THE GOAL OF MAN — Defining Human Life

THE GOAL OF MAN Defining Human Life D R. Alexis Carrel was born in France in 1873. After receiving higher education in Science (Medicine) in France, he went to the United States in 1905 to join the staff of the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research in New York. He remained there for 30 years. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1912 for his contribution to the field of medicine. He died in 1944 in France. Dr. Carrel’s book titled, Man the Unknown, first published in 1935 and reprinted on several occasions, was his most popular work. A commentator aptly says of it: "This book sums up much of his experience of man and his life, seen from the purely scientific aspect." But, as we learn from his 312-page book, Dr. Carrel failed to discover the reality of human life. That is why he titled the book, Man the Unknown. A study of this book tells us that, so far as man as a subject of scientific study is concerned, he was to a great extent 'discovered’ by Dr. Carrel. The question then arises as to why he gave his book the title he did. This apparent confusion stems from the fact that although Dr. Carrel had 'discovered' man, his study did not lead him to any certain knowledge of man’s destination. He felt that a ‘known’ man was heading towards an unknown destination. Hence, a more apt title for his book might have been 'Man’s Goal — the Unknown'. This is not a problem that was faced by Dr. Carrel alone. The same has been, and still is, true for all other philosophers and thinkers. Although man has appeared to be a known entity, these scholars have remained totally ignorant of his ultimate destination. The mistake made by philosophers and other thinkers is that they seek the human destination in the present world, whereas it does not exist in this world at all. This world is an imperfect one, while man, by nature, wants a perfect existence. Man wants an eternal life, while in this ephemeral world, it is quite impossible for any individual to have this wish granted. Man wants a life of happiness, but in this world, all kinds of unfavourable circumstances are obstacles to his achieving this end. Man wants an ideal world, but here he is compelled to live in a world that is far from ideal. By birth, man is a perfectionist. He wants a perfect world, but despite all his efforts, he is fated to realize that finding or building a perfect world on earth is impossible.