History Story Teaches Us That History Teaches Nothing: Discuss Essay

1.0 INTRODUCTIONAll compassionate cultures class stories most the former(prenominal), deeds of ancestors, heroes, gods, or animals. Songs sacred to char professericular piles were chanted and memorized long before there was any make-up with which to magnetic disc them. Their truth was authenticated by the really concomitant of their continued repetition. taradiddle which can be considered as an key that purports to be squ ar(a) of n unitarythelessts and slipway of thought process and feeling in whatsoever part of the merciful historic stems from this archetypal human narrative activity. While sharing a common ancestry with myth, legend, epic poetry, and the novel, floor has of course diverged from these forms. Its claim to truth is base in part on the situation that all the persons or s cashboxts it describes really existed or occurred at some time in the prehistoric. Historians can adduce nonhing abtaboo these persons or events that cannot be supported, or at least suggested, by some sympathetic of documentary evidence. Such evidence customarily takes the form of something scripted, much(prenominal) as a letter, a law, an administrative record, or the tarradiddle of some previous historian. In addition, historians sometimes create their own evidence by interviewing volume.In the 20th century, the scope of diachronic evidence was greatly expanded to accept, inter alia, aerial photographs, clothes, motion pictures, and ho intents etcetera Furthermore, all develop countries stupefy their National Archives. This is in recognition of the simple fact that cognition of the yesteryear is natural to society. What happens in the prove, and what exit happen in the prox day, is very oftentimes g everyplacened by what happened in the past. Without a organic intimacy of past events and circumstances, we could not even attempt to grapple with these chores. Without friendship of the past we would be without personal identity , we would be lost on an endless sea of time.However, it is obvious that fellowship of the past has not brought easy solutions to problems in, distinguish, Nigeria, Mali, Zimbabwe, nirvana or even other part of the creative activity. Notwithstanding the fact that account evokement is predominate in any society and in fact a necessary factor for its growth, and some(prenominal) practical facts staring(a) us at the face throw away shown that plurality go steady from  narrative that they do not learn from record. Thus, I would bid to support and defend the assertion that tale teaches us that account statement teaches zip. merely before delving into this argumentative cum cerebral excursus, I would the like to clarify the border autobiography and Why people subscribe score2.0 WHAT IS bill?Etymologically, the barrier explanation is from the Greek word historia, meaning inquiry, fellowship acquired by investigation. It was still in this Greek sense t hat Francis Bacon utilized the term in the late 16th century, when he wrote about Natural news report. For him, biography is the know directge of objects influenced by pose and time. business relationship is the breeding of the past, specifically how it relates to humans. It is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of cultivation about these events. Scholars who write about fib be called historians whereas the events occurring prior to written record were considered pre chronicle. By pre memoir, historians mean the retrieval of knowledge of the past in an knowledge base where no written records exist, or where the committal to writing of a culture is not understood. By analyze painting, drawings, carvings, and other artefacts, some learn can be recovered even in the absence of a written record. Since the 20th century, the charter of pre tarradiddle is considered essential to avoid invoices underlying exclusion of certain cultivatedizations, such as those of Sub-Saharan Africa and pre-Columbian America. In 1961, British historian E. H. Carr wrote the line of demarcation mingled with prehistoric and historical times is cross when people cease to live still in the present, and become consciously evoke both in their past and in their future. record set completes with the handing down of custom and tradition means the carrying of the habits and lessons of the past into the future. Records of the past begin to be kept for the benefit of future generations1 Herodotus of Halicarnassus (484 BC 425 BC) has generally been acclaimed as the father of business relationship. However, his contemporary Thucydides (460 BC 400 BC) is credited with having first courted history with a well-developed historical method in his work the History of the Peloponnesian struggle. In his historical method, Thucydides emphasized chronology, a neutral point of view, and that the human un iverse of discourse was the result of the actions of human creations. Greek historians besides viewed history as cyclical, with events regularly recurring. cause to say that the word history entered the incline language in 1390 with the meaning of affinity of incidents or story. prof Richard J. Evans defines history as an academic discipline which uses a narrative to examine and analyse a sequence of past events, and objectively determine the patterns of cause and effect that determine them. match to Professor Arthur Marwick in his expression call The bedrock of History, history is the bodies of knowledge about the past produced by historians, in concert with everything that is involved in the production, communication of, and teaching about that knowledge.3 In E. H. Carrs What Is History? Carr draws on sources from Nietzsche to Herodotus to argue for a more subtle definition of history as an unending dialogue betwixt the present and the past.4 No revere, Whitney says that history is facilitated by the formation of a true discourse of past5 by means of the production of narrative and analysis of past events relating to the human race. History is the analysis and translation of the human past that enables us to study continuity and change over time. It is an act of both investigation and imagi earth that seeks to rationalize how people pass water changed over time. Historians use all forms of evidence to examine, interpret, revisit, and reinterpret the past. These include not just written documents, al iodine also oral communication and objects such as buildings, artefacts, photographs, and paintings.Historians be trained in the methods of discovering and evaluating these sources, and the challenging task of making historical sense out of them, that is to say they atomic number 18 aesthetically dis amoured in their approach to events. According to Encarta electronic dictionary, history is a chronological account of past events, it is the sort of knowledge that records and analyses past events6. more than so, encyclopedia Britannica defines history as the discipline that studies the chronological record of events (as affecting a nation or people), based on a critical psychometric test of source materials and ordinarily presenting an explanation of their causes7. Understanding wherefore historic events took place is important. To do this, historians often repeal to geography. Weather patterns, the water supply, and the landscape of a place all affect the lives of the people who live there. For example, to explain why the superannuated Egyptians developed a successful civilization, studying the geography of Egypt is essential. At this juncture, it is paramount to say that the writing of history, especially the writing of history based on the critical exam of sources, the selection of particular details from the authentic materials in those sources, and the synthesis of those details into a narrative that s tands the test of critical examination is known as Historiography.3.0 WHY so DO PEOPLE STUDY narration?From my own personal observation, it does occur to me that people explore the field of history for myriads of reasons which are History is a means to rede the past and present. The unalike interpretations of the past intromit us to see the present otherwise and therefore imagine and work to wards the future. with the study of history we can analyse and interpret why society developed as it has and determine what influences ware change the past and present and shape the future. It helps matchless to record the immense complexity of our ball and provides insights to help cope with the problems and possibilities of the present and future. History also provides a sense of identity to understand the collective past that has do us what we are today. The way in which people identify and interact with maven another is by and large a consequence of history, which shapes and c onditions individuals and societies whether they fully understand it or not, relationship between different heathenish groups in Nigeria can testify distinctly to this.History is also a couple to other disciplines. In order to understand the other humanities and sciences peerless require a historical overview. Writers, artists, scientists, politicians, philosophers etc. are all conditioned by the historical milieu in which they lived. Historical knowledge is a prerequisite for understanding the world in which we live. History is magister vitae, teacher of life. History prepares us to live more humanely in the present and to meet the challenges of the future because it provides us with understanding of the human condition. condescension these reasons why people study history, it becomes dispiriting to see that these reasons do not readily translate into practice considering what is on primer coat in the world. Hence, one can say without any fear of equivocation or ambig uity that history teaches us that history teaches nothing. To explicate this standpoint further, I would like to delineate in a jiffy the essential factors to be considered in history, from there I would showcase why history teaches us that history teaches nothing.3.1 necessity FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHY STUDYING business relationshipThese are Persons, ( personal element ), epoch element, Event, Place, Circumstance, Peoples reaction or Effects, Post Reactions and the Lessons. It is from the standpoint of lessons meant to be learnt from history that I would defend the assertion that history teaches us that history teaches nothing.4.0 HISTORY TEACHES US THAT HISTORY TEACHES NOTHING utilize NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY. Having explained the theory of history and why we study history, the problems that watch us at face are how has the knowledge of the past cocksurely influenced the present day society? To what extent is the history affecting the lives of people? Why is it that peopl e, nations, continents etc. repeat the same mistake of the past? Does it mean that history has no positive influence on human increment or that people turn out blatantly refused to learn from history? No wonder the prestigious German Philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel in his lectures on the philosophy of history said What get word and history teaches us is that people and organisations get hold of neer learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it We learn from history that we do not learn from history Hence History teaches that history teaches us nothing. If we go on to excogitate a look at the fate of the world historical personalities we shall find it to have been no happy one.They attained no calm enjoyment their whole disposition was labour and trouble their whole disposition was nothing but their masters passion. When their object is attained they fall off like empty hulls from the kernel To fill out on this assertion that history tea ches us that history teaches nothing, I would like to use Nigeria as a case study because I am more long-familiar with Nigerian history. Before delving into this intellectual discuss, I would like to posit certain questions What is the helping of Nigerians that are productively engaged? How many of them can pay their bills? Education is one factor that can lift the fortunes of a nation overnight as it is today, what is the section of the universe that attain school till tertiary institution? What percentage of the population can afford the fees for their education?What has the presidential term done to entrenched unity quite a than heathenity? Why has the government macrocosm uneffective to address these nagging issues? The most suitable answer to these interrogatives is that the government has failed to learn from history. In fact, the history of Nigeria has taught nothing to the government of this untaught considering what is on ground. The blame is mostly shifted to the government because as Achebe wrote in his book, The disconcert with Nigeria, the problem of Nigeria is that of leadinghip. Let me succinctly delineate and inflate on this assertion that history teaches us that history teaches nothing with some study events that have taken place in Nigeria.To be more precise, I check over the opinion that we have been stagnant in a lot of ways, we have degenerated in so many more ways while very little, if any progress, has been make in our march to pregnant nationhood. A key reason for our lacklustre act at nation-building as Soyinka prescribes in the dance of the Forest is the failure to draw lessons from the past at every turn in our history. That is an enterprise in which Nigeria still fails woefully. memorise what I read in one of the National Dailies that Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one of the fighting(a) participants in the move towards independence, said in a speech he delivered on the floor of the House of Representatives in Lagos o n March 31, 1953 It has been customary for our friends from the North to be the rest of Nigeria with secession if this is done or if that is not done We find the northerly majority is not only being used (by the colonialists, I presume) in having their way, but it is also being used in preventing the minority from having their say Such was the suspiciousness and distrust that existed amongst major ethnic fieldities in the country at the science of independence. This suspicion eventually led to many coups like that of 15th January 1966 Nigeria Major Kaduna Nzeogwu which led to the oddment of many including Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the then prime minister, twenty-ninth July 1966, a bloody coup led by Col. Yakubu Gowon, which claimed the life of Major cosmopolitan JTU Aguyi Ironsi and many others, 29th July 1975, by commonplace Murtala Mohammed against customary Yakubu Gowon and was successful, 13th February 1976, by Col. Dinka which resulted to the death of the the n Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed, thirty-first December 1983, by Major General Ibrahim B. Buhari against Alhaji Shehu Shagari took place and was successful, 27th August 1985, by Major General Ibrahim B. Babangida against General Buhari. This suspicion also led to the civil war in which millions of lives were lost. Now, has Nigeria learnt anything from these? I think, NO.This is because, cubic decimetre three old age old, national consolidation is still abysmal in Nigeria. in that respect are verbal missiles across the country by individuals who desire to promote the interest of their ethnic groups, all of them fanning the embers of strife and war. pagan militias exist in almost different parts of the country threatening the lives and creative activity of those who do not share their ethnic or religious pedigree. Many Nigerians especially Southerners have lost their lives due to Boko Haram insurgency. This was a kind of situation which made Ojukwu to withstand the Rep ublic of Biafra due the massacre of the Igbos in the North. This declaration later led to civil war. We have even seen the deportation of unworthy Nigerians from one state to the other and the helper emotional outbursts that followed it. In fact, Nigeria has failed woefully to learn from history because the lessons of history are never applied to better the life of her citizenry. At the moment, seven governors elected on the chopine of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) are on do or die mission to get a politician of northern extraction into the self-assurance of president come 2015.To them, it does not consider that the north had held that position for 37 out of Nigerias 53 years of independence, and that the locality in particular and the nation in general, has nothing to show for it, all they are interested in is that the next chairwoman is from the North. To drive home the urgency of their desire, some of their supporters have actually endanger that Nigeria would be histor y if this pet project failed. argon these politicians unable to learn from history that innate(p) to rule mentality is a cankerworm that has threatened the fabrics of nationhood? Legendary writer, Chinua Achebe in his celebrated book, The disturbance with Nigeria once said But whereas tribalism cogency win enough votes to install a reactionary jingoist in a tribal ghetto, the cult of mediocrity volition bring the wheels of modernisation grinding to a halt throughout the land That is the state of affairs in Nigeria currently. It is as uncollectible as for past and present leaders in the country to brazenly tell the world that Nigerias major challenge is the lack of honest and dedicated leadership even as none of them has the magnanimousness to plead guilty of the charge. This plague of great(p) leadership accounts for the frustrating level of backwardness that we have in all areas of our national life. It seems to me that a cloud of cluelessness has descended on Nigeria ov er the years.Corruption in particular is one vice in which Nigeria has grown in leaps and bounds over the years. If there were pockets of calumniate practices in the country at the attainment of independence, Nigeria has within the last 53 years grown corruption to the extent that it has literarily acquired a life of its own. This has almost brought the nation to its knees with the ending collapse of the middle class and the fracture between the rich and the inadequate outturn by the day. This means that Nigerian leaders in all sectors of life have failed to learn from history that corruptive practices unwind the development of a nation and the immoderate gap between the rich and poor can make the poor people to start a revolt against the rich.More still, agriculture which was the mainstay of the countrys economy up until the end of the first-class honours degree Republic has taken the back burner no thanks to the seeming ease with which petro-dollars have come to us since t he rock oil crush in the 1970s. As Nigerias oil prospect increased, political leaders comprise more money to siphon or launder even as they drop off to sustain the structures which made life meaningful for the citizenry. Today, life is almost unbearable for the intermediate Nigerian. Nigerian leaders seem to halt that it was this kind of atmosphere that ushered in the french revolution. Nigeria has not learnt from history. Hence, from this exposition of Nigerian experience, I continue to maintain that history teaches us that history teaches nothing because people have failed to learn from the lessons of history.5.0 EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION almost may tend to argue that reason the idea that history teaches us that history teaches nothing is already affirming that history teaches something because being aware that history teaches nothing is already learning something from history. Remember, the premise of my argument is that history teaches us that history teaches nothing , put in another way we learn from history that we do not learn from history. This points to the fact that people and nations have failed woefully to fool the lessons of history to promote human well-fare. Thus, Hegel is discipline when he maintained that we learn very little from history in a global sense. Therefore, history teaches us nothing if we fail to observe the past, ask discriminate questions and learn from the lessons of history.BIBLIOGRAPHY1 Carr, Edward H. (1961). What is History? p.1082 Evans, Richard J. The Two Faces of E.H. Carr. History In Focus. An article published by Palgrave, 2001.3 Marwick, Arthur The record of History The MacMillian Press LTD. pg. 169, 1970.4 Professor Arthur Marwick in his article titled The Fundamentals of History In E. H. Carrs What Is History?5 Whitney, W. D. The Century dictionary an comprehensive lexicon of English language. New York The Century Co, 1889.6 Encarta Microsoft Electronic Dictionary 2010 edition7 Encyclopdia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago Encyclopdia Britannica, 2011.8 Hegels Lectures on Philosophy of History which was assessed online on the 3rd of November, 2013.9 Achebe, Chinua. The Trouble with Nigeria, Enugu FourthDimension Publishing. Co. Ltd.Reprinted 1998. Print.