BIOGRAPHICAL MEMORANDA 



Every scientist knows, or should know, moments of doubt towards 

 his own achievements. It is clear that Kluyver, who perpetually lived 

 with doubt, so to speak, had become an expert in handling those sets 

 of incomplete and obscure data that Nature is wont grudgingly to 

 grant the biologist. He realized as few others that in science it is nec- 

 essary to focus attention on some particular aspect, abstracted from 

 its surroundings. He was a master in the art of emphasizing the cru- 

 cial ones amongst a multitude of facts, and of distinguishing between 

 scientific risks and reasonable interpretations. No wonder that many 

 scientists, who instinctively turn to their neighbours for recognition 

 and assurance, looked to him for appreciation of their work and res- 

 toration of their peace of mind. To them he was a yardstick of achieve- 

 ment ; for science is but a frail network of concepts, kept intact by the 

 courageous few who can substitute guiding principles for certitude. 

 And Kluyver was one of them. 



Of course, his science and profession were constant victims of Kluy- 

 ver's pragmatic scrutiny, and his sense of humour did not stop at his 

 own person. His self-respect could not be founded on the awe in 

 which laymen may hold the scientist, nor on the esteem of his col- 

 leagues, nor even on the recognition of participating in the improve- 

 ment of the conditions for man's existence. He was not deluded by 

 the facile fallacy of mistaking results for aims. A clue to Kluyver's at- 

 titude may be found in a passage of the speech he delivered at a com- 

 memoration ceremony for alumni of the Delft university who had per- 

 ished during the war. Here he groped for the motives that had induc- 

 ed these young people willingly to risk their life in the resistance 

 movement. Vigorously denying that love for their country could have 

 been their main incentive, he ventured to suggest that they had so 

 acted because 'C'etait plus fort que moi'. Similarly, in his lecture enti- 

 tled 'Homo militans' he called attention to the simple words, 'Par 

 honnetete', in which Camus formulates the answer to a comparable 

 question in his book, 'La Peste'. 



The essence of Kluyver's personality was revealed in his relations to 

 people. He had a wonderful propensity for spurring others on to high- 

 er attainments; by emotionally stimulating and coolly criticizing 

 them, he carefully prepared the conditions under which they could 

 develop to the best of their potentialities. He directed by soliciting ad- 



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