Protection of cultural heritage as a sign of civilization

Abstract

Civilization is the human societies’ ability to survive the biological extinction of its individuals by transmitting the values, virtues and the best practices of the present generation and the predecessors’ to the successive generations.
Civilization means heritage; it is the constant trace that mankind engraves onto the surrounding world. Human civilization is not only the output of the interaction of individuals in a certain society, in a certain place and at a certain time, but it is, above all, the interaction of past societies with one another and with our present societies. There is no civilization without heritage. Therefore, heritage does not belong to a society or a generation, but to all generations. The heritage that our generations left before us is not ours at all but it belongs to all generations, to those that exist no more, to us and to the coming ones. The appropriation of cultural heritage bequeathed by the past generations from a certain generation is equally unfair and unlawful as the appropriation of public wealth by a particular individual. No generation can have the authority, and much less the monopoly of judging the heritage bestowed upon us by the past generations.
The temporary cannot judge the permanent; fashion cannot judge beauty; and the present society cannot judge the heritage of the former generations. This heritage is not to be judged, but to be understood, appreciated and passed on to future generations. We can enrich this heritage with the seal of our times but we do not have the right to wipe out the traces of our forefathers.