issue36 以前写好的，同主题，我就贴出来，大家拍吧

xiongyicnUID: 192745

36. "The greatness of individuals can be decided only by those who live
after them, not by their contemporaries."

Can the greatness of individuals only be decided by those who live after them, or by their contemporaries? If we consider this issue historically, maybe the former is true. But with the some essential virtues of modern democratic society increasingly bulging, the greatness of individuals can be identified and then decided by their contemporaries objectively and rapidly.

If we refer to the recorded history, we would prefer that the greatness of individuals could be decided by those who live after them. Copernicus did not publish his work until he was dying for the reason that his ideas could not be accepted by the custom and governors, but the Copernican system influences the humanity a lot, and his greatness has been realized and accepted by us. Similarly, Bruno was burnt to death since his minds and theories were believed dangerous at that time, but his spirits and convictions of his own beliefs encourage and bestir the descendants. Another example is about Galileo, some philosophers in his times, who were invited by Galileo to look through his telescope, refused the Galileo's request to observe the moon of Jupiter, and thought that it was forged by Galileo's spyglass. When Galileo dropped two objects of different weight simultaneously from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the contemporaries refused to accept the result and considered that Galileo was making tricks. All their greatness were neglected or even regarded as heresy at their times. Why, you may wonder, these happened? Because in the times of tyranny and autarchy, people's minds are oppressed and indoctrinated by the governors, people are prone to accepted those theories and minds conforming to the traditions, which have been established for a very long time. It is so hard or even impossible to identify the greatness of individuals objectively and fairly, not to mention deciding.   

However, this state has changed with accumulation of human knowledge and experience. When Einstein created the theory of relativity, people did question it for a short time since its great innovation, even opposite to our traditional views in the time and space system. But people are rational and dispassionate for the judgment, meanwhile people are no longer adhering to a certain
traditional and infrangible principles blindly. And then the greatness of Einstein has been realized
rapidly, that is the greatness of individuals can be decided by the contemporaries in this case.

Moreover, this applies to the modern democratic society especially. When we decide the greatness of individuals, the criterion should be so objective and fair that we must rule out the personal bias
and preference. Our modern democratic society encourages and advocates these two virtues increasingly. In the educational system, students are encouraged to question and criticize what they study. People can get their information with various of ways, such as TV, radio, Internet and World Wide Web, to assure the outlooks of all-around sides. As the communication technology advance, people can express their own ideas to some new and original theories conveniently and rapidly. Moreover, modern democratic society is encouraging and advocating critical and independent thinking increasingly. All of these promise us an objective and fair standard to judge the greatness of individuals, not as the times of tyranny and autarchy. And accordingly, the greatness of individuals can be decided contemporaries here.

In conclusion, in the times of oppression to the minds and ideas and monopolization of some traditional and privileged values, the greatness cannot be decided by the contemporaries, which would be transformed with the accumulation of knowledge and experience. More fortunately, the modern democratic society is promising us wisdom to decide the greatness of individual in time.

xiongyicnUID: 192745

re

apolloxpUID: 156355

说实话我觉得扯到democratic society上有些牵强