Should tradition guide a modernising society?
Side one
Tradition anchors us
Traditions carry tested wisdom about community, duty and restraint. Discarding them leaves people rootless.
Bhagavad Gita · Tirukkural · Gandhi: Truth and NonviolenceSide two
Reason must reform
Many customs entrench caste and gender injustice. Practices must pass the test of reason and rights.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy: Reason and Reform · Periyar: Self-Respect · Nehru: Scientific Temper and InstitutionsCommon ground
Both want a society with meaning and justice; they differ on how much to trust inherited ways.
How to reconcile them
Keep the values that pass the test of dignity and reason, and reform the practices that do not, as India's reformers did from within.
When each side is right
Invoke tradition for community, ethics and identity. Invoke reform when customs harm or exclude.
Which side are you on?Vote in the app, see what others picked, and explore the debate with AI.
Open in the app