Science: a Menace to Civilisation?

Science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge through observations and experimentations to account for natural phenomena. With more research done and more findings we make, we are able to understand our universe better and science advances very quickly, therefore technology becomes more and more developed. Science and technology is all around us every day. What we have today – computers, mobile phones, and even essential inventions which we usually take for granted such as light bulbs, are all possible because of science. It is man’s curiosity that leads to the development of science for the benefit of mankind. However, science does not benefit us totally as man has exploited the means of science to develop weapons of mass destruction which could take away millions of lives. Despite the pros and cons of science, it all boils down to how man makes use of it. Therefore, I feel that science itself is not a menace to civilisation, but rather it is a matter of how we humans want to do with science.

First of all, it is apparent to most of us that science has brought to us countless of benefits. Improved medical science has enabled us to fight diseases which used to be fatal, including the eradication of smallpox, a human infectious disease which killed hundreds of millions of people in the twentieth century, while technology has brought us aeroplanes and mobile phones which serve for our convenience. Without science, the caves in which man used to live in would not have transformed into our modern skyscrapers. Even most of our items of luxury are made possible because of science. In contrast with the high mortality rates in the previous centuries, advanced science has improved our standards of living greatly such that human’s life expectancy has doubled. Undeniably, many would agree that the benefits science has brought to our lives are indeed very significant.

On the contrary, there are also instances where science is indeed evil and destructive to civilisation. Despite improving the standards of living and bringing about convenience, science has also provided humans with the ability to develop instruments with destructive potential, such as poison gas and nuclear warheads. Perhaps the use of atomic bombs in World War II should be familiar with everyone. Evidently from the statistics, these bombs have caused tremendous damage to the cities, buildings and people. The devastation science can bring about has already been clearly expressed, and probably in the near future, nightmare scenarios of novels such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World would be realised. Slowly but certainly, the environment is being destroyed in our hands as developments of science and technology in various industries are using the earth’s resources so extensively that a depletion of resources might occur very soon. Therefore, science has also its destructive character and it is a menace to civilisation.

However, whether or not science is a menace to civilisation depends on how humans put it to use. No doubt science has provided us with much convenience and many other benefits, but it has also been exploited in the areas of warfare and research involving the sacrifice of animals during laboratory experiments. How is science to be blamed for bringing about the devastating destruction to civilisation when all these are in fact man’s doings? With that, I feel that science itself is not a menace to civilisation as long as it is being employed in a constructive manner.

To conclude, science has its pros and cons, but ultimately the decision of how it is being used lies upon us humans. By ensuring that we do not abuse the power of science, it would not be a menace to civilisation but instead an essential pillar of civilisation.

Should we exercise any form of censorship in the area of pornography?

Pornography can be defined as a sexually explicit material which is designed with the intention of creating sexual stimulation in the viewer. There are some who feel that pornography is morally objectionable as it degrades women as mere sex objects, while there are some who see pornography as a mere expression of sexuality. Undoubtedly, our conservative mindset about sex and pornography being taboos a few decades ago has evolved to become more liberal now. Furthermore, with the advancement of technology, we now have DVDs and the Internet where the public, even very young children, is able to access pornography very easily. I strongly agree that censorship of pornography should be in place as it is a degradation of the female gender in our society, an affront to moral values, and addiction to pornography can ruin one’s life entirely.

First of all, pornography is a degradation of the female gender in our society. Most pornography viewers believe that pornography is mere harmless entertainment and only care about satisfying their sexual desires and addiction. Pornography nowadays is designed to appeal to men, unfortunately, at the expense of the status of women. Most pornography materials are still based on traditional sex roles and portray women as slaves and sex objects ‘which’ are used to please men in scenes where the women is raped or physically abused. While most Western societies often endorse the idea of gender equality, they are yet more open-minded about the subject of pornography than the conservative Asians. In my opinion, the fact that pornography degrades women should not be neglected and therefore censorship of pornography should be exercised. Think about this, would you be approving of pornography if your mother or sister is the subject of ridicule?

Apart from my previous point about the dehumanisation of women, pornography is also an affront to moral values as the sexually explicit content of pornography is strongly offensive to some in our society. These contents are obscene and corrupt the minds of those who consume pornography. Consumption of pornography distorts one’s character and on the whole it causes instability within an upright society. The harm that pornography brings about may not be immediately noticeable, but certain attitudes and behaviours which pornography exemplifies will reveal in one’s character. One’s thinking and actions are often based on what we believe, and pornography is so appealing to many men that one will frequently fantasize about the scenes or even imitate them. Hence, pornography, being a highly dangerous threat to our moral values, should be censored.

Ultimately, the danger of pornography lies in the viewer’s addiction. This addiction can be so strong that it may lead one to a point of no return, but companies which produce pornographic materials do not give a hoot whether the addiction kills you or not. The more addicted you are, the better their business gets. Pornography addiction consists of five stages. Initially, you are exposed to pornography at a very young age. Next comes the addiction when you are unable to survive without pornography. Then escalation begins as you start searching for more graphic pornography. Eventually you are desensitised when even the most graphic pornography is not exciting to you. When crave for thrill arises yet you are unable to satisfy it, you will jump to the final stage whereby you act out sexually. This will result in under-aged sex or even rape, when one is unable to control his desire for sexual pleasure. Apparently, pornography addiction is extremely serious and censorship of pornography should be exercised in order to greatly reduce such possibilities.

To end off, pornography can be extremely dangerous to an individual of any age group, or even a society, and censorship of pornography should be exercised. Pornography is a form of disrespect and humility towards women and most viewers do not regard this as significant, as long as they enjoy the sexual arousal. Pornography is also able to corrupt one’s mind and eventually take control of his life, thereby taking away one’s moral values and overall affecting a society. Addiction is perhaps the main evil root behind the destruction of pornography. Because it is so highly addictive and people keep coming back for more, the danger of pornography is clearly evident. If censorship is not exercised to reduce pornography circulation, under-aged sex and violent sex crimes might be on the rise.