The benefits of studying History

[Big Bad Voodoo]

Just like its important to know science ...

History is science.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

As an ex-History lecturer, I can think of no cogent reason to study history other than that it kept me in beer and steaks for 35 years! So everybody get to your History classes and help a starving lecturer!

Then why you isnt with us in ancient mysteries?

[CrimsonKing]

Learning History is all good and dandy. But learning true history is important. The spoon fed history taught in most lower education is inaccurate at best. Just like its important to know science and now more so then ever computer tech.

Education is a key to advancing our culture. Learning self sufficiency is a great education as well. But it is untaught only learned and passed down.

So very true,most of the history taught in schools anymore is not actual events but rather a bunch of stories pushed upon young minds to push a agenda.

[Frank Merton]

It's a tough one. Schools naturally want to instill virtues in the students, and many stories from history can help do this. But one doesn't want to teach myth as fact, no matter how virtuous the story may be -- or does one?

[CrimsonKing]

It's a tough one. Schools naturally want to instill virtues in the students, and many stories from history can help do this. But one doesn't want to teach myth as fact, no matter how virtuous the story may be -- or does one?

I for one just want the truth no matter how painful or dull it may be.One of the biggest deity like characters built up in this country is abe lincoln,dont get me wrong he was a decent president just not what they portray him as.

[Ealdwita]

One of the biggest deity like characters built up in this country is abe lincoln,dont get me wrong he was a decent president just not what they portray him as.

As clearly demonstrated in Spielberg's latest fairy story, sorry, film!

[CrimsonKing]

Agreed ealdwita,a few years back some old writings of his were found and the mainstream media and the "History Peddlers" were outraged that the truth was getting out about him.I remember they where having a huge argument about if the general public should be allowed to read it or not lol.I already knew the truth about him from old books and talking to my great grandparents as a child about historical topics.

[AsteroidX]

Im focusing my reading on the time period 1774-1775. The 2 years before the Revolutionary War. Its a goldmine of whats going wrong today and how they saw to rebel against it.

And extremely educational as well.

[Ealdwita]

Agreed ealdwita,a few years back some old writings of his were found and the mainstream media and the "History Peddlers" were outraged that the truth was getting out about him.I remember they where having a huge argument about if the general public should be allowed to read it or not lol.I already knew the truth about him from old books and talking to my great grandparents as a child about historical topics.

From what I understand, the film also completely misrepresents the causes (and after-effects) of the American Civil War. (I'll admit, I haven't yet seeen the film, but I intend to do so)

[CrimsonKing]

From what I understand, the film also completely misrepresents the causes (and after-effects) of the American Civil War. (I'll admit, I haven't yet seeen the film, but I intend to do so)

I havnt seen it yet either dont really need to,seeing how hollywood has gushed and raved about it i already know its not portrayed accurately.

[Ealdwita]

Im focusing my reading on the time period 1774-1775. The 2 years before the Revolutionary War. Its a goldmine of whats going wrong today and how they saw to rebel against it.

And extremely educational as well.

I have a paper I wrote in my files about the British side of the War (military & political), so if there's anything I can help you with in that respect, don't hesitate to ask.

Edited January 28, 2013 by ealdwita

[Frank Merton]

Abraham Lincoln is a figure respected and taught about around the world. He was intelligent, principled, a fabulous wordsmith, incorruptible, loyal.

It is not possible, except maybe in graduate school for students becoming Lincoln scholars, to go into every known detail, and, besides, I don't see anything questionable about him even in the details I know of.

So as a choice of someone to use as a model for students to emulate, he seems great. It is important that students learn to assess figures within their context -- to not judge people outside their culture and time -- and to assess achievements as well as failures, and learn from both.

[CrimsonKing]

Abraham Lincoln is a figure respected and taught about around the world. He was intelligent, principled, a fabulous wordsmith, incorruptible, loyal.

It is not possible, except maybe in graduate school for students becoming Lincoln scholars, to go into every known detail, and, besides, I don't see anything questionable about him even in the details I know of.

So as a choice of someone to use as a model for students to emulate, he seems great. It is important that students learn to assess figures within their context -- to not judge people outside their culture and time -- and to assess achievements as well as failures, and learn from both.

LOL frank no offense but here in high schools he is preached about like the 2nd coming of christians jesus,like i said he was a decent pres but nowhere near what he has been preached to be.His ideas have been dramatized into some kind of love story that they were not.The truth can be found just have to dig deep.

[Frank Merton]

Deification of any figure is of course silly, but I still think Lincoln is a good figure for people around the world to emulate and be taught about. Don't get carried away with the fact that he was human and look at his good qualities.

[Space Commander Travis]

I think it's similar with Churchill; some of his opinions regarding the Empire and the way to keep the natives under control were the kind of thing that would have any Politician today hounded out of office, but they were typical of people of his political outlook of his time. And he was hardly a military genius; all too many of the schemes that were his idea (such as the Dardanelles campaign) were fiascos, but none of that alters the fact that he kept Britain above water as the only remaining resistance to the nazis for long enough for Hitler to begin his long process of suicide by invading Russia.

[Frank Merton]

What's more, Churchill recognized the Nazis for what they were early on.

[Big Bad Voodoo]

History is mother of knowledge.

It helps if you want to study and do scientific work in economy.

But to me, world was less evil place when I didnt know none of history. Its a race between madmen and educated men.

[MiskatonicGrad]

History is important for showing the folly of man. but unfortunetly it too (like most other sciences) has been usurped by the evolution crowd taking away most of it's usefulness. If you really study history with an opened non-agenda mind it will show you we as people (as in the way we act, think, what we hold important) haven't changed to any great degree. sure we have improved our quality of living in some parts of the world but there are people still living in mud huts. IMHO when you start thinking we as a race are more "evolved" then our ancestors you do nothing short of putting shackles on your own mind. look at the history of my country (US) just in the short time we have been here we have went from looking up to the founding fathers as the most enlightened minds walking the planet that came up with system of goverment that was the standard of the world too viewing them as a bunch of racist, bigoted, slave owning buffons that plagerized what the greeks did thousands of years ago. something I preach to my son is people are people no matter what age we are talking about. If you brought a parent from ancient egypt to present day and looked at them and said "teenagers" he or she would look right back at you and say "Don't even get me started".

[Wyrdlight]

From an education/skills perpective.

A high level history education will feature a very large ammount of reasarch, planning and writing as well a good ammount of presentation making and debating.

All of those provide skills which are invaluble in all sorts of careers from marketing to PR and general admin, market research.

Very very very few degrees tie directly to any one career or another.

[Space Commander Travis]

Another benefit of studying History is that, as in the case of George Gideon Oliver Osborne,^[1] MP (born Gideon Oliver Osborne, 23 May 1971)^[2] a British Conservative politician, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Second Lord of the Treasury of the United Kingdom, it can, it seems, get you into perhaps the second most important job in Government in the land, without needing any qualifications or experience at all in the field of Economics. He was given a demyship to Magdalen College, University of Oxford^[2] where he received a 2:1 bachelor's degree in Modern History.

[lightly]

Learning about the past helps us better understand the present ?

[redhen]

LOL frank no offense but here in high schools he is preached about like the 2nd coming of christians jesus,like i said he was a decent pres but nowhere near what he has been preached to be.His ideas have been dramatized into some kind of love story that they were not.The truth can be found just have to dig deep.

"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races — that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." - Abraham Lincoln

http://www.nps.gov/l...ure/debate4.htm

Had he not been assassinated, he would have likely proposed legislation to deport Negroes to Africa. The new Lincoln film, which I watched, is just so much propaganda.

[redhen]

Perhaps my last post was too negative. So I offer up a different movie recently released. Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce and his fight and victory to abolish the slave trade 60 years before Lincoln. After that he went on to co-found the world's first animal welfare organization, the RSPCA and championed many other social reform legislation. Wilberforce was a genuine humanitarian and a real political hero, in my books at least.

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[Space Commander Travis]

Another useful thing about studying History, perhaps, it gives one a sense of perspective when considering historical figures who people usually automatically eulogise, or who have very strong bands of supporters that do, and helps one look at them and their achievements in some perspective. - see also J. F. Kennedy, N. Mandela, M. Gorbachev, M. Thatcher, R. Reagan ...

[vortex-goliath]

"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races — that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." - Abraham Lincoln

http://www.nps.gov/l...ure/debate4.htm

Had he not been assassinated, he would have likely proposed legislation to deport Negroes to Africa. The new Lincoln film, which I watched, is just so much propaganda.

Historical records can fame or defame us. The written word however one man or another alters it, gives us food for thought and thought is good for human growth and improvement. If the history of man was not studied, how could we emulate or abolish the good and the bad in all of us. If all our deeds are grains of sand that is nothing less than p***ing in the wind, then there is no point to any event or decision we make. History is who we are.