The assertion that the value of history study is rooted in the relevance to our daily lives is a shallow one that implies that people just live to survive without considering the well-being of entire human society and the future of our children. Yet, this idea is supported by few extreme pragmatists.
Out of question, the study of history is helpful to our daily life, which is the retrospection of what has happened in the evolvement of human society. Our everyday dressing, eating, inhabitation, and travelling are beneficial from the past. With this guide, we have a more comfortable, healthy, and environmental lifestyle. For instance, a famous Chinese ancient book, "Huang Di Nei Jing", is a very helpful guide book from which we can learn what we can do in the different seasons of a year to keep a healthy status.
Moreover, the value of history study is far more than the guide for everyday life but the guide for some great events. The study of ancient Chinese architecture is an inspiring and meaningful work which is of great value to direct contemporary construction. For example, Du Jiang Yan, built by Li Bing, a governor of a district near the Chengdu city, capital of Sichuan province, is a vivid demonstration of our ancestor's intellect. This building still exists after going through heavy rains and fierce wind of thousands of years even the big Wenchuan Earthquake, 2008. The study of the functions, structures, and construction technics of the weir is worthwhile not only for our daily lives but for the construction of our houses, dams, and other man-made projects. The wisdom of our ancestors’ exists in ancient paintings, buildings, books, and other forms. After have learned so many lessons from these woks, the claim that the value of history study is determined by whether it is relevant to our daily life is so ridiculous and disapproving.
Francis Bacon once said, "History makes man wit." We can absorb good merit from the works which are the filled with ancestor's diligence and intelligence, while from the other respect, we can learn lessons from the failure and disaster what have happened in history. The study of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear explosion is a good textbook for guiding the operators to tackle the Japanese nuclear explosion event happened last month. The disintegration of the ozone layer over the poles of the earth has reminded all of us to protect the environment and reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. From those depressed lessons, people gradually realize the importance of changing our lifestyle and development model. All those changes based on the study of history are beyond our daily use and focus on the entire well-being of human society and the future of our children and the environment.
To sum up, we should cultivate the foresight in history study to ensure the emphasis of those study are placed on interest of all human beings other than individuals. The future of mankind and the environment depend on these types of researcher who have enough foresight to make a better future for everybody.
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