What I require from life

-J.B.S. Haldane

Main Summary

J.B.S. Haldane is a social critic who has presented his idea about socialism. He used the mode of narrative writing to present his personal opinion with his personal story of his life and the heroic age.

According to him, although he was born in peaceful age but during his youth, due to the outbreak of the World War I, he had to involve himself in a heroic age of war. Later, he put forward his opinion related to his requirement to make his living best. According to him, his major requirements are described below.

Work: - It is Haldane’s first requirement. He wants every healthy people at work in the entire world with a decent wage. Capitalism provides unemployment in the time of depression. Here, he represents the time frame of war when there are economic crises, and it’s the time people need work and money. Similarly, he wants industries to be controlled by workers so that they can see the fruits of their work not profit for others but in friends well being.

Freedom: - Freedom is his second requirement. He wants more freedom of speech because the state’s law stops him from speaking a lot. As a socialist, he has to speak more than others and he has to speak more than others and he needs to advocate equality and criticize the drawbacks of the present situation.

Health: - Health is the third requirement because he believes that a healthy citizen can bring a remarkable change in society. So he wants to be healthy enough to be fit for work and it is possible only with the fulfillment of food, housing, and medical attendance to everyone.

Friendship: - It’s the fourth requirement. Being living in a society everyone needs friends and colleagues in any scientific and political work. He wants society with quality and could be criticized equally to all.

(Below are Minor requirements)

Adventure and thrill: - It also belongs to writers’ needs. According to him the adventure of life will be useless without the risk factors. He means to describe it as he wants to involve himself in such adventurous work which can bring change in the life of people.

Desire and demands: - Here, according to the writer demand is something that we desire for or it must have. So desire is not the requirement but demand is more essential. Although he was fulfilled with all his desire but still unhappy with lacking essential things.

Peace and security: - Peace and security are also part of his requirements; which is not present in this modern life. World War has destroyed peace, harmony, and security. Everything was destroyed by fascism by Hitler and Mussolini. There is no fraternity, equality, and development without peace and security.

So by presenting all these requirements at last he wishes or desires to die as Socrates. Socrates dies at the age of 70 for his convictions. he willingly drank the cup of poison and died very happily. He desires the death of Socrates if not at least fulfilling his two conditions.

Below are the written Textbook answers of given questions:

Class 11 What I require from life Exercise

Reference beyond the text

a. What do you require from your life to be happy and satisfied?

➜ To be happy and satisfied, I require good health, a job, friendship, freedom & security from my life.

b. What is socialism? How is it different from capitalism?

➜ Socialism is a system of social and economic equality in which private property and ownership are not prioritized. It differs from capitalism because capitalism does not provide economic equality. Capitalism, unlike socialism, ignores people's needs and does not promote equal opportunity.

c. Write an essay about your dream house.

➜ My Dream House

My dream home is a place of beauty, serenity and inspiration. It is a bungalow with a huge lawn, planted with fruit trees and flowering plants. There is plenty of space for a table and chairs so that when the weather is fine, my family can sit outside to have a meal or read the newspapers. There is also a lovely waterfall in the garden to soothe our minds with the sound of water falling. Birds perch on the trees to sing or nest and give us free concerts.

My dream home is large and spacious. There are plenty of windows to make the place bright and airy. I do hate houses that are small, cramped and all shut up. It is for this reason that I dislike living in flats or condominiums. Every room in my dream house and every piece of furniture in it is designed to create beauty, warmth and peace.

My kitchen is small and neat. I am not a fussy cook so I do not need a large kitchen. In Malaysia, one does not really need to cook all the time since there are plenty of restaurants. However, if I ever cook or bake, I would like to do it on the latest Italian hob and oven. My dream kitchen has a huge refrigerator and is fitted with cabinets made of oak. It also has a radio-CD player so that I can listen to music as I do my cooking.

All the bedrooms in my dream house are spacious. They have attached bathrooms and are fully air-conditioned. Each has a mini-refrigerator stocked with drinks and tidbits so that there is always something to munch on even in the bedroom. One of the most important rooms in my dream house is the library. Wonderful books on every subject in the world fill up the shelves that line the walls. I also have the latest table-top computer here on which I work or surf the internet.

Another important room is the music room where I have the latest hi-fi system to play songs and music from all over the world. I love music. My grand piano is also placed there where I often play pieces that I have composed myself. My dream home is a place of joy, peace and beauty. Right now it exists only in my dreams. Someday, I hope it will become reality.