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Do the history researchers focus on the famous few too much, as the speaker alleges? In my point of view, I consent to this claim. Besides, I cannot agree with the speaker's assertion that it is the nameless masses instead of the famous individuals have influenced and evolved the history.
Admittedly, everyone in society constitutes the human's history from the ancient age to modern time. Numerous great achievements cannot be made without the every effort from the mass. Consider every battle in history. Without billions of soldiers’ endeavor, no triumph or turning point can be achieved despite how brave and resourceful the general is. Consider the Pyramids of Egypt and Great Wall of China. Without those nameless people, these miracles cannot be created. Consider the China’s
four great inventions in ancient age, which is the product of numerous people’s wit during thousands years. The contributions made by masses are to the course of history just as the oxygen is to the mankind. We cannot emphasize the importance of masses to the evolution of history too much.
Nevertheless, individuals also made countless contributions in history . It is Newton who formulated three basic laws of mechanics that laid the foundation of classical mechanics. It is Abraham Lincoln who put forward The Emancipation Proclamation that abolished the slavery that last hundreds of years. It is Adam Smith who created the "Wealth of Nations" that influenced the western economics. It is Magellan who proved the earth is round with practice for the first time, which overturn perspective of most people in that time. Without these individuals can’t today's society be taken shape. We cannot judge whether the masses made more significant event than the famous few, simultaneously, the individual achievements depend on the masses. Without the overall research environment ,scientist can not
do any contribution to the scientific research; Without the overall citizen’s support ,politician cannot
make any difference; Without the whole society can’t the economist or the thinker theorizes the theory; Without the companion can’t the adventurer accomplish the travel. There is an indispensable bearing between the masses and individuals and they cannot be dispensed with each other.
In addition, concentrating our minds on the famous individuals seems to be more meaningful to us in the history research. The well-known few who be marked in the history must be the representative of his time so that analyzing him equals to analyzing the people in his time, as well as the society. What’s more, people prefer focusing on the outstanding to the ordinary. We tend to be fascinated and impressed by the successful or beautiful person. Look at the newspaper in everywhere, individual information occupies most pages. We naturally set someone in our minds as an example and emulate him in some aspects. In this way, the effect of analyzing individuals not only promote personal development, but also facilitate the whole society step into a better level.
All in all, focusing on the famous few help us make a better understand of history, besides, masses and individuals are interdependent so that we cannot tell which made more important contribution in the history.
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