8/9/2019 Reflections Upon History

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Running Head: REFLECTIONS UPON HISTORY 1

Reflections upon Histo !

"os#ua $% C a&fo d

Uni'e sit! of (a !land Uni'e sit! College

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P ofesso .a ! /ei

8/9/2019 Reflections Upon History

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Running Head: REFLECTIONS UPON HISTORY )

Reflections upon Histo !

Histo !0 as a field of stud!0 is as i e si'e as it is d!na ic% T#e su23ect atte a! 'a !

&idel! in its scope0 t#e e0 and pu pose depending upon t#e 2ac4g ounds and oti'ations of its

eco de s% T#e easons Histo ! s#ould 2e studied a e countless0 t#oug# all s#a e t#e singula goal

of 2enefiting t#e indi'idual in so e anne % T#e p actical uses fo Histo ! a e nu e ous and a e

not al&a!s initiall! appa ent%

5 co on isconception ega ding t#e stud! of Histo ! is t#at it in'ol'es t#e

e o i6ation of na es0 dates0 and places associated &it# e'ents t#at #appened long in t#e past

and a e of little significance in ode n ti es% /#ile #isto ! f e7uentl! efe s to past e'ents

associated &it# specific indi'iduals o societies0 suc# is not al&a!s t#e case% T#e su23ect atte

a! 'a ! significantl! and e'en see ingl! cont adict itself depending upon t#e pe specti'e of its

eco de % T#e scope of a #isto ical stud! a! entail t#ousands of !ea s ac oss t#e 2 eadt# of a

continent% T#e t#e e a! in'ol'e a ca eful anal!sis of t#e de'elop ent of a pa ticula eligion

o'e ti e o a detailed 2iog ap#! of a significant indi'idual% T#e 2ac4g ound and oti'ations of

t#e #isto ian a! i pact t#e pe ception of students% Fo e8a ple0 a nationalistic #isto ian a!

& ite &it# 2ias in co posing a national na ati'e o a! pu2lis# info ation t#at suppo ts

i edentis 9 t#e ecla ation of land 2ased upon co on et#nicit! o p e'ious alleged

possession% 5 #isto ian o li'ed uc# of #is life in a po'e t! st ic4en count ! a! desc i2e

t#e eign of a pa ticula ona c# as la'is# and &asteful0 ile anot#e #isto ! a! eco d suc# a

pe son as gene ous and t#e eign p ospe ous% T#ese see ingl! cont adicto ! #isto ical

pe specti'es e7ui e a student of #isto ! to c iticall! t#in4 a2out t#e oti'ations of t#e & ite 0 t#e

scope and conte8t of t#e ate ial p esented%

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Running Head: REFLECTIONS UPON HISTORY -

Conside ing t#e plet#o a of su23ect ate ial enco passed in t#e stud! of Histo !0 t#e

easons fo stud!ing it ust 2e 3ust as nu e ous% /#et#e p actical o esote ic0 t#e easons fo

stud!ing Histo ! a e all 2eneficial and li4el! essential to pe sonal g o&t# and de'elop ent%

Histo ! #elps us to unde stand ou sel'es0 t#e &o ld a ound us0 as &ell as p epa e us fo t#e

futu e% In ega ds to unde standing ou sel'es0 &e ust fi st loo4 to ou o&n cultu al 'alues0

eligious ideals0 and fa il! t aditions and 7uestion at influenced us in ou 2e#a'io % T#e

appa ent ans&e &ould 2e t#e ci cu stances &e g e& up in as &ell as t#e influence ou pa ents

#ad upon us% Ta4ing a deepe loo40 #o&e'e 0 &e ust conside t#e ci cu stances of eac# of ou

pa ents0 t#ei pa ents0 and gene ations 2ac4% Fo e8a ple0 t#e potato fa ine in I eland a! #a'efo ced one of !ou ancesto s to o'e to t#e United States% Had t#at not #appened0 !ou a! not

#a'e t#e nationalistic p ide !ou #a'e no&% Unde standing #isto !0 t#en0 #elps us unde stand

ou sel'es and places e'ents in conte8t and in a anne t#at #elps us unde stand t#e &o ld a ound

us% T#e esote ic easons fo stud!ing #isto ! a! si pl! 2e t#e 2enefit of inspi ational sto ies of

co on people o'e co ing unco on ad'e sit! o gi'e us a sense of et#nic o national p ide%

In a sc#ola l! sense0 t#e stud! of #isto ! p o'ides us &it# s4ills and a 4no&ledge of p e'ious

e'ents t#at a! also #elp us p epa e fo t#e futu e%

5 stud! of Histo ! is essential in ou ode n &o ld and #as an! p actical uses% In

ega ds to planning fo t#e futu e0 a stud! of t#e past is o e t#an 2eneficial% /#ile #isto ! does

not epeat itself0 t#e 2e#a'io of people placed in si ila situations eact si ila l!% 5 student of

Histo ! can lea n at &o 4ed and at failed in t#e past0 gi'en a ce tain situation0 and use t#at

4no&ledge to p e'ent is#ap fo t#ei o&n futu e% Fo e8a ple0 gi'en ou unde standing of t#e

de'astation t#at #appened du ing Hu icane $at ina0 cit! planning 2oa ds a! no& plan fo

si ila e'ents &it# 2ette esults% Often o'e loo4ed0 t#e e a e an! less appa ent easons fo

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Running Head: REFLECTIONS UPON HISTORY

stud!ing #isto !% In stud!ing a pe son;s c edit epo t0 a 2an4 anage a! decide not to loan an

indi'idual one!% 5 stoc42 o4e 0 in anal!6ing ci cu stantial e'ents as elated to t#e p e'ious

!ea ;s stoc4 epo t a! decide to aintain #is stoc4s 2ecause #e 4no&s t#at t#e! &e e onl! lo&

2ecause of a d oug#t% Histo ! is also used in cou t oo s to dete ining p ecedents o to

in'estigate a se ies of e'ents o an ali2i fo a gi'en indi'idual in a case% Histo ! can 2e used to

dete ine p ope t! ig#ts in ega ds to &ills% (an! people toda! stud! Histo ! &it#out e'en

eali6ing it and utili6e t#at 4no&ledge into p actical application e'e ! da!%

In su a !0 Histo ! is a d!na ic field of stud!% It #as an! su2fields0 and its #isto ians

endea'o to follo& st ingent guidelines in t#ei eco ding of t#e past% T#e easons fo eco ding

and stud!ing Histo ! a e nu e ous and its p actical application is utili6ed e'e !e e in ode n

societ!% O'e all0 Histo ! is an essential su23ect t#at &ill 2enefit e'e ! indi'idual in its stud! and

eac# of us a e students et#e &e eali6e it o not%