Some argue that history is worthless and offers nothing for people. Others, however, claim that studying the past allows individuals to understand the present. In this essay, I will delve into both perspectives before explaining why I side with the latter.
On the one hand, there are some persuasive rationales that support the claim that history is not worth spending time and money on researching it. Foremost amongst these lies in the fact that due to the fast-paced society, certain norms of the past are obsolete such as sexism. Undeniably, gender inequality has been a globally controversial problem for decades because of the outdated prejudice that men are often better than women in most fields. As a result, in many countries, females are often mistreated compared to males, such as banning women from attending schools in Middle Eastern countries. However, as the advancement of society, these notions have significantly been removed rather than be studied and applied to shape the future. For example, China is well-known for its patriarchy for many years, where women are often underestimated. However, this situation has started mitigating since there are more campaigns with the aim of eliminating sexism and firms in China have begun to create more job opportunities for women.
On the other hand, there are several reasons why I strongly concur with the viewpoint that researching history is the optimal way to create a better future. Chief amongst these is the fact that learning mistakes from the past is one of the main pillars in building a sustainable future. For instance, in 2008, a globally influential event occurred, an adverse event dramatically affected the global economy, and that was the Great Recession. This event not only undermined people’s trust in the banking system due to the collapse of one of the most known banks at that time, but it also increased the rates of unemployment, straining the government and stagnating economic growth. Therefore, studying about its causes, its effects and how people tackle such a detrimental occurrence would eventually help future generations avoid it. Moreover, acquiring history would allow people to understand deeper about historical heritage and culture, ultimately enhancing its nuanced quality and raising people’s awareness about preserving it.
In conclusion, although there are mixed opinions on whether history is beneficial to study, I firmly believe that the learning of the past plays a vital role in shaping the modern world in every aspect.