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[文章]
According to the speaker, it is more important for scholars and researchers to concentrate on what interests them, no matter how their interests are unusual or idiosyncratic, instead of paying much attention to the contributions their work may bring to the larger society. I strongly agree with the speaker.
First of all, whether the work of scholars and researchers is of any value to the larger society is hard to identify beforehand. In fact, the real task of scholars and researchers is to explore unknown realm of human civilization with their preeminent intelligence and laudable courage. ( this sentence is horrible, why “task”? I think responsibility is better, furthermore, the unknown realm of civilization? Where is that?) Therefore, risks can hardly be avoided throughout their research. Without knowing the result of an academic research, scholars and researchers can do nothing but continue their work without any utilitarian consideration. Even if result of their work is predictable, the application of potential valuable research achievements also accounts for much in the contribution to the society. For instance, the atomic power can be used as a new form of energy to benefit human being but also can be applied as new weapons that may kill people. It can even be viewed just as a kind of scientific discovery with little practical use. Actually, in many cases, it is the people rather than scholars and researchers themselves to determine whether academic research achievement is valuable or not. In this sense, whether the work of scholars and researchers can contribute to the larger society is an unpredictable issue in the process of academic research.
Under such circumstances, scholars and researchers should put their academic interests at first place. Firstly, people are most likely to achieve eminent results in the fields that interest them. A person who has a talent in a certain field can work with surprising ease, which has been substantiated by innumerous eminent scholars and researchers. Secondly, the work of those scholars and researchers driven by their personal unusual or idiosyncratic interests may not necessarily run contrary to making contribution to the larger society. Many scholars and researchers made significant contribution to society by simply pursuing their personal interests in their work. For a supporting example we need look no further than Benjamin Franklin. His interest in electricity was the motif of his adventurous kite experiment that verified the nature of electricity and lightning, which contributed much to the later research and application concerning electricity. Since individual interests of scholars and researchers do no harm to and even enhance their contribution to the larger society, it is more important for them to pursue their individual interests than to pay too much attention to their social contribution.
Admittedly, the academic work to perform should also be cautiously examined and approved by scholars and researchers. Unusual or idiosyncratic interests may bring amazing research results, but resources are limited and social needs are pressing in most countries. In many cases, researches that may solve the most urgent practical problems in a society win the priorities in academic work. Therefore, when the society pays respects to scholars’ and researchers’ personal interests in their work, they should keep aware of their responsibilities as members of a society and avoid being anarchic (anarchic Is there anything to do with this? ) and wasting resources in their innovative work.
In sum, since academic work of scholars and researchers is a kind of exploration of the unknown and its contribution to the society is hard to decide, individual interests in work should be preferential to the consideration of contribution to the larger society for scholars and researchers. As long as they do not waste resources of human society, the society should respect heir personal interests and provide a tolerant circumstance for their academic work. |
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