issue103[AWER小组]作业

JasonDoveUID: 2322013

TOPIC: ISSUE103 - "The study of history has value only to the extent that it is relevant to our daily lives."
WORDS: 602          TIME: 00:45:00          DATE: 2008/3/2 20:26:30

The speaker claims that study of history would only being valuable when it is related to our daily lives. I fundamentally disagree with the author's claim, because I insist that to study history which is not relevant to our daily lives could still be beneficial for us. Moreover, I concede that we should reasonably take both history and the stat quo in to account rather than imitate history blindly.

Admittedly, to study history that is relevant to our daily lives would unquestionably bring us a lot of benefits. Today's occurrences are always inevitably have some similarity to history. Thus, to study history, especially those related to our daily life, would give us some advices to address our problems. On the personal level, by studying history that is relevant to our daily lives, we can be free from some troubles. We can learn from Bill Gates that sometimes give up an opportunity could get you a better one; Thomas Edison's success shows us that one success may cost you thousands of failures; the failure of Adolf Hitler in Russia strongly caveat us that one should never underestimate the power of nature. These above can all prove that the study of history that is related to our daily lives is valuable for us.

The study of history that is not relevant to our daily lives or even not relevant to us can still bring us some benefits for us. Some history appears to be no relevant to us is sometimes significant for us. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey comes immediately to my mind. Almost all the people are interested in the history of ancient Greece, which is famous for its democratic society, flourishing culture and high achievements of science. Because that period is so far away from us that we could not possibly know what happened in that great old country. However, historians study a large number of significant information about old Greece from two great works of Homer, Odyssey and Iliad, which describe famous wars in that period. Although many imaginations and legends of heroes exist in the two works and some assertions generalized by historians about great Greece may not be exact enough. The creative individual ideas still contribute a lot for people to understand the history of old Greek. So, from this point, the study of history that is unrelated to our daily lives is likely to do favor to us.

In addition, I insist that we should avoid using the results the study of history unilaterally. Though we may figure out some information to help us get through some troubles from history, it is unwise for us to imitate history blindly. Consider, for example, it might be sensible for Stalin to carry out the policy called "scorch the earth" while facing Nazi Germany's aggress, but what would it like if Russia uses the same tactic when gets into the similar trouble. I'm afraid it would suffers from great lose of its people's confidences, as well as, resources. So, it is rational for us to make a comprehensive consideration about both history and the stat quo.

To sum up, I agree with the author insofar as that the study of history is useful for us when it is relevant to our daily lives. When it comes to the study that is not related to our daily lives, I suppose it is still beneficial for us, because we can always figure out something useful for us from it. Moreover, I hold the view that we should take a comprehensive consideration about both our recent situation and history instead of imitating history blindly.