A fellow [a number of years my senior who was trying to guide me - not that I asked:-)] recently told me that he doesn't think that I should "waste my time" with learning Rav Kook and other later thinkers [he doesn't:-)] but rather should learn the primary sources such as the medrash and gemara and understand them on my own.
I agree. The MOMENT that I am on the level that I can learn and understand Torah as well as Rav Kook, Rav Soloveitchik, Rav Hutner, Rav Hirsch, the Malbim etc. etc. etc. I won't have to learn them anymore. But since I don't know anybody today who is on the level of all of those titans - it is prudent to use their help in understanding Torah.
The same applies to learning gemara. If you understand the gemara and rishonim on the level of Rav Shmuel Rozovsky or Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, then you don't need to look into their sefarim. But since in the meantime nobody is on that level - they deserve our time and attention.
Of course we should try to understand earlier sources with out own brains but not to the exclusion of achronim.
See the hakdama to Yabia Omer, Vol. 1.
