Why History Is Important
AP U.S. History
5 September 2012
Is The Study of History Worthwhile?
“Is the study of history worthwhile?” is one of the most important questions we face today in our academic communities. Whether we should be persistent in our study of man’s triumphs and mistakes, or whether we should leave where we have come from and merely focus on where we are going. There are compelling arguments for both sides, but by far, the logical answer to this question is without a doubt. Yes.
History is an incredibly important part of our daily academics. It is also an important part of this nation. One reason why we must study history is to see how it repeats itself. George Santayana once said that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” People learn from experience, and we tend to always learn from the history of our nation. It is, after all, what keeps us a fair and civilized nation. Freedom and liberty have been protected because intelligent men have stood up to tyranny throughout history. But without learning about them, we could never appreciate what we have. We could never know about what true freedom was. If no one knew about the atrocities and oppression that has occurred throughout history, and how people overcame them, then no one would truly understand what freedom is.
As well as teaching us about how the freedoms we enjoy exist, it also teaches us facts that allow us to understand and predict current world issues. History does not only provide us with qualitative data about the past, but also quantitative. History gives numbers that helps historians and economists alike. It helps economists by giving them solid data about the stock markets, currency and more. It helps historians because it tells them facts about population, environmental factors, and desertions during war. That’s just to name a few. The value of history is irreplaceable.
History also teaches us important lessons about our culture and other cultures. Since modern society is
5 September 2012
Is The Study of History Worthwhile?
“Is the study of history worthwhile?” is one of the most important questions we face today in our academic communities. Whether we should be persistent in our study of man’s triumphs and mistakes, or whether we should leave where we have come from and merely focus on where we are going. There are compelling arguments for both sides, but by far, the logical answer to this question is without a doubt. Yes.
History is an incredibly important part of our daily academics. It is also an important part of this nation. One reason why we must study history is to see how it repeats itself. George Santayana once said that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” People learn from experience, and we tend to always learn from the history of our nation. It is, after all, what keeps us a fair and civilized nation. Freedom and liberty have been protected because intelligent men have stood up to tyranny throughout history. But without learning about them, we could never appreciate what we have. We could never know about what true freedom was. If no one knew about the atrocities and oppression that has occurred throughout history, and how people overcame them, then no one would truly understand what freedom is.
As well as teaching us about how the freedoms we enjoy exist, it also teaches us facts that allow us to understand and predict current world issues. History does not only provide us with qualitative data about the past, but also quantitative. History gives numbers that helps historians and economists alike. It helps economists by giving them solid data about the stock markets, currency and more. It helps historians because it tells them facts about population, environmental factors, and desertions during war. That’s just to name a few. The value of history is irreplaceable.
History also teaches us important lessons about our culture and other cultures. Since modern society is