Band 6+: Does modern society need history and why does its study remain important?

The study and dissection of the field of history has always been of utmost importance and necessity to us, since not only does it help us evade our past mistakes, but even by doing so obviate them, thereby moulding our future. There has been countless amount of scientists of any field that would appraise and extol the benefits of learning the history.

Previously, history was a subject frequently overlooked and sometimes even neglected. The true and solemn purpose of studying history is to reveal the truth and unravel the past. But politicians usually employ the history as a weapon to glorify their ancestors. On the one hand, history confers a prerogative to those who want to revere their ancestors. But on the other hand, the twisted and contorted history would pervert the reality, thereby sequestering the real need of learning the history. Both history and truth should be synonymous with each other. From this point emanates the first need of learning the history – the present and the past. History is a clear and transparent mirror of our past mistakes and we analyse history in order to preempt them. Due to their blatant disregard, humanity has been inadvertently repeating their mistakes they have made in the past en lieu of forestalling them.

If we are capable of staving off our past mistakes then we are capable of moulding the future. In the current century, history has grown a subject of a substantial significance since people observed and deduced the very need of history from the past. As it was claimed by Al-Farabi – ‘the one who unaware of the past is ignorant of the future’ – history assists us in foreseeing the future. Given the volatility of both our present and the society residing within, history provides a great chance to stabilise our society by preventing the recurrence of the past.

To infer, history is a prerequisite to bolster a stable and prosperous society and therefore its study remains necessary, sometimes even it might grow compulsory. History is both the mirror of the past and the guidance to the future.