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发表于 2009-8-21 22:46:56
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恳请大家批评指教。
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."
I concede that it is significant to research the groups in history study and it is the groups, not the famous few who make
the trends possible in history. However, the statement overlooks that famous people in history are often symbolic in their
times and they do play important roles in the events that leave deep impressions on our history. So in history study, it is
necessary to combine the research of the individuals with that of the groups and omitting of either would be impropriet .
The reasons why historians should study the groups lies in certain aspects. Firstly, historian could get an overview of what
happend in the past, thus the history study will not lost in complex and meaningless details. The action of the individul
may be confused since there are many diverse and unknown factors that affect what an individual does. But the action of the
public is understandable for it omits thoes factors and reveal the major trend or conflict of the society and times.
Secondly, just as what the statment said, it is the public that determin the history trends. Because an idea or thought is
effective only after it is acceptted by at least a group of people in society. So the research of the groups will help the
historians draw the outlines of what happened in the past. Thus they can make impartial and comprehensive comments.
However, the famous individuls, or the heroes in histroy often strongly reflect the characteristics and ethos of their times
because what makes individuals famouse lies in that they are representative in a peirod of time, or they are tightly
associated with big events in their time. Hence only through exploring what they did and thought, could historian get a deep
understanding of the past. When talking about the Renaissance, we cannot avoid Leonardo da Vinci, a master of art, science
and engineering. His painting, Mona Lisa, reveals the rise in Human self-consciousness druing the Renaissance, while his
achievemet in engineering also demostrates the prosperity of geometry and mechanics in his times. No one would doubt that it
is a great loss if historian skips this great man in the study of Renaissance.
In additon, it is the groups that make the trends possible, but it is often the famous few who lead the trends, and the
latter usually plays a central and meaningful role in history. "All men's life is history, but only a few ones can change the
history". One important purpose of history study is to explain and understand great changes in human behavior, so through
study the achievements of the famous, historian can grasp the key points, hence draw a clear clue and get a better
comprehension of the past. There were many poets in thirteenth and forteenth century in Europe, but their works faded to
Dante's brilliant poem The Divine Comedy, for the initial and revolutionary thoughts in this great piece. So in order to
understand the change and development of literature in that time, it is more important to study Dante than the nameless.
In conclusion, groups of people, or the general public and the famous few are both essential part of history study: the
latter lead the trend while the former choose, practice and enrich it. They together create our history. By the combination
of the research in the famous few and the groups, historian can get a full, deep and clear view of the past. |
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