By William H. McNeill, 1985
WHY should any unmatched bother training about things that happened far away and long ago? Who cares about Cleopatra, Charlemagne, Montezuma or Confucius? And why worry about George Washington, or how democratic government and industrial society arose? Isnt there quite bountiful to learn about the world today? Why bring in to the burden by looking at the past? Historians ought to fork up to answer such questions by saying what the study of floor is good for, and what it cannot do. But since no one can babble out for the historical profession as a whole, this essay is no more(prenominal) than a personal statement, commissioned by the American Historical Association in the hope of convincing wholly concerned that the study of history is indeed worthwhile and needed for the education of sound citizens and worthy military man beings. Historical experience is no more and no less than carefully and critically constructed corporal retrospect. As such it can both comprise us wiser in our man choices and more richly human in our private lives.
Historical distinguishledge is no more and no less than carefully and critically constructed collective memory.
Without several(prenominal) memory, a person literally loses his or her identity, and would not know how to act in encounters with others.
Imagine waking up one morning unable to tell total strangers from family and friends! Collective memory is similar, though its loss does not immediately paralyze ordinary private activity. But ignorance of history-that is, absent or defective collective memory-does deprive us of the best available guide for public action, especially in encounters with outsiders, whether the outsiders are another nation, another civilization, or some special group within national b gives.
oftentimes it is enough for experts to know about outsiders, if their advice is listened to. But democratic citizenship and effective participation in the determination of public policy inquire citizens to share a...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com
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