Science: a Menace to Civilisation?

Before we talk about the question about whether the science is a menace to civilisation, I think that we should firstly give a definition to the civilisation. In my context, civilisation means the stage of human social development. We know that the development of the human society is with the development of the science and technology and the tools. Therefore, the science is the basis of the civilisation, how can we say that science is a menace to civilisation? Thus, I think that it is unfair to denounce civilisation as such.

From the ancient time, the science took the human beings a lot of benefits. The science about how to use fire, how to make tools makes people leave the time of savage. The science in agriculture takes humans into the agricultural civilisation. Most importantly, it makes the ancient people survive from the grim environment. Without science, we cannot even survive. It is more impossible that civilisation can development without science. Besides, when we think about the civilisation, we usually think of the Egyptian pyramids, the palace of the old kingdoms or the skyscrapers of the modern cities. Those elements of the civilisation all come from science. Thus, we can find that science contribute to the civilisation but not menace it.

After the science makes human beings live in the earth, it continues making the societies developing and making the life of humans better. As the time passes, many new things are invented with the help of the science such as trains, planes, lights, telephones. Those inventions solve many problems in the human life and supply a lot of convenience to the societies. Especially the development in the medical science conquers many diseases and makes sure human beings have a healthier life. Therefore, the science accelerates the development of civilisation.

Most importantly, the science help the civilisation objectively by improve the level of people’s ideas. As the science develops and helps in the societies, people gradually realize and control the science. Meanwhile, humans realize the world, environment and themselves more. They can answer many questions in the life with the science but not with the theology, thus science lead people away from the superstition. For example, Darwin’s theory about the humans’ ancestors and natural selections makes a large leap in people’s thought about the world; people also get rid of the control of the religion. The civilisation can go on developing. Besides, as the science develops, the humans get more and more education. Their thoughts can become more and more active. The ability of thinking can liberate people from the pressure in the thoughts. The development in politics also appears such as the democracy, social contrast. Therefore, when there is an obstacle in the road of the civilisation, science can always help people solve it.

But some people may think that science should be responsible for the destruction in the human society and the exploitation in the environment. But I think that the destruction in the human societies such the threats of the nuclear weapon, the chemical and biological weapons and more frightening things are not directly caused by the science. When a theory or an invention of science appears, the purpose is good. But some people do not use the science properly, thus cause so many problems. As for the exploitation of the environment, I think it is caused by the greedy and ignorant of humans. The humans’ ignorant and greedy make people exploit the environment improperly. Thus many destruction and waste appears. Now we can only use science to conquer and remedy the faults made by humans.

Therefore, we can find that science as the basis of the civilisation, contributes a lot to the human civilisation, but not a menace. Thus I think it is unfair to denounce science as the menace to the civilisation.