Essay on “Science and Superstitions” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Science and Superstitions

 It is a common knowledge that science has made astonishing progress during the past few decades. The 19th century showed what a great future lay before science and now the twentieth century is witnessing the unfolding of that great future at a rapid pace. Science has changed almost every aspect of life, be it agriculture, industry, entertainment, medicine, surgery, education or any other field.

In Europe and America, Russia and Japan agriculture is no longer at the mercy of nature. The animal-driven plough has long been replaced by large tractors and natural manure has yielded place to highly fertilizing chemical manures. In the world of recreation and entertainment also science has produced great wonders. Science has made rapid progress in medicine and surgery as well. During the war, wonder drugs like Penicillin and Streptomycin were produced and they are proving most helpful in treating the hitherto incurable diseases like tuberculosis, cancer, etc. Surgeons can even replace the human heart, lungs, kidneys and some other internal and external human and animal organs.

Scientific progress has doubtless been remarkable in the constructive fields of life but unfortunately its achievements in the destructive fields have been much greater and far-reaching. The terrible engines of destruction invented by science are long-range artillery, anti-aircraft guns, tanks, submarines, torpedo boats and rockets. Above all, there is the Atom Bomb which razed the beautiful and prosperous Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the ground during the Second World War. The Atom Bomb has now been joined by Hydrogen Bomb which is a thousand times more destructive than the former. We hear of the invention of Cobalt and Nitrogen Bombs compared to which even the Hydrogen Bomb will pale into insignificance.

As against this, superstitions are blind and irrational beliefs. People attribute their failures to these superstitions. For example, a man sets out on an important business and a black cat crosses his path and if he fails in his mission he will curse the black cat. Superstitions have no solid basis. They are the product of darkness and fade away before the light of knowledge. They are events connected with the whims of the people, and are the creations of whimsical minds.

How are such superstitions born? The reason are not far to seek. Ignorance, illiteracy and lack of scientific knowledge are the most fertile grounds where superstitions flourish. Europe, Africa, India, China and many other countries have been the homes of superstitions. Whereas Europe and America have shaken off most of the superstitions, Asia and Africa still continue to be in the clutches of many foolish beliefs. Certain superstitions are rather funny. If early in the morning one is able to see a washerman’s donkey, he thinks that the day will pass on very well. On the other hand, seeing the face of a widow or an one-eyed person at the time of starting on a journey is considered unlucky. The sight of a newly-married woman is however a sign of good luck. But if an owl sits on the compound wall of a house, people think that very soon there would be calamity and devastation. If a dog howls before a door, people think that someone in the neighbourhood will die.

India needs special thinking as the superstitions are deep-rooted among the illiterate masses. A study of science and its methods is absolutely necessary to combat the superstitions. A scientific-minded person does not have any faith in silly superstitions. He does not see any logical connection between the events and cat crossings, owl hooting or dog howls. He look upon such superstitions as anachronisms—as relics of the dark ages. Spread of education and scientific knowledge are the means to dispel these blind beliefs.