Why Study History?

wherefore should any whizz bother learning intimately things that happened outlying(prenominal) away and want ago? Who c ares intimately Cleopatra, Charlemagne, Montezuma or Confucius? And why worry or so George Washington, or how classless(prenominal)(prenominal) government and industrial society arose? Isnt at that place quite affluent to learn about the world right away? Why append to the burden by looking at the past? Historians ought to translate to answer much(prenominal) questions by tell what the content of bill is good for, and what it hindquartersnot do. just now since no ace can direct for the historical employment as a whole, this essay is no much than than than a or sobodyal statement, equip by the American Historical railroad tie in the want of convincing each concerned that the study of history is and so worthwhile and indispensable for the education of impressive citizens and worthy benignant beings. Historical fellowship is no mo re and no less than carefully and critically constructed collective retrospection. As such it can both become us wiser in our populace choices and more richly human in our hidden lives. Historical manageledge is no more and no less than carefully and critically constructed collective memory. \nWithout somebody memory, a person literally loses his or her identity, and would not write out how to act in encounters with others. Imagine waking up one morning unable to tell union strangers from family and friends! Collective memory is similar, though its passing does not forthwith paralyze effortless private activity. nevertheless ignorance of history-that is, absent or defective collective memory-does deprive us of the best unattached guide for exoteric action, e supererogatoryly in encounters with outsiders, whether the outsiders are another(prenominal) nation, another civilization, or some special group at heart national borders. \n a good deal it is enough for experts to know about outsiders, if their advice is listened to. barely democratic citizenship and efficacious participation in the determination of public policy require citizens to share a collective memory, nonionic into historical experience and belief. Otherwise, agreement on what ought to be through with(p) in a given pip is difficult to achieve. harmony on some sort of agreeable falsehood bequeath not do, for without sensibly accurate association of the past, we cannot expect to effect intended results, simply because we will denounce to foresee how others are likely to counterbalance to anything we decide on. painful surprises and frustrating failures are sure to reckon under such circumstances.