Description: In this article, Private tutor Laurence shares his point of view on why studying History in Modern Society is essential.
We all hear it so often. That we need to focus our education on practical disciplines.
We need to boost the number of STEM students in our education system.
That subjects like History only hinder society by attracting people away from topics considered to be more useful.
Recently, the Prime Minister of the UK further vocalised these views by pushing for the study of Maths to be compulsory in England until the age of 18.
Whilst I have no intention to devalue the importance of the studies of STEM subjects, I do, however, want to make clear that the subject of History remains incredibly important in modern society.
Within this article, I will outline three advantages that studying history provides people with the ability to navigate the complex world of modern society, attaining the abilities of inquiry, understanding, and critical thinking.
What is History?
The word is Greek in origin, with historia translating to ‘inquire’ in Greek.
Here lies our first component of what history is, and why it is important to study history.
The application of history is to inquire, about the past, the present and the future.
History is the action of investigating a plethora of facts – brought to us from sources, both primary and secondary – and making judgements on what each source tells us.
But why is this relevant today? Surely this is solely applicable to inquiring about the past? My flat answer is no.
In the modern age, there is an overwhelming amount of information.
The world is truly a more confusing place than it has ever been over the ages.
In order to digest what is true and what is false, what is right and what is not, you need to have the ability to inquire about an array of facts and make judgements based on the sources presented to you.
A skill firmly entrenched in history, yet not so present in STEM subjects.
Understanding Society
This leads to my second point, about understanding society.
Both in the sense of navigating the confusing world, we live in through the action of inquiry, history is also essential.
It helps us understand the foundations of each nation, culture, idea, institution and everything in between.
To understand the current actions and the reasons why particular occurrences happen in the world, we can trace the causes of each event through the lens of history.
We are all guilty of ignorance, whether deliberate or not.
Whilst we can never expect to know and understand everything about the world, we can use the study of history to try.
Critical Thinking
Lastly, my third and final point stems from a skill that comes as a consequence of the previous two.
When the ability to inquire and understand the world comes together, it unlocks the core benefit that history provides to you.
The ability of critically thinking.
Critical thinking is the capacity to interpret and assess a variety of different opinions.
This includes judgements and weighing up each of them in a reasoned and rational manner, before adopting a particular view.
We live in an extremely divided and polarised society.
The capacity to think critically goes a long way in helping to bridge the hostility and encourage reasonable debate.
Final Note
Consequently, I would argue that studying history provides you with the skills to inquire, understand, and reason with modern society.
It gives the opportunity that other disciplines cannot provide.
I believe this is extremely important for people going into any career which relies on navigating society.
Such as professions in media, law, finance, research and politics.
Thus, if this appeals to you, I hope you have considered and assessed the importance of the study of history in modern society, and how it may be relevant to you.
By tutor Laurence. Contact Us