However we must ALSO try to understand the person in the context of their times.
It is right and proper to use the values of our own time to assess someone in another time. That is natural, and it is also essential.
If we did not do it how could we condemn our Celtic ancestors for head hunting? child sacrifice by Aztecs? Victorian values of slave blacks and women? the beating of children in the 50s?
However we must ALSO try to understand the person in the context of their times. Is their attitude to another class or race standard in their times? Then they are just normal at that time. the exceptional person who did challenge what we now see as injustice might be particularly honoured.
But the person who did not should not be condemned. They should simply be noted as passively part of their times, on that issue.
They might be admirable on other issues. Kipling had a very independent, intelligent response to Church narrowmindedness for example.
Let's accept that we do not live in a timeless zone. People should be judged by the standards of BOTH our time, and their own.
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