Question

necessity is the mother of invention

Answer 1

‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ is an old proverb. It means that necessity compels man to exercise his power of invention. 

It further means that:

necessity ignites the passion for work, and to invent new things that are beneficial for human life,necessity encourages people to get to action, andhuman beings struggle hard to attain something only when they have wants.

When the need for something becomes essential for survival, human-mind finds a way of getting it.

Origin: The English proverb has been in use since petty long time. The original author of the proverb could not be ascertained with accuracy. In common parlance, this proverb is attributed to Plato, the Great Greek Philosopher.

The idea behind the proverb was being extensively used in several Latin and English works centuries before the exact phrase came to picture.

The Latin version, “Mater artium necessitas” meaning “necessity is the mother of invention” appeared in 1519 in a book titled “Vulgaria” authored by William Horma. In the same year, in 1519, a similar phrase “Need taught him wit,” appeared in English language as well.

Thereafter, another similar phrase “Necessitie, the inuentour of all goodnesse” appeared in 1545 in the works of Roger Ascham.

The exact phrase “Necessity is the mother of invention” appeared in 1658 in the works of Richard Franck. 

Answer 2

Answer:

"Necessity is the mother of invention"

Necessity is the mother of invention means that when put in a difficult situation, one is likely to think and be inspired to create a novel or ingenious solution. Plato is often credited with this phrase. This saying appears in the dialogue Republic, by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. However, the proverb was well known before it appeared in translations of his works. This proverb has been around for centuries and proven to be a fact of life in every ages of human history.

The primary driving force for most new inventions is a need. When put in a difficult situation, one is likely to be inspired to create a novel or ingenious solution. A need or problem encourages creative efforts to meet the need or solve the problem. For instance, the necessity to move bigger, heavier and larger quantities of goods and the need to travel longer distances in less time, lead to the invention of wheels which evolved into motor vehicles and trains. We now have ships to sail across vast oceans and planes to fly long distances in a much shorter time never imagined before. When a necessity cannot be attained by existing means, we are naturally compelled to use our mental faculty and find ways to meet our needs. So a need or problem leads to creative efforts to solve the problem. Necessity is indeed the main force behind every new invention and discovery.