The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-31
PAVLOV AND THE
SOVIET UNION

PAVLOV AND THE
SOVIET UNION
When Ivan Pavlov was IS years
old on September d. the Council Of
Peoples Commissars sent him greet
ings: The Council especially notes
your inexhaustible energy in scien-
tific oreativeness, the successes Of
which have deservedly placed your
name in the ranks Of the classics
Of natural science"
Accompanying the greeting was
a decree announcing an annual
award to be called after Pavlov, for
the best work in the field of Dhysi-
ology. And to praise the qualifi-
cations Of young Psychologists, five
stipends Of 500 rubles a month are
to be granted to the most promising
students in the field. In addition
the Council Of Peoples Commissars
granted a million rubles for the
PavloY biological station at Kol-
tushi, and next year will publish
the full collection of avlov's works,
which have revolutionized physiol-
ogy, and laid the foundation for a
materiaistic Interpretation of the
human consciousness and human
/ personality.
This special concern of the Soviet
Union for Pavlov and his researches
is by no means exceptional. Every
/ scientist who is conducting funda-
/ mental research, whether in atomic
| physics or dynamo design, receives
large sums Of money with which
to conduct his work. the best instru-
ments and as many's assistants as
his work requires. In the Soviet
Union, science is not the mistreated
step-child of big business. It is re-
garded as an institution of the
highest social value and as such is
used for the benefit Of the whole
of Soviet society.
Paylov's case is an especially IN
teresting one, since it disproves the
false claim, peddled by enemies of
the Soviet Union, that the govern
ment supports only those scientists
who fully accept its principles and
tactics. He was given money, ap-
paratus and other assistance at a
time when he was an outspoken
critic of the October Revolution.
Horsly CAN'T, an American pay
chiatrist who was a pupil of Paylov
tells how ''he was greatly depressed
by the Russian Revolution, because
he thought that the devastation of
economic life Caused by the raw
ages Of the civil war; would ham
per science for long time"
Despite the hardships of the civil
war years and widespread sabotage
on the part of many scientists, a
decree was passd on January "a,
1921, by the Council of Peoples
Commissars that provided for the
encouragement and support Of Paw
lows research. CAN'T further notes
that "the Soviet Government-has
given him full liberty to speak and
act as he pleases even when the OBJ
ject of criticism is themselves"
In 1890, the Soviet government
organized an experimental biological
station named after Pavlov, and de-
signed to carry on his work on the
broadcast possible scale.
The full significance of the treat
ment accorded to Pavlov can only
be gagged if one contrasts it with
the treatment given to German
scientists by the Nazis. We must
also remember that under the
Czarist regime Pavlov lived in
state of poverty. Because there
were no proper conditions for his
work, he had to keep his expert
mental dogs at home Although he
had attained worldwide fame, he
was black-balled by the University
of st. Petersburg while competing
for a professorship. At another
time he was denied the chair of
physiology at Tomsk University, be-
cause one of the Cars ministers
wanted the post for one of his
pets.
The discrimination against Paw
Low was mostly due to the material
istic nature of his work, despite the
fact that he was the son of priest
and himself religious. This mate
rialism brought him into disfavor
not only in Russia, but also in
England In 1912, Pavlov was told
by an English scientist that his
work was not popular in England,
because it was considered material
istic.
After the Revolution the barriers
that had prevented Pavlov from
reaching the full fruition of his
work, were broken down His at