Why Should We Study History? By Dr. Ali Parsa

When asked to define intelligence, Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher of the 5th century B.C.

, once said, it is the understanding of cause and effect. If Aristotle is right, then the ultimate goal of studying history is not just memorizing a bunch of facts, figures and dates (though knowing this information is important to understanding history). Instead, the goal of studying history is to make sense out of the world by connecting human activity and its context. Therefore, we should not only strive to gain a knowledge base of human past (philosophical, artistic, economic, etc.) but also try to establish a cause and effect relationship.

So, why should you care about establishing this relationship through the study of history?

After many years of studying and analyzing scholars, I have come to the conclusion that there is a pattern of repetition in human historical development. You have heard the old clich, "history repeats itself." While I believe this clich to be sure, I do not believe that history repeats itself in a linear, cyclical and two-dimensional way. Instead, the pattern is rather analogous to a spiral or three-dimensional movement; history never repeats itself exactly the same way. It merely repeats itself through similar patterns.

Still, you might ask, "What is this has to do with my life?"

Well, it is related to your life in two important ways. First, studying history will help you understand where we are historically as a nation and civilization right now. It will also help you understand where we are headed and what changes need to be made.

For instance, most scholars believe in the concept of the rise and fall of civilizations. This means that every civilization has periods of highs and lows. What you define as a rise and fall may depend on your subjective perspective, but the term rise is typically associated with economic prosperity, political stability, freedom from violence and coercion, and freedom to pursue creativity. The term fall is associated with war, poverty, famine and disease. By examining and understanding the cause and effect relation in the rise and fall of the different civilizations throughout history and by looking at our own society to determine where we are today, we might be able to find paths that will secure our own happiness and that of the future generations.

So, are you still wondering why history is important?

A large portion of the public believes that history depends on an individual's point of view and, therefore, is subjective by nature. These critics often argue that history is always written by the "winners" and that history neglects the points of views of minorities.

These critics are both correct and incorrect at the same time. It is undeniable that our individual biases, based on our background and believes, shape our understanding and, therefore, our explanation of the world around us. Historians are not exempt from this truth.

Historians choose their sources from a large pool of available materials (historical artifacts, archeological remains and available documents) in order to construct a historical narrative. In that sense, their choices are subjective, but two strict principles constrain their freedom of choice when selecting their materials. First, historians cannot lie or fabricate evidence (that would be fiction writing). Second, because the pool of information is large, the chosen materials should, when arranged together, present a coherent explanation of the historical past.

History is a science. Historians are judged on their ability to present a plausible explanation with strong evidence, and historians are constantly looking for new ideas, theories and evidence to better understand the past and present. The goal of historians is not to construct a story based on their own bias.

By studying history, you too can better understand the past and present. As Pearl Buck once said, "If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday."

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