Why Study History at All?

At first we might think that since we live in the present and should only care for the future, why study the past? It seems that the justification for studying history is not as definable as studying engineering or medicine. The implications of studying history are not directly noticeable.

Studying history is necessary to understanding ourselves and how the society we live in came to be. History is a discipline of assessing evidence of the past as well analyzing different historical interpretations. We must understand the changes and problems that not only shape modern society, but also our social well-being. Furthermore, George Santayana asserts that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In a sense, studying history is to avoid repeating past mistakes. We might even argue that studying history is crucial for replicating past success.

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