History
History is simply the examination of history. The written word has played an integral part in the history of mankind since the beginning of recorded history of five thousand years ago. Human beings have always existed, and as such history is necessarily an ongoing subject. The process of studying history has been a long and arduous one, but it is this examination of history that produce knowledge of particular topics and is useful to people today.
Human history is an important aspect of general history and is the subject of numerous disciplines within history. Archaeology, for example, is intimately connected with the history and the written word, as is the history of medicine and history of culture. History is an examination of the past events. Prehistorical events before the invention of written language are often regarded as prehistory. “Prehistoric history” is also an umbrella term involving the documented record, investigation, recording, collection, preservation, and evaluation of the past events.
Studying history is the means to an end, since without knowing what has happened in the past, there is no way to know what will happen in the future. Thus, historians study history in order to learn what happened in the past, what shaped the future, and what can be done to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Through studying history, human beings become more sensitive to the necessity for change, and they become keenly aware of social issues, political conflicts, and other pertinent aspects of history. This sensitivity to history is manifested in numerous ways in today’s society, ranging from governmental debate to family discussions, from academic discussions to pop songs.
A key aspect of studying history is analyzing the meaning of the patterns of history. Students are encouraged to analyze the different patterns of history and interpret the significance of these patterns for present-day purposes. Most historians agree that understanding history requires an understanding of language, culture, society, and time. The primary objective of studying history is to provide information about the past so that current generations can better understand the reasons for their existence.
Historians study various historical periods such as the Ancient World, Classical World, Medieval, Renaissance, Modern World, Post-Cold War, and Historical Revolution. They look into everything from political systems, cultural practices, economic practices, social structures, to technological developments. Examples of modern historians include Enrico Fandi, Napoleon Hill, Arnold Bennett, Karl Menninger, Howard Zinn, Louis Menand, ences Walther, ences Coward, and Barbara Benagh. In fact, most modern scholars rely on historical research to produce written work, to examine issues affecting the present world, and to produce literature on the historical figures and events.
Students studying history at the college or university levels need to possess some knowledge of world politics, military affairs, economy, science, technology, and history in general. Some colleges require students to choose a major in history. Others simply have classes on the history of specific periods of time. The major is important because it gives students an overview of world history, and the ability to research for secondary sources. The more one knows about history, the more one can analyze events and situations and be prepared to write about them in class, essays, dissertations, research papers, or in any combination. Learning about history is very important, but learning to write about it well is even more important.