Why do we Study History?

History is the record of past events, cultures, ideas, and places. It is the accumulation of knowledge and evidence from the past that forms the historical record. History is part of our identity, our cultural background that influences our daily lives. "The function off the historian is neither to love the past nor to emancipate himself from the past, but to master and understand it as the key to the understanding of the present."E. H. Carr 


What E.H. Carr, author of What is History? is trying to tell us is that no matter if you love or hate history, it is a necessary tool to understanding the world around us today. History aids us in understanding each other and our differences. By understanding and analyzing the history those different from you, you overcome ignorance and prejudice. Instead of thinking that all Chinese have bound feet, after learning the history of Ancient China you learn that it was a tradition practiced among the elite before it was outlawed by Communism. Without full understanding of one another and our history there is bias and conflict.  By learning history you improve your research skills, your ability to predict and see trends, as well as your thinking skills. 

Not only does history improve your understanding of people around you, but it gives meaning to the world. The present is meaningless without the past. History explains why everything right now is the way it is. It enriches your  knowledge of current events and entertainment. Literature and the media constantly make small references to events or things of the past. Without knowledge of history these details would wash over you. After learning about the Ancient Greeks in Humanities I suddenly noticed all these ways Ancient Greece affects us today, everything from democracy to columns to medicine. I watched modern movies and understood the references to Greek gods.