The cyclical and progressive history concepts are highly significant for analyzing past events and gathering knowledge for the future. From the perspective of a person who believes in cyclical history, historical sciences might be especially advantageous for evaluating the behavioral patterns that emerge throughout the years. Furthermore, it becomes possible to gain valuable insight into various situational predictors and outcomes, which is especially needed to understand specific events’ sources. Most importantly, considering that history follows a predetermined path that constantly repeats itself, historical sciences might be able to predict the occurrence of particular scenarios (Páez et al. 498). From this standpoint, history becomes a method of analyzing the past conditions, their cycle, and how these circumstances would evolve in the future. However, as the repetitions are impossible to avoid due to the specifics of human nature, humanity could only prepare for such events rather than attempt to prevent them.
In contrast with the cyclical view of history, the progressive approach allows for different use of historical sciences. An individual accepting the progressive theory would suggest that history can become an instrument of examining the previously occurred events, focusing on the factors that shaped human behavior. Knowledge about the impact that external aspects might have on a person is especially valuable from this perspective, as it enables the current generation to produce theories regarding potential programming options (Bowden 34). As historical sciences and humankind evolve, individuals can begin to utilize historical information to ascertain how societal and national development influences specific communities, prompting them to change or impeding growth. In this regard, history can aid humanity in inventing better ways of programming, increasing advancement rates, and attempting to prevent the emergence of factors that negatively affect such enhancement.
Works Cited
Bowden, Brett. “Progressive History.” The Strange Persistence of Universal History in Political Thought, edited by Brett Bowden, Springer International Publishing, 2017, pp. 33–61.
Páez, Darío, et al. “Social Representations of the Past and Competences in History Education.” Palgrave Handbook of Research in Historical Culture and Education, edited by Mario Carretero et al., Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2017, pp. 491–510.