issue48［八月未央AW小组］7月14日(第六次作业)

sunsightUID??2473730

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: 502         DATE: 2008-7-14 13:11:59

I strongly agree with the speaker's assertion that history emphasize individuals too much while common person whose identities have long been forgotten. Although this tendency of historical study is acceptable and reasonable, I also need to point out that we should not forget the significant effects from common person when we learn history, actually the thing we need to do is to give our respect and recoganition to them.

Opening our books in history, we may easily find out almost all events and trends accompanied with famous person. When we conduct analyses on the revolution early in the 20th century in China, chairman Mao will naturally come into our mind but not a ordinary worker who join in the revolution. When we study psychology, the image of Dr. S. Freud puffing his cigar pipe will emerge. People, not only the shoolar of history but also the public, has already accept the “common sense” that investigation on the brilliant or dark section of history should be through some individuals. In other words, using individual to illustrate history seem to be easier to understand and accept.

In some respects, inclining to individuals is nessary and sound for historical study followed 2 reasons. First of all, human history include huge amount of events and trends, it is impossible to detect and pay attention to every trials and every person. In this sense the mean that we can quickly seize the key of historical events is find the typical individuals who take charge the whole event and controll or conceived the main plan. Secondly, due to the lack of materials on pipsqueak, experts would fail to work out the vision of their action in events and trends, so that the status of them will be undeniably fogot in historical stage.

However, when we are attracted by the gogours buildings and brilliant achivement in hisotry, we should remember the people who sacrifice their efforts to human advancing not only some famous individuals but common people. Admittedly, common people seem to exert less effects on the history, but without the help from them no famous individual can touch the edge of success and no society can make progress. Greatwall and Prymids were builded by laborers but not the wise leaders even though they conceived the whole project. Turning to contemporary, for our gender never missing the common part of our history, when we concern on the President Bush’s dog and garden or the performance of Angelina Jolie, we should be attached more to some common people who has endeavor to work for our society and our nation as well as our human, such as the volunteer of helping poors, the engineers conducting power station for their nation, and a ordinary worker harnessing computer to set an aid net for handicapped children.

To sum up, both famous individual and common people are indispensible part of history. When we illustrate and learn the history by some individuals, we should never forget the sacrifice of common people and recognize their contribution.