Essay 3: What I Require from Life

In his celebrated personal essay "What I Require from Life," British polymath and geneticist J.B.S. Haldane presents a lucid, rationalist vision of what makes human life worthwhile. Haldane rejects superficial capitalist desires for excessive wealth, luxury, or social supremacy. Instead, he divides his requirements into basic physical necessities and higher social aspirations. For himself, he demands four essential requisites: meaningful and useful work with decent remuneration, robust health, authentic friendships, and complete freedom of speech and political thought. Beyond personal desires, Haldane articulates social and political conditions: universal peace, the elimination of fascism and tyranny, economic security for working people, and a democratic society where education and healthcare are accessible to all. He concludes that true satisfaction arises not from escaping social struggles, but from participating energetically in the collective advancement of humankind.

Practice questions curated specifically for Essay 3: What I Require from Life.