The Prolongation of Life: Optimistic StudiesMetchnikoff, Elie
Science
The Prolongation of Life: Optimistic Studies
Metchnikoff, Elie
Aging; Hygiene; Longevity; Older people -- Social conditions
It is equally clear that if a mother is to act morally with regard to
her child, she must teach herself properly. In place of mythology and
literature, she must learn hygiene and all that relates to the rational
rearing of children. So, also, in the education of men, the study of
the exact sciences must occupy by far the most important place. Then
only will moral conduct and scientific knowledge begin to unite. An
ignorant mother will bring up a child very badly notwithstanding all
her good will and her affection. A doctor, however imbued with strong
sympathy for his patients, could do them much harm if he had not the
appropriate knowledge. Are not politicians open to the reproach from
the point of view of morality that very often through ignorance they
do the very worst evil in public administration? With the progress of
knowledge, moral conduct and useful conduct will become more and more
closely identified.
I have been reproached because in my system the health of the body
occupies too large a place. It cannot be otherwise, because health
certainly plays the chief part in existence. Notwithstanding his
pessimism, Schopenhauer was convinced that health was the greatest
treasure, a treasure before which everything else yielded. In many
religions care of the health is laid down amongst the chief duties.
Although many scientific men do not hold the opinion that circumcision
was ordained for hygienic reasons, it is certain that hygiene was
extremely important in the Jewish religion. It is only in Christianity,
which despises the human body, that hygiene is excluded from the
religious code, as in the words of Jesus:-
“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life
more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (Matt. vi., 25). As for
long ages hygiene was very imperfectly known, it is not surprising
that it played a small part in human affairs. Probably the objection
to the importance that I assign to it in orthobiosis is a relic from
the old order of things. Now, however, the situation is different.
Bacteriology has placed hygiene on a scientific foundation, so that the
latter is now one of the exact sciences. It has now become necessary
to give it the chief place in applied morality as it is the branch of
knowledge that teaches how men ought to live.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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