Tradition and Change

The Humanities call for careful observation and analysis of the day-to-day lived-out experience of humanity at large. One area of focus is the constantly changing habitat of human beings. Naturally, this condition requires us to change. How then do we maintain our values, culture, rituals, etc? Are we constantly changing them or are we holding on to them at all costs? Are we living at the centre of a tug of war, being incessantly pulled in different directions? In other words, are we struggling to maintain a balance between holding on to our traditions and needing to change to meet the new conditions in our lives? The writers in this text try to answer some of these very fundamental questions.

Each chapter in this book will raise different sets of questions and offer a wide variety of answers. Some of these questions and answers might seem strange, and others might offer extraordinary perspectives. In fact, this book offers an exciting and challenging journey through the lived-out human experience in many cultures, societies, and even intellectual constructs. The response of humans to the conditions of their lives is so enormous that one book cannot bring them all together to the reader. However, this book brings a selective set of readings that address six issues.