Human Knowledge
Is Common Property
On the other hand it needs, to be
realized that not all the thoughts and principles that have sprung
up elsewhere are necessarily local in space and time. The response
of human beings in a particular place time and social atmosphere
may, and does, in many cases have relation and use to other human
beings elsewhere and at other times. Therefore to ignore altogether
the developments in other societies, past or present is certainly
unwise. Whatever truths these developments contains must be taken
not of and accepted. The rest must be scrupulously avoided. While
absorbing the wisdom of other societies it is only proper that we
avoid their mistakes or perversities. Even their wisdom should be
adapted to our particular circumstances. In brief, we must absorb
the knowledge and gains of the entire humanity so far as eternal
principles and truths are concerned. Of these the ones that
originated in our midst have to be clarified and adapted to changed
times and those that we take from other societies have to be adapted
to our conditions.
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