Why We Should Study History

For those who study a humanities subject at University many have been posed a question on the lines of why? , what s the point? or what are you going to do with that? Such questions are asked either by someone who is genuinely interested in why you chose that particular subject, or by someone who gives an incredulous look and demands why you should study something that, in their view, is pointless. History is not immune to such questions: what s the point in studying kings and queens of old? Why learn about something that happened 200 years ago? What are you going to do with a History degree?

These are all legitimate questions, even though historians might be distressed at the fact that they have to defend a subject they love and have spent hours studying, when other subjects, such as the sciences, might not be posed with such questions. Therefore, I am going to discuss the reasons why I think History is worth studying, for those who may have been asked this question, for those thinking about studying History and for those who might have asked the question themselves.

1. To discover who we are

In my view, without history we would be lacking a vital component in what makes us human and what gives us an identity. In studying and learning about the past we can discover who we are and where we have come from, either as an individual, a nation or a race. For example, by looking at your heritage you can discover if your ancestors were war heroes who died on the battlefield, nobles who worked alongside royalty or poor people who lived in slums, their lives being extraordinary simply because they survived. You can also learn where in the world your ancestors came from and what blood runs in your veins. You will realise, if you live in England, that you and those around you are a mixture of Roman, Viking and Norman combined with whoever else has travelled to our tiny island over millennia. Most importantly, you can discover what has happened in the world to give you the life you live now, with these set of human rights, this government and this technology.

2. To Learn from Our Mistakes

Some may argue that this point is irrelevant as history has repeated itself many times and therefore it is clear that humans do not learn from their mistakes. However, that does not mean we should stop examining the mistakes made and attempt to ensure that they do not happen again. Furthermore, lessons have been learnt through the past. For example, while the threat of nuclear bombs hung over the heads of millions throughout the twentieth century, evidence of what devastation such bombings caused at the end of the Second World War prevented any similar events from occurring. The United Nations was also set up to make sure that events such as the Holocaust never happen again. While discrimination and genocides have continued since 1945, the establishment of the UN demonstrates that we are trying to learn from history and we should continue doing so, even if it does not make us completely immune from future errors. If we do not study the past, we would not even know what these mistakes were in the first place.

3. For Re-discovery

In this modern age we are constantly inventing and discovering something new, whether it is finding new planet, a new animal or developing a vaccine. Due to this we may assume that all discoveries have either already been made or are waiting for us in the future to be found, rather than wondering if there are any that have been lost to the depths of time. By studying history, we have the chance of re-discovering these things. An excellent example of this was seen in 2015 when scientists discovered a thousand-year-old eye remedy that kills the superbug MRSA. This re-discovery, if future research and development is successful, could save thousands of lives. It makes you wonder if, between all the leeches and blood-letting, what other gems are hidden in our past that could save lives today. There are also technologies that have been lost in time but could one day be re-discovered and change the world, including the world s oldest calculator, Greek Fire and Damascus Steel. By diving into the past, we could find something life-changing for the present.

4. Because History is Everywhere

When you start looking for it you soon realise that history is unavoidable. The very towns and cities we live in are there because at some point hundreds or even thousands of years ago people decided to settle there. Beneath our feet are the remains of the homes and lives of the people who lived in those towns and cities. Even our surnames are based on the personalities, location, or careers of our ancestors. In the entertainment industry history is also everywhere. A glance at the list of highest grossing films reveals many which are set in or based upon historical events, with Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings being the most obvious. Best-selling books also reveal novels which have sold millions of copies and are either based on historic tales, past events, or were written hundreds of years ago and are now part of history themselves (The Tale of Two Cities and Black Beauty, for example, were both published in the 1800s). TV shows are also unable to avoid History, with whole channels dedicated to historical documentaries and popular TV shows such as The Tudors, The Borgois and Game of Thrones set in or based upon historic peoples and events. This demonstrates how the past fascinates many and is inescapable.

5. To Satisfy Natural Curiosity

Curiosity is a human condition. From the toddler asking questions about everything under the sun (including the sun) to the elderly professor who should have retired years ago but cannot put his work down because there are forever more secrets to unlock. Curiosity is another aspect that makes us human. Other animals do display curiosity in various degrees, but without it our prehistoric ancestors would never have constantly wondered what was over the hill or across the wide blue ocean, leading humans to occupy the world. Without curiosity our stories would be empty of the what ifs they explore, we would have no sciences because no one questioned how the world worked or conducted experiments. We would certainly have no history, as every bone or piece of pottery that had been dug up would be cast away and we would never stop to think why we have built the world around us in the way we have. Fortunately, curiosity does exist, and history ignites the fuel of curiosity for many, with the subject consistently being one of the most popular degree choices in the country. We all have things that make us curious and, while history might not be the right subject for everyone, by studying it we can quench our thirst for answers to the unknown.

6. Why Not?

Perhaps the most obvious and simplest way to answer the question of why study History? is with another question: why not? If you are going to University to study a subject you are passionate about then why wouldn t you take History, if that is the subject you love? Going to University is expensive and time consuming, so it is important that you have no regrets about where and what you study. If you want to further your education in a subject you love then you should, no matter how many people might raise a cynical eyebrow or even tell you outright that you should do a different subject. Do not let doubt creep up on you if you talk to someone who is not equally as passionate about a subject as you are. Whether it is history, arts or science, if there s a subject you love and want to study at University, why not?

7. Because it Won t Last Forever

For the last reason as to why history should be studied, we end on a melancholy one, because regret is a terrible thing. We have all said, done or not done things that make us long to turn back the clock to change them. If we take the history of the world for granted we might find ourselves heavy with that same regret when we wake up one day to discover that some great monument or precious treasure has been destroyed by natural disaster or war. Never again will we be able to see those great historic pieces that have become a victim of time, and we will wonder why we never took the chance to study them properly, so we could learn their secrets and restore them. It is with an aching heart that I write this because the so-called Islamic State has destroyed precious ancient monuments and artefacts that I have studied. With their fatal blows they are trying to destroy something that makes us human. Yet this is another reason to study history, so that the terrorists cannot win. If the knowledge of those ancient sites are locked within our minds then they can never be completely destroyed. We will write about them and one day rebuild them. Across the world people are desperately trying to protect and record pieces of history so that they can be saved, and who is to say you couldn t be working alongside them one day?

In conclusion, history is worth studying because we can find out who we are, we can make a better future, we can make new discoveries and because we are curious. Of course, there could be many other reasons, but I have decided to stick with seven. Why seven? Because for many ancient and medieval civilisations the number seven was a strange, magical and mystical number: there are seven sins and seven layers of the underworld. No matter what counting system people of the past have created seven never seems to fit, so it becomes a special number and part of their myths and stories. Without the study of history, we never would have known that.