The historian’s task is to understand the past; the human scientist, by contrast, is looking to change the future.” To what extent is this true in these areas of knowledge?
Comprehending and gaining knowledge about the past can be seen as a universal human need and the revelation of history has developed uniquely in civilizations around the world, historians are known to do this task of studying, researching and expressing these facts and concepts to satisfy the global human need of understanding history. A historian can be considered as a person who investigates past events and write or compiles a chronological report based on his findings, but according to my knowledge we can all be historians to some extent. To explore this topic I will be using two ways of knowing which will be reason and emotion and my areas of knowledge will be taken from history and human sciences. Therefore to support my statement I will be taking an example from my own life. Ex: I know that my first day of nursery school was on ........ at ...... in the year ....... but I do not know where I will be living after 10 years. Both these events are quite important matters in my life and this shows the certainty of the past and uncertainties of the future. As I can’t remember every detail about my early years my knowledge about the first day of nursery school came from my parents. I use reasoning and emotions which are my above mentioned ways of knowledge to believe that they are telling me the truth. Reasoning because I can count back years from my current age to find out on which year I was supposed to go to nursery, and to determine the place I can recall my memory to find out in which country I was living when I was .... years old. Emotions can be taken int...
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...istorians, after studying and investigating the past have been able to find out the main causes of the World War II and it is said that the desire and ability of Hitler, in control of Nazi Germany, to dominate Europe and gain control especially of the agrarian resources to the east of Germany was the primary one. According to what I think, the historians have researched this matter deeply in order to prevent such tragedies from occurring again.
So as an overall conclusion we can believe that without historians understanding and studying the past and scientists who are not motivated to change the future, we humans would still be quite behind in the different areas of knowledge but it is not only the scientists who are looking forward to change the future the historians are equally just as enthusiastic to change the future by having a better understanding of the past
The study of past events have been a common practice of mankind since the verbal telling of stories by our ancestors. William Cronon, in his article “Why the Past Matters,” asserts that the remembrance of the past “keeps us in place.” Our individual memories and experiences shape how we act in our daily lives. In addition to influencing us at an individual level, our collective history binds us together as a society. Without knowing where we have been or what we have experienced, it is nearly impossible to judge progress or know which courses of action to pursue. The goal of the historian is to analyze and explain past events, of which they rarely have firsthand memory of, and apply the gained knowledge to make connections with current and future events.
A beginning group of historians to take a closer look at is the empiricists. The empiricists have a very strictly factual and logical view on history and how to examine it. They believe that past is both “observable and verifiable” and that through adherence to three strict principles, the past can be represented objectively and accurately. (Green, Troup 3) The three aforementioned principles can be summed up as: meticulously examining historical evidence and verifying the evidence with references, making sure the research is completely impartial and free of biases and prejudices, and using an inductive, or observational, method of reasoning. (Green, Troup 3) The empiricists seek to find universal historical truths through objective research and sticking to the facts.
...xpect nor want historians to agree in their interpretations of the past, for then new discoveries would never be made and our knowledge would be limited. It is through this synthesis of knowledge and constant dialogue between historians that the most comprehensive representation of the Progressive Era, and ultimately history in general, is created.
World War II was not only started by Adolf Hitler and Germany, but had a lot to do with the humiliation that Germany felt when the terms of the Treaty of Versailles were laid down. The harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles may be indirectly related to the cause of World War II, but nonetheless was a huge factor in starting the war.
The Second World War was caused by Germany’s desire to revoke the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 and Hitler’s relentless quest for empire. This was considered a valid response to why the war began in 1939, until 1961 when A. J. P Taylor...
History is the study of the past. It is the combination of many different interpretations divided over different languages, cultures, and individuals. It is “fragments of knowledge that we put together” (Bishop). With that said, I believe that new information will disturb the already unstable model of the historical past. This is demonstrated through history’s influence on our emotion and sense perception.
I am often asked Why do people study history? Is it because it makes people feel a strong connection to their ancestor? Or perhaps the thrill of uncovering lost knowledge drives history forward. History is a complex and delicate subject which unlike science there may not be just one answer so historians must continually question the “generally accepted truth.” By seeking knowledge through history, we as humans are forced to face our own personal biases by either putting them aside or using them as fuel to support one’s own hypothesis. The True historian will look beyond their opinions and cultural restrictions by collecting information from both sides and then determining the best course of action. During the twentieth century, there was a shift in idea on how historians should analyze and study history. Modern day historians study the past in hopes of better understanding the present. One technique historians use to narrow down specific events is by looking for tuning points or eras of major change that lead to a greater impact. One cataclysmic event that has recently become under great debate
History is a discipline based on textual accounts of the past however it became necessary to look closer. A group of French historians watched as countless historians drew the same conclusions from the same experiences time after time, divorcing themselves from the “new social scientist adventuring among the economies and societies of the present.” The Annales school is interested in a science of humanity, human activities. “The function of the historian is not to declare that such a thought is objectively right or wrong but to state, or to suggest, what circumstances, in a particular time, made it thinkable.” The scholars of the Annales school used non-historians as much
History is very important for everyone, and everyone should learn about history. Learning History can help to learn about people situation and life from the past. It also helps to know about many events and even some fact from the past. When people want to learn history, they should search about any subject or event from the past and tries to learn the both side of the subject. They also need to try to find what is hidden from that subject, so they can learn more about it. They also need to find out who wrote the subject that they learn about, for not all the historian show the bad side of the event, and they just show the good side. When people know they both side the can have a good judgment about the event. For example, before taking the
History is a story told over time. It is a way of recreating the past so it can be studied in the present and re-interpreted for future generations. Since humans are the sole beneficiaries of history, it is important for us to know what the purpose of history is and how historians include their own perspective concerning historical events. The purpose and perspective of history is vital in order for individuals to realise how it would be almost impossible for us to live out our lives effectively if we had no knowledge of the past. Also, in order to gain a sound knowledge of the past, we have to understand the political, social and cultural aspects of the times we are studying.
Knowledge is gained through a myriad of personal experiences through a variety of ways that shapes a person’s understanding. The knowledge we obtain is the culmination of our experiences as we learn what our brain interprets from our senses. Knowledge is the transmission of information that shapes a person’s understanding on a particular topic using a way of knowing. The language used by others to formulate our own ideas and thoughts produce knowledge. The knowledge obtained can either be objective and subjective. The two areas of knowledge, history and arts, are both typically at fault for being inaccurate or bias. The role of history is to study, interpret and analyse the events of the past and relay these findings through language. Language communicates thoughts and ideas through a verbal or written broadcast, thus allowing knowledge to be conveyed. The arts are a broad area of knowledge that communicate knowledge through the manipulation of our sense perceptions that allow us to experience sensations through any of our five senses. The inaccuracies and biases of these areas of knowledge and ways of knowing is due to the pre-set beliefs and values that affect how an artist or a historian chooses to express a particular message to others. Each historian belongs to a school of historiography that holds the belief that an event was due to a specific set of factors and the language used supports this claim. Similarly, artists utilize our sense perceptions to convey a message through a painting. Arts are a broad area of knowledge to i...
This essay will discuss differences in motives which have driven ancient and modern science, arguing that 17th century alterations of power structures led to the ultimate division between modern and ancient science and the eruption of modern science as it is today. Comparisons will be drawn regarding knowledge accessibility, prevailing philosophies and ideologies, and the relationship between science and the church.
Historians use sources and knowledge to piece together the history of the human existence while Human scientist study the human behavior as well as the lifestyle we live in. They indeed focus on these areas and provide information to each other. However, a historian will also look to the future and foretell using his or her knowledge of the past. In the same way, a human scientist might look at human behavior today and compare it with the past. For when we look at human science, historians find it as useful term for science with the word ‘human’ as the subject (Smith). This opens the possibilities for the historian to research and thus history can be considered as a ‘Human Science’ (Smith).
Learning about history helps us learn about the humanities own reflection and what’s good or bad about it. This is just like a diary , people and by people I mean historians , just wrote what they saw and what seemed to cause a major change in society and we just happen to be reading it a couple of years later. I believe that historians actually wrote historical truth because it makes sense and it has been scientifically proven
History is a body of knowledge that has surrounded not only the events of the past but also their consequences. History is concerned with evidence about human beings who have lived in the society. It’s so concerning with how human lives have changed through time. It’s not only the explanation about the distant past but also that contemporary world. History is concerned with people in the society, their interaction and their relationships with their environment. History had an impact on society because interaction between society and its past is an unending one, the interaction is mutual and continuous. The past exists only in the mind and memories of those in the present. Since history is said to be concerning with people in the society, their