Traditions are about the past and innovation is about the future, and it has been argued that we need to let go of traditions for the sake of progress. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this? What role should traditions have in our...

Customs are generally considered to be an obstacle to further development and growth. In my opinion, I strongly disagree with the idea that traditions should be put aside as they still have a crucial role to play in scientific and socio-economic progress.

Firstly, most of the outstanding scientific and technology innovation are the result of significant discoveries which occurred in the past centuries. In addition, these developments have definitely paved the way to progress and have absolutely improved lifestyle and well being throughout the years. To give a clear example, most of the modern technologies available nowadays, such as smartphones and computers, would not have been developed if scientists had not discovered the properties of electricity centuries ago.

Secondly, traditions and customs still have a dramatic impact on everyday life and socio-economic development as well. Consequently, the study of historical events and culture has proven to be an effective method for the comprehension of modernity and the latest news. In other words, contemporary events such as global war, political and economic crises are strongly related to past events which occurred throughout the world. For this reason, the preservation of history and culture is vitally important in the prevention of further conflicts as human beings could learn from their mistakes and experience.

On the other hand, in some instances, not all the cultural traditions are worth keeping. For instance, despite the considerable progress on human rights, many customs might be harmful and detrimental to the dignity of several populations and individuals. Therefore, this kind of traditions should be left behind in order to protect people from eventual abuse.

To conclude, keeping culture alive has a positive effect on both society and progress, on the condition that human rights and dignity are not limited in any way.