When we look back on the progress our human being have come through,
we see that history records the begining, thriving and the declining of human being. Therefore today people strengthen more energy in sutding history.
However,
some assert that people put too much emphasis on studying individuals,
they should,
in turn,
foucs on the groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten.
I disagree with this asseration.
Admittedly I concede that the role the masses performed in our history should never be ignored.
For example,
without the astonish power gathered from innumerable labouring masses,
the complishments such as the pyramid in Egypt,
the Great wall in China would impossiblely exsist.
What's more,
when it comes to the innovation of society,
people's strength appears more important.
It is because relying on the powers of laboring people,
Chair Mao won the Anti Japenese War and found of the new China.
Just as he believed
"We should believe in and rely on the masses."
Thus,
since every person is a member of general public,
the learning of groups of people can better contributes the study of history.
As far as I am concerned,
elites and keyman act a pivotal role in turns of creating and promoting history.
After all,
without the monarchs' determination and forcing could we marvel at the imposing wonders?
Of course not!
Under most of the circumstance,
it is the leader changes the world.
For instance,
After Meiji Restoration Japan was aroused from the ruins become the most develpoed country in Asia.
And with the New Deal United States can fast recovery from the Great Depression.
However if such individuals as Ito Hirobumi and F.D. Roosevolt never appeard in history,
could these great achievements take place?
Moreover,
it is also the case in the feild of science.
Ablet Einstein found the limitation of Newton's classcial mechcanics,
thus developed the theory of relativity.
And Calileo proved Copernicus's assumption that the earth and other plants are revolved around the sun by precise statistics,
all which brings siginificant attributes to the modern astronomy.
In addation,
it is true that when researching history we should gather loads of information about the masses in order to compliment our historical knowledge,
by which we can understand history in a more comprehend way.
However,
no one would deny the fact that almost all the history records concentrate on recording heros and distinguished person who once changed the society.
We can hardly find any material that recording a nobody with a great detail.
To some extent,
history only represented by oustanding individual could be well approvaled.
Therefore, understandablely,
we have to put our emphsis on studying individuals.
In conclusion,
emient individuals serve as catalyzer without whom the society can never take such a great progress.
While the masses serve as base stones of history that provide fundamental elements of history.
It is always the excellent individuals that improve our society.作者: derekkl 时间: 2009-7-18 19:11:11
48"The study of history places too much emphasis on individuals. The most significant events and trends in history were made possible not by the famous few, but by groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten."
In our modern society, I agree with the fact that historians place too much emphasis on individuals. However, I disagree with the point cites in the topic that most significant events and trends in history were made by groups of people who have long been forgotten rather than by famous few. From my perspective, this announcement is relatively one-sided. Significant events in human history cannot happen without the masses while it is also impossible to happen without famous individuals.
To begin with, the reason why historians emphasize too much on the researches about famous individuals is that there are large quantities of historical records about those famous individuals. Those events about famous individuals such as evolution leaders who had changed the history were recorded as heroic stories or legends handed down from generation to generation. But those people who took part in evolutions were not taken into consideration. The primary reasons are their population is too large, besides, the number was always changing for the movements of personnel. Therefore it is impossible to record where they were from and where they had gone. Thus there are no adequate historical materials for historians to work on. For example, China has a colorful history over 5000 years, there are a large amount of detailed record about emperors, aristocrats, ideologists, scientists and so on. Thanks to those historical records, China is reputed as one of the four countries of great ancient civilizations.
In addition, history informs us that famous individuals are always the key figures in historic events, they are the sort of leaders or initiators of historical trends. With the research achievements on these famous few we can easily summarize the rule of historical development. Besides, famous individuals’ thoughts are representative, their thoughts are on behalf of the thoughts of people who support them. Martin Luther King represented all African Americans’ will about getting rid of racial discrimination and gaining the same rights as white people. He was a speaker and a fighter for those people unequally treated.
What is more, history is made by both the ordinary masses and leaders. Adolf Hitler cannot initiate the Second World War only by his own power. In normal conditions, a person raises an idea, once it is accepted by most people could it gain supports from them. So at the time people collectively strive aiming at the same objective, historic events happens. It is the same as without the leadership of George Washington and spiritual power of Thomas Paine and most of all numerous people’s sacrifices, the victory of the War of Independence was just a dream.
In sum, it is important for us to be objective when analyze a problem from different perspectives. If we treat history in an overall way, we could safely draw a conclusion that famous individuals are equally important to history as the masses are.