issue36

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



不同意分类讨论
科学需要时间验证
政治要有当前，也要有长远
商业要有当前，又会有长远


The process of recognisition to individual’ greatness reflects, in some sense, the improvement of technology, change of culture and movement of international circumstance. Because people’s comment on those eminent individuals depend on the temporal value, measurement approach, and many other facts, thus comments vary as facts vary.
Albeit the speaker asserts that the following people judge the value of great people, in my opinion, the final judgement should lie in a case-by-case basis.

In the realm of science, because its own characters and purposes, achievements of scientists need rigorous test before people accept them. However, the proof of novel theories always laged by the temporal knowledge and tool, thus the recognization have to wait enough accumulation of data and improvement of technology. Albert Einstein, one of the greatest theoretical physicists of 20 century, was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics, "for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". As we know, his most important contribution is special and general theories of relativity, but the prize do not mention that at all, because it need more proofs. There are numerous examples can illuminate that scientists who receive resistance and outrage during their life time founded the basic theory of new science field. Such as Galileo suffered burning as heretic because he suspected the thory of earth’s position in the universe. Although this is a extreme example which tells who encouraged to recognise the world from new angle, and challege the traditional ways have to confront with the misunderstanding and criticism.

When it comes to the politics, in many case, it easierly evaluate the significance of one politician through his or her decisions. As these policies are made accroding to temporal social problems and crisis, which can be comprehended and perceived by contemporaries. For example, government plays an important role facing the latest economical crisis, and we can paise highly if leaders of government decrease the detriment effectively. Just as TIME choose Ben Bernanke, the current Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve, as its cover people for praising the contribution he made dealing the crisis. However, when we retrospect the history, some special events catch our eyes. On March 30, 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward agreed to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7 million. At the time, critics thought Seward was crazy and called the deal "Seward's folly." Nevertheless, buying Alaska proved to be a very good move. Major discoveries of gold were made there in the 1880s and 1890s. These discoveries brought attention and people to Alaska. Today, petroleum transported across the state through a pipeline is Alaska's richest mineral resource. We can draw a conclusion that when estimate politicians his long-term strategy is significant as well as ability of meeting the emergence.

In the business world, business leaders are adored by their contemporaries, because people always equate money to success. From this perspective, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett can be this kind, one of them create the famous enterprise—Microsoft Corporation and become the richest man in the world, one of them is called “King of Investation ”and build the role model for our contemporary concept of success. Moreover, Bill and Buffett devote their money to the philanthropy and invest various vaccines, genetic modification of seed for drought-resistant crops and education system. I get a imagination that children, disables and other helplesses will be grateful for the help bringed by the benevolent projects in future, thus people behind us also respect them as great businessmen as well as philanthropists. In conclusion, great businessmen are praised highly by comteporaies, and they also have capability to get appreciation and respect from future.

In conclusion, based on different areas and situations, neither the contemporaries nor the later generations alone act as an efficient litmus stone to test to value of an individual. In the science realm, it is unreasonable to value the greateness of people without a history respective. Considering the business and politics area, conclusions always connect with their influence through the time, it is hard to give complete right comments.