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ISSUE NO.103 "The study of history has value only to the extent that it is relevant to our daily lives." The speaker asserts that the study of history is only valuable if it has relationship with our day-to-day activities. In my view this extreme position misses the point entirely. Whether history is meaningful must be decided on a case-by-case basis, by weighing the benefits and shortcomings of history. It would seem to be a rather shallow statement that implies that humans only live just to survive rather than planning for the futures of their children and the environment. By emboldening us and lifting our spirits, grand accomplishments of the past can help us get through the everyday business of living. As the Chinese saying goes, “To know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat”, which is taken from the ancient Chinese author Sun Tzu’s book “The Art of War”, today’s military commanders and even businessmen gather valuable information that allows them to operate more efficiently and effectively. The study of this type of history has a value beyond the daily lives of people. It can lead to a military victory or the success of a business that directly affects what happens in the future, including the futures of those that are possibly not even born yet. Additionally, mistakes of the past can teach us as a society how to avoid repeating those mistakes. The misery in World War II people suffered is constantly reminding us of the evil of war, which can help us avoid initiating such worldwide disasters. Although in the era of peace, disturbance seems to be far from our daily activities, every time we recall the power of atomic bomb which have been shown in the war we feel horrable. Studying the scientific payoffs of the predecessors may lead to great discoveries in contemporary time. Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravitation, laying the basis of physics, but he was modest, saying “If I see farther than others, some of it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants.” As we know, the law of gravitation has no direct correlation with our routines of each day, but it leads to many more discories and new theories which have many useful applications. In a tortuous way, it can serve to better our daily life. Additionally, appreciating history can serve to help elevate our everyday chores and make them seem richer, more interesting, and more enjoyable experiences. Heroes in the ancient Greece motivate us to accomplish tasks what seem to be unreachable. We all know that what they encountered in the past has no similarities with things today, but the spirit gives us much strength to move on. To be certain, there are people out there that believe that only what affects them right here and right now is important. For them, the study of history is a waste of time. But for countless other individuals and groups, the study of history leads to improvements in activities that have a far-reaching significance for the future.
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发表于 2011-1-22 10:38:59
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