How justified are we when we pass a judgment on those before us, by standards of today? Not really I think.
Say for example, we often hear people decry that women in the past had no share in the property of the father/parents. And therefore, how unjust was the father? Well, was he? It was just the way it was then. The whole concept of equal share of property to all the children is a modern concept. How can that be applied retrospect to evaluate something of the past?
Are our teachers gullible of offering an education, based on an obsolete model?
Was the West right in colonizing rest of the world?
Was the Church right in condemning the scientific discoveries in the Middle ages?
Another factor to be kept in mind: What we do and say today will surely stand to scrutiny tomorrow. Perhaps the next generation would be more critical of our 'liberal' thoughts, policies and actions, than we are of our predecessors.
Say for example, we often hear people decry that women in the past had no share in the property of the father/parents. And therefore, how unjust was the father? Well, was he? It was just the way it was then. The whole concept of equal share of property to all the children is a modern concept. How can that be applied retrospect to evaluate something of the past?
Are our teachers gullible of offering an education, based on an obsolete model?
Was the West right in colonizing rest of the world?
Was the Church right in condemning the scientific discoveries in the Middle ages?
Another factor to be kept in mind: What we do and say today will surely stand to scrutiny tomorrow. Perhaps the next generation would be more critical of our 'liberal' thoughts, policies and actions, than we are of our predecessors.
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