man." He also indicated that the scientific temper goes beyond objectivity and fosters creativity and progress. He envisioned that the spread of scientific temper would be accompanied by a shrinking of the domain of religion, and "the exciting adventure of fresh and never ceasing discoveries, of new panoramas opening out and new ways of living, adding to [life's] fullness and ever making it richer and more complete."[4] He also stated, "It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom and tradition, of vast resources running to waste, of a rich country inhabited by starving people."[5]
References
- ^ Diggle, John (1898). Nicoll, W. Robertson (ed.). The Faith of Science. The Expositor (Fifth Series). Vol. VII. London. pp. 451–452.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Russell, Bertrand. "Free Thought and Official Propaganda". www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ Mahanti, Subodh (2013). "A Perspective on Scientific Temper in India". Journal of Scientific Temper. 1 (1): 46–62.
- ^ 1Nehru, Jawaharlal (1989). The Discovery of India (Centenary ed.). Oxford: University Press. p. 513.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Kar, Devi (21 August 2012). "THE NEED TO FOSTER A SCIENTIFIC TEMPER". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
Free Thought and Official Propaganda