Imbibing Scientific Reasoning, and Development of Scientific Outlook, is Intrinsic to Modernity in our Times – Vice President

Imbibing Scientific Reasoning, and Development of Scientific Outlook, is Intrinsic to Modernity in our Times – Vice President

Vice President Inaugurates 15th All India People’s Science Congress at Bengaluru

The Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari has said that the use of science and scientific method is essential for socio-economic development, through research in industry and agriculture, and a search for truth through experiment. The dictum of a 20^thcentury statesman sums it up: ‘discover truth through practice, and through practice verify and develop truth.’Alongside, it is essential to wage a vigorous battle against all types of irrational beliefs and resultant bigotry. Delivering inaugural address at the “15^th All India People’s Science Congress at Central College, Bengaluru” today, he said that imbibing scientific reasoning, and development of scientific outlook, is intrinsic to modernity in our times.

He said that today, Science is indispensable for addressing major contemporary challenges of economic growth and social transformation in societies. The socio-economic health of a nation now depends, more and more on, among other factors, the health of the state of its science and technology.

The Vice President opined that Science presupposes, and emanates from, scientific method and its application to problems confronting humans. It accords absolute priority to empirical investigations and logical reasoning. It eschews a priori conclusions emanating from authority or tradition. In its quest for truth, it makes space available for dissenting voices and alternate lines of investigation. It thereby promotes a rational approach. In societal matters, it induces a secular approach towards individual belief systems and helps fight against social intolerance.

He further said that one set of thinkers opt for ‘science and technology determinism’ and suggest that one would follow another; a second group opine ‘social shaping’ and argue that it is never science and technology itself that cause change; instead, it is the people. A valid judgement would perhaps include elements of both and suggest that affirmative action of social shaping could help bring about social results desired by advancements of science and technology.

The Vice President said that the obvious instrumentality is education. At one level, it overcomes ignorance in a formal sense. Does it address itself to superstition and obscurantism? The answer is in the negative; the reason, regrettably, is to be found in ideologies and social belief and practices that prevail in various segments of our society. These induce a narrowing of the mind and cultivation of prejudices and intolerance. They impede, even suppress, the voice of rationalists.  

He emphasized that these disturbing trends need to be countered. This can be done if citizens discharge their constitutional duties. In a plural society, the sanctity of all sacred texts is to be observed.  The sacred text for the citizen quo citizen, it has been rightly observed, is the Constitution and the duties enjoined by it. Therefore, the promotion and embedding of science and scientific temper in our citizenry is a constitutional duty apart from being a moral one, if we are to emerge as a modern, progressive nation.

Following is the text of Vice President’s address :

“I am happy to be in Bengaluru today for the inauguration of the 15^th All India People’s Science Congress.

I congratulate the All India People’s Science Network and all the participants for their valuable contributions towards promotion of scientific temper among our citizens and for their devoted advocacy of science and technology for progress and welfare of our people.

‘How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future’ was the subtitle of a book published a few years back in the United States. Its authors argued that most of the urgent problems of the twenty first century require scientific solutions and yet the coverage of science in ordinary public discourse has dropped sharply. The book urged that that ‘this dangerous trend’ be reversed and citizens’ awareness of the importance of science to politics and society be enhanced.     

What was said of America could be said of our country too, and in greater measure if one were to go by the contents of TV programs! For this reason, the theme of this session of the Congress, ‘Science for Social change’ is topical and important. The interface between science and society has been a major influence in shaping the world and would continue to be the driving force behind the evolution of humanity in the future.

Given the multifaceted and symbiotic relationship between science and society and the critical role the former plays in the development of the latter, I would focus today on the importance of science for social change and its impact on society.

II

Since the time of Archimedes, and before, science has arguably been the primary motor for social change in human history. Big discoveries have influenced societies through new technologies and innovations which have created general material and intellectual benefits for humankind and led to its advancement over millennia.

Today, Science is indispensable for addressing major contemporary challenges of economic growth and social transformation in societies. The socio-economic health of a nation now depends, more and more on, among other factors, the health of the state of its science and technology.

Science presupposes, and emanates from, scientific method and its application to problems confronting humans. It accords absolute priority to empirical investigations and logical reasoning. It eschews a prioriconclusions emanating from authority or tradition. In its quest for truth, it makes space available for dissenting voices and alternate lines of investigation. It thereby promotes a rational approach. In societal matters, it induces a secular approach towards individual belief systems and helps fight against social intolerance.

The use of science and scientific method is essential for socio-economic development, through research in industry and agriculture, and a search for truth through experiment. The dictum of a 20^th century statesman sums it up: ‘discover truth through practice, and through practice verify and develop truth.’Alongside, it is essential to wage a vigorous battle against all types of irrational beliefs and resultant bigotry.

We can well say that imbibing scientific reasoning, and development of scientific outlook, is intrinsic to modernity in our times.

The wealth and prosperity of a nation today depend on the effective utilisation of its human and material resources through industrialisation based on scientific research and development. Science expands the frontiers of productivity by creating more efficient manufacturing processes, newer raw materials and better equipped manpower. New scientific techniques can also make up for a deficiency in natural resources.

It is a truism that inequality that exists between nations and within them, especially between the developed and developing world, has been exacerbated by the relative levels of scientific development amongst them. These gaps can be bridged only through greater focus on the development of science and technology. Science thus has a pivotal role in helping attain inclusive growth within nations and amongst them.

The founders of our Republic appreciated the criticality of this matter. In one of his early pronouncements, Jawaharlal Nehru observed:

“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.... the future belongs to science and those who make friends with science.”

We gave shape to this vision through the Scientific Policy Resolution of 1958, and in all subsequent policy pronouncements. The outcome of our efforts has been a mixed one. Nevertheless, notable progress has been achieved in most sectors and we now have an advanced and impressive physical and pedagogic infrastructure for scientific research and development to serve the nation’s needs in basic and applied sciences.

III

This brings me to the central theme of this session: How does science impact on social change? How should it impact? The debate on this is ongoing. One set of thinkers opt for ‘science and technology determinism’ and suggest that one would follow another; a second group opine ‘social shaping’ and argue that it is never science and technology itself that cause change; instead, it is the people. A valid judgement would perhaps include elements of both and suggest that affirmative action of social shaping could help bring about social results desired by advancements of science and technology.

The debate is not merely a theoretical one. The imperative in our own context is provided by the Constitution of India. I refer in particular to Article 51(A) and its sub-section (h) which stipulates that it shall be the duty of every citizen ‘to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of enquiry and reform.’

In other words, development of scientific temper present in a nascent form in every child’s propensity to touch, feel and explore, and humanism, would facilitate the discharge of constitutional obligation of promoting the fraternity of all citizens and rendering them justice, liberty and equality as enjoined in the Preamble of the Constitution.

What are the impediments? These are widespread prevalence in our society of poverty, hunger, disease, ignorance, superstition and obscurantism. In fact, the latter three impede the eradication of the first three. In other words, to fight poverty, hunger and disease we need to overcome ignorance, superstition and obscurantism.

The obvious instrumentality is education. At one level, it overcomes ignorance in a formal sense. Does it address itself to superstition and obscurantism? The answer is in the negative; the reason, regrettably, is to be found in ideologies and social belief and practices that prevail in various segments of our society. These induce a narrowing of the mind and cultivation of prejudices and intolerance. They impede, even suppress, the voice of rationalists.  

These disturbing trends need to be countered. This can be done if citizens discharge their constitutional duties. In a plural society, the sanctity of all sacred texts is to be observed.  The sacred text for the citizen quo citizen, it has been rightly observed, is the Constitution and the duties enjoined by it. Therefore, the promotion and embedding of science and scientific temper in our citizenry is a constitutional duty apart from being a moral one, if we are to emerge as a modern, progressive nation.

It is in this context, groups such as the All India People’s Science Network and all of you gathered here today must be commended for your role in spreading the scientific temper amongst our masses and promoting scientific efforts for inclusive, sustainable, socio-economic development of the country.

Let me conclude by sharing with you an observation made by Galileo over four and a half centuries ago; it has abiding relevance. He said “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use”.

I thank you for having invited me. I wish you all success in your deliberations during the 15^thCongress.

Jai Hind.”