Horizons Reflection

In Horizons there is a concept posed about the "weight" of the past in regards to the future. That is to say that history does give mankind something to learn from and build upon, however, it neglects the ability to start "fresh". If society were able to start over there is potential to avoid some of the existing issues such as hunger, literacy, etc.

It is the past that makes it difficult to organize for the sake of the future. As a result of prior problems and set laws, there is a difficulty in moving on to new horizons. The idea is that a "clean slate" in regards to sociological organizations allows for new techniques or ideas to be put into practice. Presently, such a clean slate is difficult/ next to impossible, thus policy makers must maneuver around existing issues and legislation to achieve their ultimate goal. For instance, the DC government must reinvigorate the Anacostia area instead of completely starting fresh. This mean that large sums of funding must be poured into the area in order to even have potential. It is easy to say that with a clear chance, in this case undeveloped land, would allow for the government to implement whatever it saw fit (potentially costing substantially less).

However, the "weight" of the past does have substantial value. Without the mistakes and successes of the past, policy makers and society as a whole would not have the current knowledge of what works and what doesnt. These lessons would have to be re/learned if humankind was to start over. As easy a clean slate is, there is beauty in constructing successes out of prior problems. For instance the DC Metro is (arguably) better then the majority of transit systems in America. This is a result of the planners analyzing existing systems and recognizing the faults and positive aspects and using them to create a new system.