issue243.
This is a very difficult question. I can make my mind clear to write this essay. I hope all of you can contribute some points to this question.243. “The true value of a civilization is reflected in its artistic creations rather than in its scientific accomplishments.”
Scientific discoveries, while appreciated widely by contemporary people, only have an immediate application value and do not always appeal to people’s feelings. On the other hand, artistic creation transcends in space and time that always touch the bottom of people’s hearts, and even espoused by numerous progeny thereafter. Countless pieces of historical evidences establish the fact that a highly developed economic society with escalating GDPs by which no or insufficient artistic achievements are upheld cannot be labeled as a true or great civilization. Worse still, its economic development could not maintain long enough if it were not for the support of artistic elements, be they talents, facilities and performances. In light of it, I totally agree with the author’s assertion that artist creations are more crucial in reflecting and maintaining the values of a civilization.
When a society merely stresses the importance of scientific accomplishments or development and at the same time overlooks artistic creations, the qualities of its citizens as a whole are worse off. Not only in the past, when one is looking at today’s splendid cities such as New York, London, Frankfurt and Tokyo, one will dawn on that they are not only economic capitals but also art centers. In history of humankind, there have had never been a highly economic city without artistic creations. Let us get down to fundamentals and agree that Paris but not Silicon Valley is a true civilization.
Then why a society with scientific accomplishments is not qualified to be a true civilization? A state-of-the art airport, a world class skyscraper or a modernized and efficient mass transport system are not enough to become a splendid and glorious city. These (and many other astounding scientific achievements) will become timeworn one day. Neither a few Andrew Lloyd Webber performances nor a fabulous city hall does not constitute it to be a civilized society. The critical key is they are only “hardware”. Artistic creations also need “software” -- intellectuals.
Compared with scientific accomplishments, artistic creations tend to reflect all walks of life in a society: the former only provides us with real life conveniences and enhance our understanding to what has been regarded a mystery but the latter can improve our spiritual quality. There is no doubt that artistic creations help heighten people’s sensation to truth, kindness, and beauty. For example, Dr. David Ho’s insightful discovery on the cause of Aid indeed put us a bigger step to the understanding on this strain of virus. Yet Beethoven’s 9 symphonies taught us to appreciate the composer’s struggle with life and his perseverance.
Last but not least, the true value of civilization is displaying in terms of its artistic creations as well as scientific achievements. But it is only the former to reflect human intrinsic qualities. Scientific achievements are of necessary in the sense that it help improve our extrinsic quality of living. It is an undeniable fact that 100 years later our posterity will pay serious attention to literature, paintings and other art genres rather than the cloning technology when studying history. The critical key is they are only “hardware”. Artistic creations also need “software” -- intellectuals. 我觉得硬件和软件应该说同等重要吧？
总的来说还是很不错的。
但是我个人认为你应该明确一下civilization到底是什么意思。高度的文明不是说高度的艺术化。而且科技也产生艺术，现代的视觉艺术，设计艺术等等。你基本上是从物质和精神角度来阐述的，如果我没理解错的话。如果是我写，我会从两者结合的角度写。
For example, Dr. David Ho’s insightful discovery on the cause of Aid indeed put us a bigger step to the understanding on this strain of virus. “aid?”是“AIDS”吧？不太明白这个例子？能给我解释一下么？ Issue 243
With the civilization of the humankind , there are numerous achievement which the people gained both in scientific and artistic in the society. And what could reflect the true value of a civilization. In my view both of them did the function , because the scientific accomplishment and the artistic creations could not be separated .
The artistic work which would represent the internal world of the form profound artists could reflect the humanity of the society. The great artist care for nothing but the own thought in the heart. They independently consider the nature and the society. From their work we could learn the unique view in the artist which may be astonish the common persons. Consequence, because their independent their works could record the other respects of the society and the civilization which may be neglected by the people contemporary. In addition, their work could communicate with the people without words. Although different person could form certain perspective towards a same painting or music, most people commit that they could gain extreme experience and nearly magical feeling which could not found in the everyday routing life and satisfied them. It is a wonderful world man could experience. Take the famous painting Mona Lisa to illustrate the point, the Vanci create the magical smile which worth people thinking hundreds of years.
Although, the artistic work could represent some highly achievement of human race, the science represents the cooperate and the original thought which could generate under the civilization. The science and the technology provide various methods to promote the living standard. The modern communication technique make the people to talk with each other in long distance. The computer could handle the personal things more effectively and could copy with numerous problems which could not be solve in early time. The medical science with advanced equipment and medicine could rescue many people from the diseases which have killed lots of persons before. Science establish a system which could help the human race acknowledge the world, no matter the micro world, the out space. The motive and the destination of the science is broaden our horizon and explore the unknown world. Thus science reflect the achievement of the modern civilization and the internal motive of the humankind to achieve more high level. Some methods needed in the researcher such as cooperate , teamwork are the best manners to advance or to deal with ordinary affair. Especially with the flourish of the society science , human could organize its own social and political structure more harmony and effectively. People with different culture could treat each other with tolerance and peaceful. The people learn to negotiate to copy with conflict rather than using military power . These all due to the achievement of the science. During this scrutiny , we could learn the role of the science in human civilization. Without science , the artistic could not reflect the whole picture of the civilization.
Finally the science which promote the human civilization and provide the artist the peaceful and tolerant environment to create could not be omitted in the human civilization. Addition:
Take the realm of physics to demonstrate, the courage ,the motive which repel enormous scientists to attain new discovery such as The relevant Theory , the nuclear theory could inspire the human race to deal with the more complex problem. They provide the scientific method , the applicant result of the science. science also provide us confidence to deal with problem The progress of science endows us with the abillity to develop material world while art refineing our emotional one, which is the exclusive world of our human.
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