TOPIC: ISSUE221 - "The chief benefit of the study of history is to break down the illusion that people in one period of time are significantly different from people who lived at any other time in history."
Thank you for reading and your advice! I will be very grateful if you can give me some valuable suggestions!
Two hundred years ago, a famous Germany poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, wrote these lines in Faust:
Sitting at the doom of nations
Here before the pyramids.
War and peace and inundations
Watch we with unwinking lids.
Although time and tide elapsed, these inspiring words of Sphinx can still be seen as a picturesque portray of historian who has faced up with numerous spectaculars in the study of history. Given the genuine essence of historical study, perhaps the most significant benefits historical study will endow us is ever-lasting enlightenment on our minds, to put it in other words, profound thoughts, sympathy, idealism, and the like.
To begin with, the study of history can reveal the otherwise underlying rules and laws that govern the human society, which may be covered by complicated facts and events. After delving into the history of communication, we discover that the ultimate driving force for newspaper is the demand of information which has emerged in the modern times as a consequence of market-oriented economy, rather than superficial elements such as political goals of parties. Further, by pondering on the long history of media metamorphosis, we can find out that media such as language, writing, printing, electronic media, and the like, whose evolution follow such a law that the latter ones often serve as a supplement and combination of the previous media forms, rather than take place of the former at the first sight. Thus we can predict that in the future e-papers will not substitute newspapers, nor will newspapers be disappearing as a famous U.S. professor asserted.
Secondly, without historical study, some mistakes will repeat themselves at great expenses. The study of history can help us gain a better future by tell us right from wrong, as well as wisdom from foolishness. A typical example is the Chernobyl nuclear leaking incidence, which has alarmed us that nuclear power is a double-edged sword, if not carefully utilized, it would conduce to tragedy. Besides, study of history can render us sharp minds and broad horizon in solving current problems concerned with the regional conflicts and unrests, which may have originated from history long ago.
Thirdly, to a large extent, history study can benefit people in their spiritual level as well as intellectual level. A historian will be tolerate and sympathetic to human race itself, knowing the inherent flaws and strengths of human nature and that every one has his own destiny beyond his control. Moreover, since history is replete with examples of heroes unyieldingly pursuing their dreams, a historian will be greatly inspired to exceed ritual life and adhere to his own sublime ideals.
Admittedly, among those advantages of historical study, it is true that people live in different times virtually share a great deal in common. For human nature, namely, intelligence and morality has undergone negligible improvement. And people value virtues such as modesty, honesty, respect to others and the like regardless of times. Moreover, one perpetual theme of the human race is the pursuit of truth and freedom. However, on the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that people in different times are significantly different in most ways. The study of history also has disclosed a radical reform in living existence and values. Specifically speaking, social patterns have dramatically shifted from the agrarian society, industrialized society, to post-industrialized society according to the futurist Alvin Toffler.
In summary, as human being, we need to know who we are, where we come from and where we go. Otherwise we will be in fear and ignorance. And historical study is the very discipline that can render us wisdom and revelation of the truth, which outweighs far more than the oversimplified assertion that people living in different times share a great deal of similarities.
Thank you for reading and your advice! I will be very grateful if you can give me some valuable suggestions!
Two hundred years ago, a famous Germany poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, wrote these lines in Faust:
Sitting at the doom of nations
Here before the pyramids.
War and peace and inundations
Watch we with unwinking lids.
Although time and tide elapsed, these inspiring words of Sphinx can still be seen as a picturesque portray of historian who has faced up with numerous spectaculars in the study of history. Given the genuine essence of historical study, perhaps the most significant benefits historical study will endow us is ever-lasting enlightenment on our minds, to put it in other words, profound thoughts, sympathy, idealism, and the like.
To begin with, the study of history can reveal the otherwise underlying rules and laws that govern the human society, which may be covered by complicated facts and events. After delving into the history of communication, we discover that the ultimate driving force for newspaper is the demand of information which has emerged in the modern times as a consequence of market-oriented economy, rather than superficial elements such as political goals of parties. Further, by pondering on the long history of media metamorphosis, we can find out that media such as language, writing, printing, electronic media, and the like, whose evolution follow such a law that the latter ones often serve as a supplement and combination of the previous media forms, rather than take place of the former at the first sight. Thus we can predict that in the future e-papers will not substitute newspapers, nor will newspapers be disappearing as a famous U.S. professor asserted.
Secondly, without historical study, some mistakes will repeat themselves at great expenses. The study of history can help us gain a better future by tell us right from wrong, as well as wisdom from foolishness. A typical example is the Chernobyl nuclear leaking incidence, which has alarmed us that nuclear power is a double-edged sword, if not carefully utilized, it would conduce to tragedy. Besides, study of history can render us sharp minds and broad horizon in solving current problems concerned with the regional conflicts and unrests, which may have originated from history long ago.
Thirdly, to a large extent, history study can benefit people in their spiritual level as well as intellectual level. A historian will be tolerate and sympathetic to human race itself, knowing the inherent flaws and strengths of human nature and that every one has his own destiny beyond his control. Moreover, since history is replete with examples of heroes unyieldingly pursuing their dreams, a historian will be greatly inspired to exceed ritual life and adhere to his own sublime ideals.
Admittedly, among those advantages of historical study, it is true that people live in different times virtually share a great deal in common. For human nature, namely, intelligence and morality has undergone negligible improvement. And people value virtues such as modesty, honesty, respect to others and the like regardless of times. Moreover, one perpetual theme of the human race is the pursuit of truth and freedom. However, on the other hand, we cannot ignore the fact that people in different times are significantly different in most ways. The study of history also has disclosed a radical reform in living existence and values. Specifically speaking, social patterns have dramatically shifted from the agrarian society, industrialized society, to post-industrialized society according to the futurist Alvin Toffler.
In summary, as human being, we need to know who we are, where we come from and where we go. Otherwise we will be in fear and ignorance. And historical study is the very discipline that can render us wisdom and revelation of the truth, which outweighs far more than the oversimplified assertion that people living in different times share a great deal of similarities.
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