History - need to know or not?

[Senet]

My first thread on a topic I adore, how appropriate!

So, in my 18-year life thus far, I've come across two main viewpoints towards history in general and the sciences associated with it - ie, archaeology.

What's your opinon - need to know or no longer relevant?

Discuss

~S
_________________
http://tinyurl.com/cu9pdq -- My Dragon Code

[Ragnarok]

Both and neither at the same time. It's important to know the circumstances, at the very least, e.g. what conditions led to WWI or WWII, the Great Depression, etc, but you don't really need to know who the actual people, or even, really, the exact dates that the events occurred.

To use a modern example, 9-11 led to the war in Afghanistan, and through the US president's actions and decisions, to the war in Iraq as well. Does it really matter who the president was? Not really. Does it matter what that president did? Yes.

That's my take on it, at least. Back when I was in high school, I was always more interested in events than people, so I'm probably just biased that way.
_________________
To win against an opponent stronger than yourself, you must not be weaker than that opponent. - Takamachi Nanoha

[Hyraxylos]

I'm also more interested in events than in people when the subject is about something that was beyond my control or range of directly influencing me, which is why I think our media is largely contemptible. That also applies somewhat to events. If an event has some sort of linkage with someone I care about, then it's important. At the same time I'm able to take on the opposite perspective though. I couldn't care less what was going on in India four thousand years ago, but I know better than to convince myself that it's unimportant to somebody else.
_________________
The statement below this one is false.
The statement above this one is true.
This statement is false.

[Jaden]

[albvan]

I think knowing history is neccessary to understand what is going on in the world. As our history teacher said, understanding historical processes is most important e.g the development and decline of European feudalism, European colonisation, the rise of the Soviet Union etc. then come the events such as the French, American and October Revolutions, then the people. But I think it's much easier and perfectly fine for children to memorise more concrete stuff like events and people, but young adults should understand what was going on behind the scenes, even though they forgot a bunch of historical facts. If we understand how things went in the past, we might be able to predict things in the future, to a certain extent.

[Syrobe]

Need to know:

Knowledge of history in general gives insight and contributes in preventing isloation.

As Nietzsche once said (in a nutshell): history is an cycling proces: events happen in a certain order and action seems to cause a similar reaction. Knowing previous actions and reactions can help in understanding nowadays actions and reactions and can give one the tools to respond in a good way or in a bad way (knowing what can come of it).

Also, historical perspective can broaden ones horizon on many matters (cultural, political, economical etc) and one with a broader horizon is able to interact better in various situations.

The Roman aquaducts still are helping us nowadays in watering and we use modern versions of it. So in a way even archelogy has his values.

The history of any science in general, contributes to the skills of one who is practising or studying it that science now.

[DarkDragon]

[Hyraxylos]