issue120 历史啊历史

qisaimanUID: 2703629

ISSUE120 qisaiman- "So much is new and complex today that looking back for an understanding of the past provides little guidance for living in the present."
WORDS: 600
TIME: xxx
DATE: 2010-3-5 18:45:40

The speaker asserts that understanding the history can provide little guidance for living in the present. As far as I am concerned, this assertion tries to deny that there is a causal-effect link between the present and the future. I cannot share the same viewpoints, and I maintain that in most times, it is always beneficial for us to look back for an understanding of history.

Admittedly, today there are many new and complicated things, which can sometimes confuse us, such as the rapid pace of city life, the environmental pollution and the energy crisis. Yet when one refers to a new and complex problem, one, consciously or unconsciously, compares it with some reference in the past. Hence it is undeniable that history has intimate connection with the present. Besides, I will argue that what the forerunners had done definitely imposed profound influence on the development of the human society, and therefore what we see as new and complex today can somehow date back to a historical reason. There are usually three dimensions by which we live in: spatial, temporal and cultural. Travelling to a new place combine the three and deliver a sheer special experience to us. When one travels to a complete new place, such as Summer palace or the Forbidden City, she or he usually feels so fresh and strange that although the place has been there for hundreds years, it seems completely new. At this time, a brief review towards the history of that place will provide necessary guidance for the tourist to appreciate the internal beauty. From this point of view, it is always helpful to look back at the memory of human society--history.

In addition, history often informs us more than we can perceive. Artist usually find new ideas from the historical works. For example, Picasso, the founder of Cubism, has gained inspiration from the prehistory cave painting of African. Similarly, scientists can also benefit from the comparative short yet winding process of scientific development. In scientific research, one always needs to review what the former have done and to what degree the problem has been addressed, which not only avoid needless labor but also build a basic level for the coming works. Then one may establish his or her own method to carry on the research. This is one of essential ways in which the scientific advancement is achieved. And this pattern holds when it comes to other realms, such as social research and commerce. In a society where the technology has become predominant force promoting the human progress, a historical view will
reassure us to a large extent that although many problems confronting us seems result from the technology, we can carry on the scientific research to address these concerns, such as a decreasing farm land, the global warming and exhausting energy.

Furthermore, just as one can gain inspiration from one's own experience, the human society as a whole can benefit from the memory of mankind, that is the history. Most of us share a belief that the human can and should live a better life than we did, a life where there is more concern to the disadvantaged, increased awareness of universal value, and democratic society. History has long revealed that dictatorship cannot last and is doomed to failure, that the well-fare of the public should be what we strive for. Perhaps, this is the guidance we need most, a guidance that strengthen the belief to pursue what we deserve: freedom, equality and happiness.

In conclusion, though there are so much new and complex today, more often than not, both the individual and society can benefit from the studying of history. So much can the history inform us that until one can recognize the guidance, one cannot find a meaning of living in the present.