For the vast majority of people, reminders are necessary elements for advancement and learning. Likewise, the same can be said of history, which plays an important role in everyone’s lives. In the essay Why Study World History by Jerry Bentley, the author focuses on the intellectual benefits of studying history. However, the essay Why Study History (1998) by Peter N. Stearns discusses the effect of history in a personal and social sense. Though slightly different, the two articles suggest that history is a key factor for understanding, in some form. As history is quite a broad idea, individuals often hold differing perspectives upon it. As written in Why Study World History by Jerry Bentley, history is referred to as “one of the big intellectual …show more content…
In his essay, Bentley states that history “draws attention to the mind-boggling processes of change, development, and transformation” (Bentley, pg. 1). As an idea that widens perspectives, he suggests that history serves to invoke thought, as so that intellectual progress is possible. Throughout the course of his writing, Bentley explains the benefits of studying history, which include the abilities to analyze the past, understand situations of the present, and be wise enough to be wary of the future. On a different note, Stearns focuses on personal aspects, stating that “studying history encourages habits of minds that are vital for responsible public behavior” (Stearns, pg. 4). Through the study of history, he believes that acceptable social behavior and ethics can be achieved. As a result, the essay conveys that history serves to aid in the development of a better person, through factors such as work ethic, morals, and behavior. Although the two essays convey different perspectives upon a single idea, both are true. History is meant to develop an understanding of humanity, which includes both the mental and the social elements of …show more content…
Though not apparent, history is of relevance within my life, to some extent. My personal history aids in giving me an identity and serves as a reminder of the past, such as accomplishments and mistakes, which directly influence my future thoughts and actions. However, the histories of my family, neighborhood and nation help in establishing the morals and ideals that I live by, as they set a guideline for what is proper. On a larger scale, world history enables me to have a sense of how things in life connect and the position that I exist in within life. Overall, in my perspective, history is a reminder that even though the world is a large place, with numerous occurrences and individuals, I still am a unique part of
“One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, skimmed over. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth.”
It’s truly fascinating how there are so many different approaches to history, how so many different types of minds and schools of thought can come together to study the events of the world’s past. There are so many ways to approach what happened in our past, and the groups of historians previously mentioned are only a fraction of the actual number of different ways of researching and thinking that exists as it pertains to the study of history. History is in some ways, always a mystery, and all historians, regardless of schooling, training or biases, seek to accomplish one goal: to understand what occurred before us and why, and to use that knowledge to learn how the world was shaped into the world we live in today.
- It is important to remind people of history because it teaches them about previous happenings. It shows that for every action there is a consecuence, therefore every action or decision you make will have an effect that will impact your life and the life of the people around you. It also gives you an insight of what happened years ago so that in the near future, we are prepared well enough to make the right decisions in order to avoid reliving similar or previous events.
What is history? Many believe that history is what is read in textbooks, or what is seen on the news. If Susan Griffin were asked that question, she would probably argue that history is much more than that. It is about the minds and souls of the people who went through the historical event, not simply what happened. In her essay, Griffin incorporates stories of people from totally different backgrounds, and upbringings, including herself, all to describe their account of one time period. Each person’s history is somehow connected with the next person’s, and each story contr...
Learning history has given me a new perspective on the World today. I have learned how WWI and WWII shaped how the world is today – from the visions of the modern to the three-world order to globalization.
History is a powerful form of context. History is one thing that almost every reader can grasp and have a great understanding of. Also, history is one thing that will always stay current. ...
“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” This famous quote from Edmund Burke is one that many of us are familiar with. In spite of this, many people disregard history, branding it as unimportant or irrelevant to modern-day situations. However, history is actually a quite important subject with a myriad of lessons to be learned for anybody to apply now and in the future. Additionally, history gives us much needed information about our past, keeping us from forgetting why our nations became the way they are. It allows us to draw parallels between modern events and past events to collect our best judgment and gives us the important knowledge of the origin of our modern world, giving extra credibility
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.
We are all taught essentially the same things in school. We learn of the presidents and what they did and when they did it. But we know, as adults, that we did not get all the facts or even a portion of the correct facts in regards to history. In the essay, "The Historian and His Facts," Edward Hallett Carr shares a bit of insight into the people who record history and write about it. We are given a deeper understanding of historians and just what it is they do and what they know. By doing so Carr gives the reader an opportunity to question much of the history that we are exposed to and taught. The historian Barbara Tuchman says that the most common question asked of historians by the public is whether history serves a purpose and whether we can learn from the lessons of history (Tuchman 608).
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.
1. The importance of the study of world history to me personally as an American is very significant because I hope to find a career where I will work with many diverse people and I not only want to know them, but I want to have an understanding of where they came from in order to associate with them better. Another reason is that an American can be from any culture from around the world. Americans aren’t any certain race or religion, so we have to understand our fellow citizens just as they need to understand us.
History is the bridge that connects the past with the present. Without history, we have no future. The past gives value to our present. David C. McCullough stated, “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are”. I agree with McCullough, history gives us a purpose. History allows us to investigate and interpret the past in order to see how we developed and where we came from. We can get an idea of what has influenced our past and present, and also what will shape our future. We can see what previous generations did and whether or not t...
Though our history may bring back horrible memories of the ?grimmest dimensions of human nature? (Limerick 472), it is necessary to have a good historical background. History gives us the ability to improve future outputs, satisfy our unending need for knowledge, and understand how many policies and regulations have come to be. Without history mankind would be very primitive and ununified. Our complete molding of the world today is almost completely dependent on the fact that we study our history. Without history present day humans would be nothing more than cavemen.
It is important to study history because it teaches us about not only our own culture but about cultures all around the world. Learning about other cultures and how they look a the world and what their opinion on certain things are , helps us learn better ways of avoiding conflicts. History is just a way of getting us to understand human life and helping us embrace new ways of making a healthier lifestyle. Studying history is very important to all of our society because it answers every question. History is everywhere so why not learn about
When most people think about history they remember a boring class they took in school a long time ago, they recall memorizing important dates, taking map tests, and falling asleep while listening to a lecture. The truth is that history really is an important subject to be teaching students. History is more than just some lecture you receive in class, history lets us look back, see the good things and the bad things, it allows us to learn from our mistakes and prevent such mistakes from happening in the future. Things that happened in the past are still changing things that are happening today. History is needed for everyone, from government leaders down to individuals; everyone has learned one thing or another from history at some point in their life.