The Study of History
It is our conviction that the study of history can help students to become decent, literate, humane, compassionate, and knowledgeable people who recognize that, as individuals and as members of society, we cannot deal with the present and prepare to cope with the future without a sense of the past. Only knowledge of the past can provide us with an understanding of the forces, ideas, and institutions that shape and condition our society – and we need that knowledge if we are to deal with the problems that face us. Moreover, it is from a study of the past that we acquire familiarity with the great tradition of human values and human dignity – a tradition that must be known to be appreciated, protected, and expanded.
The study of history can, of course, lead to professional work in the field – as a teacher, a professional historian in governmental or private agencies, or a university professor. It is also valuable for those going into other professions, such as law. In general, the study of history equips people to conduct research, critically analyze evidence, and coherently express defensible conclusions; it produces the kind of person who is capable of handling many different jobs and positions where the knowledgeable, the intelligent, the humane, and the perceptive are in demand. The study of history, by providing us with knowledge about the origins and development of peoples in the past, and the tools to analyze them, also gives us a better understanding of ourselves as individuals and as a society. And that is a goal we are all seeking to attain.