“This word, with the concept it expresses, is taken for granted by all scholars and specialists. It describes an accepted presence in history. 'Tradition' can be used to cover almost anything. The more ready its use, the more excuse it seems to provide for not going any further.” - (p. 69) Havelock, The Muse Learns to Write
Tradition is the enemy of creativity. We have to accept the values of others simply because they have chosen them?
“Tradition has specifics for any given society. An individual has to learn what these are, whatever they happen to be. He does not draw them from an instinctive sensibility of his own…” (p. 69)
I don’t believe that. Some people have an “instinctive sensibility.” They speak or write by their own standards. There are always firsts. Look at Homer.
If it were not for tradition, we would be useless. These events were the forefathers for our creativity.
"Some people have an 'instinctive sensibility.' They speak or write by their own standards. There are always firsts. Look at Homer. (KS)"
I think Havelock was talking about tradition in the general, cultural sense rather than in the sense of literary tradition.
True, Homer was one of the first to record the cultural traditions of his people, but he didn't create those traditions himself. They already existed, and he found ways to incorporate them into his works.