One school of thought has postulated that history provides people’s life with little practical merits, while others believe that learning about the past enables us to acknowledge the present. This essay will shed light on both perspectives before concluding that I am in favor of the latter notion.
On the one hand, it is inevitable that history has little or nothing to offer. To commence with, history is seemingly irrelevant in this day and age. This is because history is a field that is rarely used in people’s lives, in which they tend to pay more attention to science or technology for its viable values than focus on something that brings no relevant applicability to the present. As a result, history is regarded as an obsolete domain that facilitates humans without any valuable aspects of current life. Additionally, studying history that is different from the present is such a waste of time for individuals. As the time has changed, society has been modernized, peoples’ manual works are now gradually transformed and replaced by the advance of technology, which can be far superior to humans in terms of agility and productivity. Consequently, history can not keep up with the dates and be applied to modern mechanisms.
On the other hand, there are a multitude of compelling reasons as to why I am convinced that studying about the past helps us understand the current prospects. One major justification is that this trajectory enables us to have more insights into our country’s cultural heritage and tradition. For instance, in numerous classrooms, Vietnamese pupils are educated by teachers about our dynasty, ancestors, and the historical establishment of national identity. This, hence, would make students more aware of our traditional history, fostering their patriotism and cherishing national pride. Another rationale is that acquiring knowledge about history helps us avoid similar mistakes. To specify, by analyzing historical conflicts, economic crises and political misjudgements, policymakers can make informed decisions that prevent similar pitfalls in the future, thereby allowing people to be more concerned about national security and develop the country positively.
To encapsulate, while it is irrefutable that history serves no practical purpose in our life, I would contend that the upsides which it offers are significantly more noteworthy.