What is the value, if any, of studying history?
It is often claimed that the value of studying history is that it allows us to make decisions and predictions regarding the present and future based on the mistakes of the past. Indeed, Edmund Burke stated as early as 1790 that “In history, a great volume is unrolled for our instruction, drawing the materials of future wisdom from the past errors and infirmities of mankind."1 However, in this essay I will show that this is not necessarily the case, and will argue instead that the value of history is that it allows us to frame our present in the context of the past, and therefore better understand ourselves as a species and as a society. To illustrate this I will be using the examples of the 2008 financial crisis in relation to the UK housing market, and the current conflict in Afghanistan in relation to previous wars in that country.
The UK housing market has long been renowned for being “intrinsically volatile”2. As seen in the graph below, since the early 1970s it has experienced four distinct periods of 'boom and bust ' which are marked each time by an increase in consumer credit (blue line M4).3
This graph clearly shows that each “...bust followed an unsustainable credit-induced boom.”4 Therefore I would argue that lessons from history have not been learned in this case as the cycle of boom and bust has been repeated four times already and will most likely continue ad infinitum, despite numerous economists5 and
Edmund Burke once said “Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” Unfortunately, it seems that many people who have impacted the world have had a bad history teacher, as history continues to repeat itself to this day. One of the most prime examples of this is seen in the Middle East; where the Palestinian people are fighting against the Israelis over territory in which they both believe belongs to them. It has been a dispute which has resulted in loss of homes, loss of life and loss of money. However, this is nothing new. Eugene O’Neill’s statement, “There is no present and no future, only the past happening over and over again, now” applies strongly to the situation of the past 70 years in the
Have you ever heard the saying “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” and “We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.”? These quotes come from George Santayana and George Bernard Shaw, these men tell how it’s common for people to repeat past mistakes. However, if people learn to look back and understand history, it’s harder to replicate disastrous actions. History is full of wars and brutish words, yet the source of all these problems come from a single issue: power. Leaders seek power in every crevice they can find. In the book, “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, Napoleon is a cruel dictator who successfully takes over a farm after running off its competitors. Major, an old pig, told the farm of a new way of living. However, after he died, Napoleon steadily took over the farm. Therefore, taking the time to understand history’s past and mistakes can be an effective weapon against repeating the same mistakes. Failure to learn outcomes in a repetition of history, as Napoleon proves, as shown in today’s life, learning from history helps resolve futures issues, and only suffering comes from problematic actions of the past.
Fea’s title for his sixth chapter of Why Study History, is “History for a Civil Society”, where he points out that in order to have a more unified society in the present, we should learn from history’s trials and triumphs. Looking at every disagreement in our country, it is based on a cultural difference. For example, gun rights are important to some because they grew up in a household that believed guns represent power, protection, and safety. However, for someone who may have grown up in an area where guns were used violently against them, they will have a very different belief about guns. Fea stands firmly on the belief that “when taught correctly, history will impart the virtues of necessary to end the culture wars, transform our ways
As the professor James W Loewer, author of the book, referred that Americans have lost touch with their history. Our teachers and textbooks play important roles in our history study. However, it is their eliding and misrepresenting factoids that have been obstacles in our history studying. Because access to too much errors and distortion, many Americans can hardly understand the past of the country. As a result, we lack the ability to reflect on what’s going on right now and in the future.
This paper deals with ways history can be interpreted and influences different interpretations have on society and individuals. This is explored through
The article “History Still Matters” by Bill Moyers expresses some important concerns in our societies over the loss of interest in history. Throughout the article Moyers explains the loss of interest but also shows the reader the subject is crucial for societies to progress. He uses deeper meanings to further understand the importance of history as well as expressing the reasons he thinks cultures have lost interest past events. The author also mentions that although people find no relations to history in today’s world, there are conflicts that can resemble current problems. It is also imperative to realize history has assembled our concurrent world. For those reasons we can have our own outlook and interpretations of history to further understand the progression and stage we are currently in.
1.) Moyers compares the study of history to “the view in the rearview mirror.” In what ways is this quote an apt comparison?
Many people today would consider the 2008, United States financial crisis a simple “malfunction” or “mistake”, but it was nothing close to that. Contrary to what many believe, renowned economists and financial advisors regarded the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 to be the most devastating crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. To make matters worse, the decline in the economy expanded nationwide, resulting in the recession of 2007 to 2009 (Brue). David Einhorn, CEO of GreenHorn Capital, even goes as far as to say "What strikes me the most about the recent credit market crisis is how fast the world is trying to go back to business as usual. In my view, the crisis wasn't an accident. We didn't get unlucky. The crisis came
What I find ironically funny is the statement quote used for this essay topic, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it”. This is something our government needs to take heed to, because they are the ones repeating history. Right now as we speak banks are again selling houses to people that cannot really afford the payments, they are signing contracts without reading the fine print of the balloon rates that are going to make it impossible to keep their
History is one subject that most people choose to believe blindly and not question. We learn from textbooks the proclaimed “truth” of the whole world. As said by Winston Churchill, a British politician and Prime Minister who led Britain to victory during WW2, “History is written by the victors” (“Winston Churchill Quotes”). He is suggesting that history is not always exact and that it is possible that history cannot be necessarily trusted. The novels The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima and A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas use their essential episodes, dialogue, and characters to epitomize the theme that history is written by the victors.
Why is there racial tension and political dissension in America? Why did Russia feel its Crimean invasion was justifiable? How did China become an economic power? These questions are answered by a proper understanding of history, helping us to better comprehend the world of 2015. Education’s role needs to be thus: to prepare students as learned individuals and to exist in such an international community. This is why I think history is still incredibly relevant despite focusing on the
Macroeconomics is an excellent tool for the analysis of the housing industry as something like a capital good, as a home is considered to be, cannot easily be studied in a short-term platform. Real estate is a good that costs several times more than an average persons annual income, in the United States that number is typically 7 times as much, and in the United Kingdom that number is 14 times as much. Several factors of both supply and demand directly impact the housing market on a macroeconomic scale. (Business Economics, 1)
To know the past is to know the future. In his essay Knowing History and Knowing Who We Are, David McCullough argues about the importance of studying and teaching history. In his essay, he explains that there are three main points about history: character and its effect upon destiny, our failure of teaching the future generation, and the importance of learning and listening to history. David McCullough strongly advocates that audience should start to listen to and teach about the past in order to learn about the way a person’s character can affect their destiny.
The Value of history is in being able to use the lessons of the past to make clear decisions about the future. In this case the author of the “ 10 DAYS THAT UNEXPECTEDLY CHANGED AMERICA” Steven M. Gillon, decided to confess the ten peculiar and exceptional days that had formed most of what America is today. A panel of leading historians along with Steven M. Gillon undertook the challenge to come up with some unfamiliar, but historically significant events that triggered change in America‐ excluding any which have occurred after 1965 because of historical perspectives. They deliberately sought out ‘surprising dates‟ that would provoke discussion and debate since all didn’t agree to one. Such ‘obvious’ events as the signing of the Constitution
The definition of history, is a question which has sparked international debate for centuries between the writers, readers, and the makers of history. It is a vital topic which should be relevant in our lives because it?s important to acknowledge past events that have occurred in our world that deeply influences the present. This essay will discuss what history is, and why we study it.