Does History Matter?

Millions of people have gone great lengths to record every part of the past. We may not know much about the future but we have more than enough information about the past. The knowledge about our past has helped us in many ways. Historians, teachers, doctors, students, lawyers and many more have relied on history books and researches on significant events in history to prove their point. The question why history matters has been asked many times. It has been asked by students, teachers and parents sometimes. Some people may see this question as ridiculously easy but I see it as one of the hardest ones yet asked. Does History matter? This question can’t be answered in one sentence. Try asking people why history is important and the answer is usually “It’s to learn from our mistakes”. It’s not right to summarize over 4 billion years of history in one sentence. This question can be easily answered in numerous ways. I would side with the numerous historians who say history holds huge significance. History is older than any object or human being we have ever come across. History has proved itself significance with the help of human beings. We, the people have used history and made it one the most significant thing in present. History holds itself significant because it has helped us understand human behaviors, change in societies, mistakes influential figures have made in past, the past events occurrence and many other reasons. The most important reason is that history protects us by preparing us for the incoming. This essay would analyze the importance of history today by using the past events for evidence.

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it” is a famous quote by George Santayana. Although the r...

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...We would be unable to understand the reason early humans had families without historical knowledge. We would be in dark about how past societies had people with different cultures living side by side. People from past and today have almost similar desires. The desire to have fame, popularity, money or a family is still same. Herodotus said in 425 BC that “people are strongest in their wants for fame, fortune, power and pleasure”. Herodotus statement shows a similarity between the past and present. People are still driven by same desires that they were in past. John Locke viewed humans as having good nature. Amongst one of the many theories of John Locke was that humans were equal and had a right to defend their “life, health, liberty or possessions”. Protestant doctrine was the complete opposite of John Locke’s theory. They believed humans to have an evil nature.