GMAT Essays : AWA / AWM Issue Essay 7.1

Issue Topic 7.1 A nation should be valued primarily on the basis of its artistic and scientific accomplishments rather than its business and economic progress.

Discuss whether you agree or disagree (partially or totally) with the view expressed providing reasons and examples.

ESSAY (Contributed by Victor)

Throughout human history, most of the great works of art and brilliant breakthroughs in science during any given time period came out of the dominant empire or superpower reigning during that era. For example, when the Roman empire was at its height, all the great works of art and science in the world emerged from the Roman empire. One could argue that these empires would occupy vast areas of the civilized world and so, by default, any progress in art or science would come out of these centers of power. I contend that only a rich nation can dare to even think of pushing the boundaries of art and science to new heights. Furthermore, such progress usually requires huge investment of capital that obviously only rich nations can afford. So, my position on the stated topic is that success in business is a pre-requisite to making great strides in art and science. If one were to assess the value of a young nation, one would look at its business record to date, and then comment on its future prospects in terms of making an impact in the world of art or science and its chances of evolving into a global superpower.

Going back in time, all the great empires - the Egyptians, the Romans, and the Mughals - made great strides in both art and science. The tallest buildings, the greatest paintings and sculptures, the most modern weapons, and the best irrigation systems characterized the cities of these empires. In a way, the artistic and scientific prowess of a nation is a good indicator of the quality of life large majorities of its people enjoy.

There are exceptions though, but they are few and far between. Great strides in art and science are achieved without business success when an isolated people inherit a country that is infinitely rich in resources. For example, the Chinese made great strides in art and science and were a great empire even though they were isolated from the rest of the world. So, if one were to evaluate the worth of China as a nation, one would give it a low score in business but a high score in progress in art and science. As another example, the Arab states are enormously rich and have done magnificently in the business sense. However, they lag far behind other nations when it comes to art or science.

Finally, I wish to point out that a better parameter to evaluate the worth of a nation would be to gauge its contribution to the world as a whole. For example, the Chinese, Arabs and Indians through their early breakthroughs in science and mathematics made a huge contribution to the progress of the rest of the world. By the same token, a repressive regime that tries to suppress or tyrannize its people and neighbors would have made a negative contribution and hence would not be of much value.

In general, the value of a person or a nation, of art or an ideology, of a scientific discovery or a religion can best be gauged by its contribution to the progress and well-being of the rest of the world!