issue147【clover】 by a08805436

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TOPIC: ISSUE147 - "Tradition and modernization are incompatible. One must choose between them."
Words: 543

Are tradition and modernization really incompatible, as the speaker contends? I agree to the extent that under some circumstance modernization has to replace the position of tradition. However, although the trends of modernization and globalization are developing amidst twists and turns, tradition and modernization are not mutually excluded.

Admittedly, the trend of modernization replacing the tradition is inevitable as the international situations undergoing profound changes in the era of our time from both within and without. In the outside world, as the skyscrapers in the city germinates, the traditional buildings of old styles have to be torn down, because the old buildings cannot keep pace with the modern life style. Another example involves the invention of telegraph which was the most famous technology one hundred years ago. Yet today, we could hardly see someone use it. In the world of technology, those seem to be modernization today would be the tradition that has to be replaced and forgotten tomorrow.
In the inside world, the old beliefs and customs have to be revised more or less for the sake of the development of the city in the long run. In ancient times, our forefathers used to carry out fiestas in order to honor deity. These kinds of traditions, however, have been revised and even eliminated to some extent, because those kinds of customs contradict to the modern science. Therefore, we can safely conclude that it is the very nature of history to let tradition make room for modernization.

However, tradition and modernization could coexist and together propel human civilization forward in the course of human history. Tradition is the symbol of the past while modernization serves as the representation of the future. On the personal level, say, writing letters was once a popular means for people to communicate with ours. However, with the advent of the information age, people tend to use telephones or emails to communicate and writing letters has become a different tradition in some private situations. On the community level, any nation that is flourishing today has its own unique tradition, and modernization is the unavoidable outcome of tradition. One apt illustration involves the festivals in China. Spring Festival is one of the most important festivals in Chinese tradition while Christmas is the festival of correspondingly significance in some western countries. The fact that Chinese celebrate both of the festivals nowadays may safely demystify and testify the statement that tradition and modernization can and should coexist in the era of our time.

Moreover, under certain circumstance, tradition and modernization could coordinate and collaborate. In order to survive and thrive, we should take full advantages of our tradition and learn from the past. At the same time, the development of modernization should be based on tradition. On one hand, many traditional aphorisms can still offer us aspirations and inspirations to deal with present problems; On the other hand, modern urbanization, industrialization and democratization could lead us to retrospection, introspection and redefinition of the preceding customs. Only by absorbing beneficial elements from both sides can we obtain a stable progress of development.

In final analysis, both tradition and modernization are of vital importance in the development of human society and it is our mission to harmonize them and take full advantage of them.