Evening star., 1949-08-27
Scientists Should Ask
Selves Whether They
Belong 10 Humanity
Society Brought to Abyss
By Group Endowins ltsel'
With Loftiness of Deity

By Group Endowins Itself
With Loftiness of Deity
By Dorothy Thompson
At the United Nations first sci
ence conference, held August IL.
q Canadian official, H. L. Keenley-
side, warned that humanity has
at last achieved the power OF self
destruction" and. "if we hold
firm to our theological, national
and racial rivalries" and
place on our scientists the bitter
burden Of the prostitution OF their
services in war; If we fail to re-
alize the danger and immortality
of the irresponsible behavior that
has marked the conduct Of inter-
national affairs, humanity will
suffer the fate it has long invited" "
This statement echoes a view
point often expressed by scientists.
They scold humanity" for i'm
moral and irresponsible behavior. "
as though humanity" were some
thing apart from themselves. Only
'the conduct of international af-
fairs" is responsible if humanity
suffers the fate it has long in
vited." Always it is that abstract
Humanity" which is responsible
Now. the question must be
asked: Are scientists forced to
prostitute their brains? And
when it comes to immortality and
Responsibility, are scientists bet
ter than others? And If, as other
speakers asserted, the resources OF
the earth are being used up at a
dangerous rate-accelerating fear
fully in war-is humanity" re-
sponsible?
Who Is Responsible?
Humanity" did not conceive or
invent the atomic bomb with
which Humanity" has $achieved
the power of self-destruction." "
Scientists invented it-a very
small group Of scientists-and no
one placed on them the bitter bur-
den of prostituting their brains;
they volunteered, and in all coun-
tries. If humanity cannot
overcome it's theological. national
and racial hatreds" why, at least.
could not a handful of American,
Danish, Italian, British and Ger
man scientists overcome them?
And since even during the war
they had contacts with each other
through neutral countries, why
didn't they agree not to give "hu-
manity" the power of self
destruction?
Whenever there is meeting OF
scientists, warnings are issued Gas
in this one) that the resources OF
the earth are being consumed at
a frightfully accelerated tempo
But who is responsible? Human
ity?"
The great vampire Of natural
resources is scientific technology
It's rate of consumption is pro-
ceeding faster than replacement
possibilities. according to the
scientists themselves. But the
cure for this and other evils is
always presented as more science
and technology.
The struggle for raw materials.
without which scientific technol-
ogy must slow down, is a primary
cause of war, but I have never
yet heard a scientific technolo-
gist advocate that it would be
better to slow down chronological
progress in favor Of peace and
humanity. To suggest anything
of the kind induces howls from
the scientists that humanity is
standing in the path of prog
ress." progress toward what?)
What Is the Record?
What is the record on politi-
cal morality and responsibility?
Thousands of people were killed
in Germany for resistance to Hit
ler's maniacal regime. How many
were scientists? Not single one.
They were officers. bureaucrats,
trade unionists. priests. pastors,
people who made a choice be-
tween good and evil.
And after the war how many
scientists were punished as Nazis
Not one. The men who invented
the v-bombs-robots of death
are now perfecting them in Pee
nemunde, in the Russian zone
unless the British or Americans
got hold Of them first.
Did German medical scientists
protest against vivisection OF
human beings? Or did a single
one risk the ga1lows by refusal to
participate? Not one. I suppose
they argued that humanity had
put upon them "the bitter burden
of prostituting their services"
And have scientists stood their
ground in the Soviet Union? No.
They have crawled on all fours.
One thing bringing our society
to the abyss is that science has
been elevated over philosophy and
religion. The world Is in the hands
of those who know how but not
why. And characteristic of the
cientific-technological mind is
that it endows itself with the
loftiness attributed to God, who
endowed man with free choice,
to save or destroy himself. But
science has not produced a cruel
fed saviour.
It is safer today to take the
name of God in vain than the
name of science. But this mem
ber of humanity" is fed up with
the seedlings Of the scientists. Let
them once hold a meeting to dis
cuss wherein science has been
Uiyonooral and trreSr,nnSihle " That