Is it important for us to study the past?

Several reasons.

1. We can not understand events that are happening in the world today without knowledge of the past. A good example of this is the Arab-Israeli conflict. Without an understanding of the past of the history of the Israel / Palestine area of the world it is difficult to understand why this issue is so problematic today.

2. We learn through experience. We an use experiences of people in the past to ensure we don't repeat the same mistakes. For example at the end of World War One the allied leaders punished Germany harshly thinking they would cripple Germany and ensure no future war. Infact what they did was create the perfect situation for a leader like Hitler to take advantage of and therefore create World War Two. At the end of World War Two the allies this time were more favourable to Germany and thus avoided making the same mistake twice.

3. History helps create a sense of identifty. A good modern example of this is the current Scottish situation. Whilst also being part of the United Kingdom they retain a fierce pride in their national identity because of the nations history.

4. People often say history repeats itself. In some ways this is true. A study of historical events in the past can help us solve problems today. For example in the 1920/30s USA the economy collapsed. A study of this can give people ideas on how to deal with the modern day economic collapse.

5. The lives of people in the past have shaped our world. It is important to remember this. For example all the developments and hanges brought about by our ancestors. This all helps contribute to our world and is worthy of rememberence.