History is made by man. Ideas, actions, as well as contributions of individuals framed our history, mold our modern society and will continue exert great influences on the future. The speaker maintains that the greatness of individuals could only be decides by their descendants rather than their contemporaries. While I partly agree with his/her idea that future generation could arrive at a better conclusion about the greatness of individuals' effect on the world, I withhold my agreement with the speaker's point that contemporaries do not have a say towards the greatness of individuals. As far as I am concerned, not only people who live after great men, but also their contemporaries have the right to judge their contributions to the society. In other words, whether one could just a person's contributions to the society mostly depends on the field he/she is involved in.
In certain fields as politics and business, people will find it easy to judge a person's greatness and influence upon the society because politicians and businessmen tend to exert an impact that could be easily and quickly felt and observed. History, as well as modern society, is replete with examples to uphold this point. In retrospect, Abraham Lincoln, one of the great presidents in the history of United States, may be a representative figure. Despite the tense nationwide political situation at the time, Abraham Lincoln, aiming to liberate slaves in the south, resolutely eradicated the evil system of slavery, forever changing the destiny of African Americans. His greatness, as anyone at the age could see, was immediately acknowledged both at home and abroad. In modern times, the example of Bill Gates would suffice to legitimize my point. Bill Gates, the creator of Microsoft, revolutionizes the system of personal computers, creating billions of dollars each year for US. Apart from being a successful businessman, Gates is also a kind-hearted philanthropist. Having donated part of his money to...