0910G[North America Flying] issue221 by haunteagle

haunteagleUID: 2609432

TOPIC: ISSUE221 - "The chief benefit of the study of history is to break down the illusion that people in one period of time are significantly different from people who lived at any other time in history."
WORDS: 590
TIME: 01:38:08
DATE: 2009/7/8 8:38:29

The speaker asserts that the chief benefit of studying history is to make people realize his similarity between them and people living in other period. Generally, I agree that studying history prevents us from being presumptuous when confronted with history characters through pointing out the similarity between us. However, learning history can also provide a sense of self-esteem and self-confidence by telling us that we are unique in the history, different from any other ones.

Admittedly, history can break down our illusion that we are different from, or even superior to, the people living in other period. Nowadays, the rapidly developing technology shadows the common points in human society and makes us believe that we, living in an information era enjoying the social welfare, are superior to our ancestor living in feudalism and slavery. We enjoy and celebrate the great convenience the technology bringing to us and deliberately forget or ignore the common point hidden under the thriving times. Yet, take a look at the history, we may find with ease that, apart from its forms, we human are doing the same things as our ancestors do, competing for the limited resources.

Comparing the Crusades, the World War I and the World War II, we can see the weapons get more and more powerful, the regions involved increase and the casualty gets higher. However, the ultimate goal of each of these wars is the same, competing for the limited resources, land and fortune. It will be presumptuous to assert that we are superior because we may be much more savage and brutal in terms of the number killed by new weapons new technology provided. Studying the history can provide us with a holistic view of human society and eliminate our unfounded pride that we are different and superior.

Moreover, the history can also eliminate our illusion that the welfare country is our great invention in the history, the contribution to history and they can also represent our high moral level. The highly advocated democracy and social welfare, from the historical view, are no more than parts of an allocating system in the governing class. It is derived from our new technology rather from our moral level. In other words, if people living in Henry II have the new technology, they may also develop welfare country and democratic society. In fact, social problems such rampant violence, nuclear spread and religion conflict betray our weakness. Maybe we have the most enduring social problems in the history. History informs us that we are not different.

However, learning history can also enhance our self-esteem and self-confidence by indicating that we are unique. Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato lay the foundation of philosophy. Stoic, Epicurus and Sophists developed it and Hegel and Marx establish a pinnacle. Now, we not only absorb their heritages but also make great progress by our effort. Living harmoniously with the nature and other people is our new philosophical result. Newton and Maxwell build the skyscraper of classic physics and we build another high-rise building of quantum. We also enhance art, music, communication, etc. We are unique, for we achieve something that our ancestors have never done before. We are unique because we have made great contribution to the development of human society.

Accordingly, learning history can warn us of being respect for our ancestor and being humble to historical character because we have many points in common. Yet, studying history can also make us confident because we are unique in the history and we have made contribution to the history.

追忆2009UID: 2629509

1# haunteagle
The speaker asserts that the chief benefit of studying history is to make people realize his similarity between them and people living in other period. Generally, I agree that studying history prevents us from being presumptuous when confronted with history characters through pointing out the similarity between us. However, learning history can also provide a sense of self-esteem and self-confidence by telling us that we are unique in the history, different from any other ones.
Admittedly, history can break down our illusion that we are different from, or even superior to, the people living in other period. Nowadays, the rapidly developing technology shadows the common points in human society and makes us believe that we, living in an information era enjoying the social welfare, are superior to our ancestor living in feudalism and slavery. We enjoy and celebrate the great convenience the technology bringing to us and deliberately forget or ignore the common point hidden under the thriving times. Yet, take a look at the history, we may find with ease that, apart from its forms, we human are doing the same things as our ancestors do, competing for the limited resources.
Comparing the Crusades, the World War I and the World War II, we can see the weapons get more and more powerful, the regions involved increase and the casualty gets higher. However, the ultimate goal of each of these wars is the same, competing for the limited resources, land and fortune. It will be presumptuous to assert that we are superior because we may be much more savage and brutal in terms of the number killed by new weapons new technology provided. Studying the history can provide us with a holistic view of human society and eliminate our unfounded pride that we are different and superior.
Moreover, the history can also eliminate our illusion that the welfare country is our great invention in the history, the contribution to history and they can also represent our high moral level. The highly advocated democracy and social welfare, from the historical view, are no more than parts of an allocating system in the governing class. It is derived from our new technology rather from our moral level. In other words, if people living in Henry II have the new technology, they may also develop welfare country and democratic society. In fact, social problems such rampant violence, nuclear spread and religion conflict betray our weakness. Maybe we have the most enduring social problems in the history. History informs us that we are not different.
However, learning history can also enhance our self-esteem and self-confidence by indicating that we are unique. Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato lay the foundation of philosophy. Stoic, Epicurus and Sophists developed it and Hegel and Marx establish a pinnacle. Now, we not only absorb their heritages but also make great progress by our effort. Living harmoniously with the nature and other people is our new philosophical result. Newton and Maxwell build the skyscraper of classic physics and we build another high-rise building of quantum. We also enhance art, music, communication, etc. We are unique, for we achieve something that our ancestors have never done before. We are unique because we have made great contribution to the development of human society.
Accordingly, learning history can warn us of being respect for our ancestor and being humble to historical character because we have many points in common. Yet, studying history can also make us confident because we are unique in the history and we have made contribution to the history
论点：通过指出我们与历史人物的相同之处，历史研究可以防止人们变得自以为是。但与此同时历史研究也展现了我们人在历史中的独特性，这又可以让我们建立自信与自尊。
1.
先让步的指出当代人仅仅是因为社会的更加发达而在生活方式与水准上不同于以往。进而强调，从历史中我们可以看到，除这一方面外，人类并没本质上的不同，因为人类一直都是在争夺有限的资源。证明本段TS的观点。
2.
承接上一段观点，进一步以十字军，一战，二战为例，说明历史中人们都是相同的为了资源而战。强调了人的相同性，指出历史研究的更深层意义 provide us with a holistic view of human society and eliminate our unfounded pride
3.
提出历史研究的又一作用它否认了建立富足国家是对历史的贡献和创造，也否认因此我们有了更高的道德水平。但个人觉得这段说的可以再清楚明确些，比如关于derived from new technology，只提到新技术决定了这些，却没有足够的理由，新技术就一定等于先进的生产力么，或许进一步展开下会好点。
4.
前两段都是强调的人的相同性。这段从另外一个角度证明不同性。采用例证。以哲学和科学的发展为例，说明人类社会是不断的前进的，社会总是处于一个前所未有的新时期。
5.
从两方面总结了历史研究的作用。

fake2009UID: 2631119

开头段第一句不确定them是不是该用反身代词，这句语法上有点绕
不如用their similarities with...

题目的论断有这个意思吗， studying history prevents us from being presumptuous when confronted with history characters through pointing out the similarity between us
怎么感觉有点被强制地拉到心理层面去讨论了，不过不排除也可以这么展开，或者该把I agree换个说法