The importance of history is discussed by many people, including popular actors, musicians, politicians, writers, and other public figures. The question is somewhat controversial because when some deny the significance of history, others, on the contrary, promote this science as the essential knowledge of humankind. This essay will try to explain the essentiality of such science as history and elaborate its meaning in modern society.
Firstly, history is a record of human failures and successes, which one can learn from. As it is said, “history repeats itself”, it moves like a spiral and continuously repeats the past events. This science allows one to sense the pattern, understand it, and understand the present and, ideally, avoid repeating the same mistakes people did in the past (Tosh 7). For example, there were two world wars in humankind’s history, and they both started almost identically. If those people learned from their mistakes, maybe there would not be any armed conflicts. In addition to this, several pandemics started and lasted almost the same amount of time (plague, cholera, influenza, coronavirus). If one wishes to know why the world is in its current state, one must search for answers in history.
Moreover, one can observe economic models of the past and be able to predict the direction of development in which a country will move. For example, a lot of people know such a concept as a “Chinese economic miracle”. Chinese government turned to past experiences of emperors and other countries to create a beneficial model of development for China (Guariglia et.al). As a result, China became the capital of the world economy. All that happened because they effectively used their knowledge of the past and the experiences of other countries. One can also observe the Civil Rights movement to comprehend the gradual development of an equality system, which exists now in America.
If to speak about other aspects of history’s importance, it enables one to fathom a variety of cultures. Studying this science more closely provides one with the background of one’s people and increases cross-cultural awareness and helps one learn the peculiarities of other cultures (Tosh 110). However, the most important reason to study history is that it teaches one to think critically and comprehend the world around them. It also enables one to contemplate the experiences of people who came before, and it shows a person an essential quality in life – respect. Studying it makes humankind look at its reflection and learn from it to make the world a better place for future generations. Historians also regularly write, and to appeal to a specific audience, they have to possess the knowledge of the background of those people.
To conclude, studying history is very important in the modern world, whether it is military, religion, history of illnesses, and so forth. It enables a person to understand past experiences and learn from them to make the world a better place. If one desires to contemplate why the world is in its current state, one has to search for answers in history. What is more, if one wishes to make their country stronger economically, as the Chinese people did, one must look for answers in history. In addition to this, if one wants to understand different cultures, one must return to its people’s background. The most important reason to learn history is that it teaches a person to think critically.
Works Cited
Tosh, John. Why History Matters. Macmillan International Higher Education, 2019.
Guariglia, Alessandra, et al. “Chinese Capital Markets: the Importance of History for Modern Development.” The European Journal of Finance, vol. 24, no. 16, 2018. Web.