People live in the present but mostly worry and plan for the future. History takes on a different dimension by studying the past. Given the present demands in the news about the present and trying to anticipate the future, it can be difficult to understand why people study history. History can appear to be inferior to other disciplines like science that deals with studies of items that more tangible. However, the term history is derived from the term “historia”, a Greek word that means acquiring knowledge through investigation and inquiry. History should be studied as it enhances fosters knowledge about the past that can be used to dictate both the present and the future. History is more than the study of the past as it fosters a better understanding of the current world and presents an opportunity to predict the future.
History provides a better understanding of the current world
The study of history is of great importance because it allows us to make great sense of the current world we live in. History allows one to look at the past and understand how the current world came to be. One can look at the past cultural and economic trends and situations and understand the current world. For instance, the technological trends experienced throughout history enables us to understand how the currently modernized world came to be. Various inventions made by mankind can be fully appreciated by studying history (Nunn, 2009, p. 65). 1
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History also fosters a reasoning as to why there are some rules that exist in the current world. For instance, through history, one can look at the Great Depression and understand the importance of social welfare programs that have been set up today. Additionally, the study of the Civil Rights movement shows how far the United States has come in fostering equality. It enables one to understand why the United States has put so much effort in the creation of a system that ensures everyone is equal and has an equal access to public resources and amenities. Through history, one can look at the current Constitution and understand how it was formed after difficult wars with the colonialists until the attainment of independence (Zinn, 2015, p. 437). 2 Without a proper background and understanding of history, one may never fully appreciate elements like the constitution that hold the fabric of our society together.
The study of history can offer a storehouse of information about the behavior of people and societies. Understanding how people and societies operate is difficult as people can act differently when faced with different situations. History provides an understanding of the situations that people faced and their final decisions. The evaluation of current data can be difficult in some situations that only happened in the past. For instance, it would be impossible to evaluate war within a nation when it is at peace. Instead, the use of historical materials can foster a better understanding of the different wars that took place in history (Lovejoy, 2017, p. 294). 3
Understanding the process of how things came to be can best be done through the use of history. The past caused the present, and shapes the future. Any time people try to understand why something happened, they can look to history. Factors that call for historical considerations could include a shift in political party dominance, major changes in world events, and outbreaks of wars. While recent history can be enough to explain a major turn of events, the root cause of the changes can be identified through the historical evidence. Only through history, can people grasp the changes in events and understand the causes of change (Tarrow, 2015, p. 182). 4
History provides relevant counsel
Historical knowledge provides a relevant, practical, and empowering counsel for present-day events and people. When faced with very difficult situations, many people choose to turn to the past to find out how other people before them acted. They can consider the correct decisions they made and follow and also consider the wrong decisions and evade them. Additionally, history provides examples of how communities collaborated and the solutions they put forth that helped propel man forward during hardships. Looking towards history as a guide and counsel for future decisions ensures that one does not repeat the mistakes made by their ancestors.
The study of history can also be used to enhance critical thinking skills. It enables one to analyze multiple sources of information, separate facts from bias and opinions, and come up with a conclusion. This creates a practical and empowering competence that can be applied to change decisions about current events. Understanding multiple timelines influences the ability to think critically through a decision. The historical inquiry that goes beyond memorizing dates, places, and names provides one with the power to change both the present and future events.
One of the critical lessons taught in history is identifying mistakes made in the past and avoiding the repetition of those mistakes both in the present and the future. The study of history provides an opportunity for citizens, governments, and policymakers to identify patterns of behavior. They can then consider the positive and negative turn of events after a specific decision. Winston Churchill and Roy Jenkins were politicians that studied history to judge their own standing in different issues. They studied history in order to find a guide to their conduct and to find the lesson in public affairs. The approach enabled them to be great leaders that made significant impacts through their decisions (Tosh, 2015, p. 38). 5
Learning of our origins
Studying history is that it gives us a chance to learn about our origins and where we came from. History allows us to study the people of the past and offers an interesting description of how attitudes, thoughts, and practices can be distinctly different from people in the past. Additionally, it can be interesting and fun to learn about the ideas which started several centuries ago which are still being used today. This is because history feeds our curiosity with information about our ancestors. It provides a better understanding of how the lived and the impact they left in this world.
Moral contemplation
History can be studied to foster moral contemplation. Studying about the past can enable a learner to measure their current level of moral sense. Historical knowledge enables one to learn about people that suffered, worked hard, and preserved through difficulties to bring change to their societies. These inspirations can help an individual work hard and achieve their personal goals in life.
History provides a moral contemplation for historical atrocities that change the decision of the current society. For instance, atrocities like the Holocaust can be used to teach the dangers of hatred and genocide supported by the state. Through history, the Holocaust can be traced to anti-hate legislation showing that the atrocity did not begin in the gas chambers but with words (Maitra and McGowan, 2012, p. 46) 6 . The lesson can be used to caution leaders about how they use their words. As such, speaking ill or making death threats concerning a certain racial group is thus punishable by law.
Revelation about designing the future
Apart from simply revealing the past, history provides information about how the current society can design the future in a better way. There are valuable lessons which come about when one learns about the past. It can be used to predict future events without having to pay a huge price. For instance, one can learn about shocking atrocities and events that caused them. Atrocities such as the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 can be traced for their root causes and we can avoid going through the same paths (Meierhenrich, 2014, p. 27) 7 .
Hobsbawm (2011) notes that it desirable, possible, and even necessary to forecast the future. He notes that historians can contribute significantly to explorations about the future. They can discover what humans can and cannot do, establish settings and possible limits, and establish penalties and possible consequences of human actions. Historians can also be able to distinguish between the unforeseeable and foreseeable future. However, the study of history does not make one a prophet where one can predict future events. Instead, they offer a more reliable idea for the future of mankind (Hobsbawm, 2011, p. 12) 8 .
In conclusion, the study of history is more than the study of the past because it can be used to raise questions about the present and predict the future. History offers a better understanding of the current modern world by trying to explain how things came to be. It provides a rationale for why certain rules exist and offer an understanding of how societies and people behave and operate. History can also act as a moral guide and counsel for different world leaders. Historians have a better understanding of people’s behavior and can use it to predict the future with better accuracy.
References
Hobsbawm, E., 2011. On history . Hachette UK.
Lovejoy, A., 2017. The great chain of being: A study of the history of an idea . Routledge.
Maitra, I. and McGowan, M.K. eds., 2012. Speech and Harm: Controversies Over Free Speech . Oxford University Press on Demand.
Meierhenrich, J., 2014. Introduction: the study and history of genocide (pp. 3-55). Oxford University Press USA.
Tosh, J., 2015. The pursuit of history: Aims, methods and new directions in the study of history . Routledge.
Nunn, N., 2009. The importance of history for economic development. Annu. Rev. Econ. , 1 (1), pp.65-92.
Tarrow, S., 2015. War, states, and contention: A comparative historical study . Cornell University Press.
Zinn, H., 2015. A people's history of the United States: 1492-present . Routledge.
1 Nathan Nunn, 2009, The importance of history for economic development. Annu. Rev. Econ. , 1 (1), pp.65-92.
2 Howard Zinn, 2015, A people's history of the United States: 1492-present . Routledge. pp. 437
3 Arthur Lovejoy, 2017, The great chain of being: A study of the history of an idea . Routledge. pp. 294
4 Sidney Tarrow, 2015. War, states, and contention: A comparative historical study . Cornell University Press.
5 John Tosh, 2015, The pursuit of history: Aims, methods and new directions in the study of history . Routledge.
6 Ishani Maitra and Mary Kate McGowan eds., 2012. Speech and Harm: Controversies Over Free Speech . Oxford University Press on Demand.
7 Jens Meierhenrich, 2014, Introduction: the study and history of genocide (pp. 3-55). Oxford University Press USA.
8 Eric Hobsbawm, 2011, On history . Hachette UK.
