[i习作temp] Issue48 有拍必回哦~ [复制链接]

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电梯直达

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发表于 2007-8-3 00:37:16 |只看该作者 |倒序浏览

TOPIC: ISSUE48 - "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."
WORDS: 570       TIME: 上午 12:50:00       DATE: 2007-8-3

Whether is history made by the famous few, or by the anonymous mass? I agree with the speaker's broad assertion that it is groups of people, rather than the famous few, who determined the most significant events and trends in history. However, the speaker unnecessarily extends this broad assertion to blame the study of history, for it emphasizes too much in those famous individuals, while ignoring some profound features of the study of history, as well as the symbolic role of those distinguished individuals in the historical trend.

I concede the author's assertion is on the correct philosophical side of this issue. After all, the most significant events in history were made possible by groups of people; it is unfair to give all the credit to the famous few. Consider, without the endeavor and sacrifice of tremendous common soldiers, how could American have attained the final victory in the War of Independence? The efforts of one man are not sufficient to cause paradigm shift in the well-being of humanity. It is the accumulation of all members in groups that have sparked revolution.

While we must recognize the critical role the mass plays in history, at the same time we should understand that it is not the error of historians to emphasis a quite deal on those famous individuals, because of the nature of the study of history. It is not chosen by those historians but the limitation of history to emphasis the study on the celebrated names in every historically significant event.  For example, how can the researchers to learn those common people who build the Great Wall? No one can even find out their name and origin; to the contrary, what the researchers can do is to study some specific individuals, such as its designer,  the king who gave the commend to establish it, as well as other well-known names in the process of construction. In short, it is the fundamental features of the study of history, leads those scholars to emphasis the learning of famous individuals.

Moreover, it is not only the feasible way, but also a well approach to learn those historical events from those acclaimed individuals, for two reasons. First, hose famous individuals, in most cases, are famous for their significant contribution to the historical trends, therefore can symbolize a group of  numerous people.  Secondly, we must also concede the peerless of several individuals in a certain historical event. An apt illustration of this point involves the critical role Gandhi played in India's independence. Called as "father" in the local language by his people, Gandhi definitely can be seen  a typical one of people who made efforts for their independence; at the same time, he played a key role in making this success happen, by leading in the battle of non-violence movement. As a number of fact, numerous other instances of the same sort might be multiplied indefinitely, but this will suffice to demonstrate that the study history should continue to emphasize on those distinguish minds in every historical events.

In sum, I agree with the author insofar that any significant events in history can not occur with out the efforts of groups of people. Nonetheless, we should not blame historians for concentrating too much on the famous few, considering the indispensable contribution they made to the happen of this historical events, and the irreplaceable roles they played in representing a great group of common people.