1. IYR: LECTURE - 8
B.Sc. 4-Year Programme Scientific Communication Improve Your Writing: Unit 3: The Composition “Man and Nature” – J. Bronowski
Lecture by Dr. Min Pun

2. Man and Nature – J. Bronowski
Introduction
Summary
Main idea

3. INTRODUCTION
Jacob Bronowski ( ) was a Polish-Jewish British mathematician, biologist, historian of science, theatre author, poet and inventor. He is best remembered as the presenter and writer of the 1973 BBC television documentary series, The ascent of Man, and the accompanying book.
He published a book The Identity of Man in 1965, in which he deals with the relationship between human beings and the nature. This essay “Man and Nature” has been taken from this book.
He has raised an issue about the identity of man, questioning whether man is a part of nature or not.

4. SUMMARY OF THE ESSAY
Jacob Bronowski’s essay “Man and Nature” deals with a question whether a human being is ‘a machine or a self?’ This question relates with the inquiry into the identity of human being. It means that the identity of human being is again related with the question of whether a human being is a part of nature or not. According to the writer, the latter half of the twentieth century thought that like a piece of stone, a cactus, and a camel, human being is a part of nature. Just like a stone, a cactus and a camel can be identified as a mineral, a vegetable and an animal that are part of nature, a human being or a man can be taken as a part of nature because they also exist in this universe.

5. Like a stone, a cactus, and a camel, a human being/man is also a part of nature. For example, 1600 years ago, Biordano Bruno who believed that man is a part of nature and there are many other planets and many creatures in this universe. He also believed that human being is neither a master nor a slave in this universe, saying that human being and other parts of nature are free from each other. But many other thinkers of the past and now think that human being wants to be unique and immortal. Human being does not want to be a part of nature, but wants to be superior than the rest of others in nature or wants to be different from the rest. This is the identity or the true nature of man or human being since the very beginning of this universe. So human being is not a machine; it is a self.

6. MAIN IDEA
The main idea of the essay is the question of whether man/human being is a part of nature or not. According to Jacob Bronowski, man/human being is a part of nature, but there are many other thinkers who do not agree with him. They say that human beings are unique and immortal that make them superior to nature. They want to prove themselves as different from other living and non-living things in the universe.

7. The writer argues that the identity of man/human being depends on how he/she treats with nature. If man/human being considers himself/herself as a part of nature, then he/she is like a machine and has no self. So the identity of man/human being is sometimes a machine and sometimes a self. We define and take man/human being as dual identity: a machine or a self.

8. EXERCISES
Q. I. Put the following five sentences in the right order to make them read like a paragraph: a) This is the statement which has made Western man lose his self-assurance. b) He also wants to feel that he has been, from the beginning, larger than nature. c) Bronowski says that man is a part of nature. d) He lost his self-assurance because this statement means that man is not unique. e) But man wants to feel unique and immortal.

9. ANSWER: c) Bronowski says that man is a part of nature
ANSWER: c) Bronowski says that man is a part of nature. a) This is the statement which has made Western man lose his self-assurance. d) He lost his self-assurance because this statement means that man is not unique. b) He also wants to feel that he has been, from the beginning, larger than nature. e) But man wants to feel unique and immortal.

10. Q. II. Drawing your information from the passage given above, answer in your own words the following questions in complete sentences. Your answer to every question should not exceed 35 words. a) What is the thrust of Bronowski’s argument throughout the paragraph? b) What seems self-evident in the latter half of the twentieth century regarding man’s relationship with nature? c) Why was Giordano Bruno burnt at the stake?

11. ANSWERS: a) The thrust of Bronowski’s argument throughout the paragraph is the question of whether human being is a machine or a self that is the main enquiry into the identity of human being/man. He says that man/human being is a machine, not a self because man/human being is a part of nature. b) It seems self-evident in the latter half of the twentieth century regarding man’s relationship with nature is that human being/man is a part of nature like other parts of nature such as animal, vegetable or mineral. So human being/man’s relationship with nature is based on equality. All parts of nature are equal and free with each other.

12. ANSWERS:
c) Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake because he said that human being or man is a part of nature like an animal, a vegetable or a mineral. But many others did not like his idea and said that if human being is considered as a part of nature, human being will lose his/her self-assurance and uniqueness. Thereby human being will lose his/her control over other parts of nature because he/she wants to feel something different from the rest of nature.

13. Q. III. Analyse paragraph 3 and say how the three basic principles of writing have been applied. ANSWER: The paragraph 3 is about the question whether human being/man is a part of nature or not. By giving Giordano Bruno’s argument, the author of this paragraph wants to say that human being/man is a part of nature. But there are many others who reject Bruno’s argument saying that human being/man is not a part of nature, but he/she wants to be unique and immortal.

14. In this paragraph, the author has used the comparison and contrast order to develop his paragraph and give unity in the paragraph. In the beginning, the author gives Bruno’s argument and contrasts with other thinkers who go against Bruno’s idea. Similarly, the author has used pronouns as cohesive device in the paragraph. For example, the author has replaced the main argument of the paragraph with the pronouns like ‘this’ and ‘it’. Similarly, the author has used ‘he’ to replace Biordano Bruno. For emphasis in the paragraph, the author has used contrast as device, which states that negative side of an issue of whether human being/man is a part of nature or not. This device is used to emphasize the writer’s positive point of view with nature. It means that the nature should be taken as equal to human beings, as neither a master nor a slave.

15. Q. IV. Write an introductory paragraph using a simple factual statement for an essay on ‘Television – Boon or Bane?’ Or, you may write on ‘Radio – Boon or Bane?’ First write an outline and then write the introductory paragraph. Use exposition to develop your introductory paragraph.

16. ANSWER: Television – Boon or Bane. OUTLINE: 1
ANSWER: Television – Boon or Bane? OUTLINE: 1. Television boon, not bane. 2. How it is a means of communication. 3. How it can be useful. 4. What should be done with children.

17. Television is a boon for human beings
Television is a boon for human beings. It is not a bane if it is used carefully at home. It is a means of communication because with the help it, we can share information, idea and emotion with others. Everyday, we watch television to know about what is happening around the world. It also helps the students to get information about their lessons. But the parents should be very careful about their children because it may be harmful to them. The children may also kill their time by watching it too much.

18. Dr. Min Pun minpun@gmail.com www.minpun.com.np
Lecturer, Department of English
Tribhuvan University, PN Campus, Pokhara