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本帖最后由 laylaforever 于 2011-1-20 21:42 编辑
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."
The author claims that it should be groups of people who devoted critical efforts in the most significant events and trends, but not individuals who are famous and legendary, that be exhibited most attention on by the study of history. However,an opposite point of view I tend to state.
First of all, it is obviously an efficient method for historians to locate and justified valuable materials from the ocean of massive information which has accumulated slightly since we had characteristic history. For instance, we can easily type Abraham Lincoln, one of the most memorable presidents in the history, like a dazzling jewel glowed in a murky jumble of other items, in Google if we have an assignment influence with American Civil War and are lake of detail information to strengthen our essays, as he absolutely can’t be replaced by anyone others at that time. If we typed other words like South America or civil war simply, we will probably search out some texts about events on other continents, in which case we can’t get closer to our destination but go around in circles instead. So does this method work in the study of history which is far less possible for researchers to begin with by aiming at group of people whose identities are mostly alike in the long term of human history.
Moreover, great individuals played vital roles in those significant events and trends on which historians laid force on the purpose of establishing a vision of the time in the past. For example, Voltaire, Napoleon Bonaparte, Gorge Washington, some of the most dazzling individuals in the 17s century, though supported and followed by enormous amounts of people, are key stones in their domains which depend seriously on the outstanding contributions made by them. How could we be apathetic about their greatest minds led wondering people out of the fate of depravity? How could we let their shiny achievements pass directly into oblivion? How could we easily abstain that those memories of the most legendary individuals slightly vanished in the long time of history. What an enormous lost we will have if we manifest little interest in those famous few?
However, we couldn’t simply deny the contributions made by nameless groups according to the fact that human are social creatures ever since we had history. The direction of the most significant events and trends in history could not changed by any powerful individual alone. Without significant works done by nameless groups, those famous few will hardly be able to achieve anything, unless they get support from the nameless ones. Without people against the feudal empire, Voltaire’s work could be nothing but a vain struggle. Without loyal soldiers, Napoleon Bonaparte couldn’t win a single fight. Without the eagerness of independence of people who live in colonies, Gorge Washington could hardly establish US as an independent country.
To sum up, when it comes to whether we should attach more emphasis on historical individuals or groups of people whose names have long been forgotten, I hold the view that learning about key historical figures inspires us to achieve great things ourselves-far more so than learning about the contributions of groups of people. |
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