'Condemned to repeat it'

George Satayana stated that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Church historian William Lund described how "We study the past to understand the present; we understand the present to guide the future." In many ways, a knowledge of history is essential in deciding how to progress and continue to achieve greater things; it is also important in recognising failures and atrocities within our past, learning the reasons why and the circumstances under which they occurred and using this knowledge to prevent history from repeating itself. Looking to the past can also provide individuals with a sense of belonging to a certain group; a particular race, religion or society, with a shared history which becomes a reason for unity and community.

It is also however important to realise that history itself is not necessarily about war, politics or religion. History explains to us the formation of the structure of our languages, the way in which we dress; it provides an explanation for our mannerisms and culture, and enables us to develop further knowledge of ourselves through the actions and words of others. Therefore, a commonly held view, “It is proverbial, of course, that man never learns from history, and, as a rule, in respect to a problem of the present, it can teach us simply nothing. The new must be made through untrodden regions, without suppositions, and often, unfortunately, without piety also” (C Jung), neglects to take into account the fact that we are living history; every product we use or book we read has been influenced by or developed within our past. Without history itself, we would lack the knowledge that allows us to proceed into the future. It is important in that we can use our knowledge of life in the past, learn from it and subsequently further develop using this prior understanding.

As previously mentioned, history is also important in enabling us as a society to learn from previous errors witnessed throughout history, and prevent them from reoccurring. The holocaust for example is probably one of the best-known horrors of history. From the atrocities committed in the Second World War we can learn from mistakes that happened to prevent further ones. For example, the events that took place under Nazi rule in Germany demonstrated the dangers of not intervening soon enough in foreign politics. As a result, NATO was formed, providing members with the reassurance of unity in the face of a similar situation. Another outcome of the Second World War in concern to the holocaust was the use of the Nuremberg Principle- "The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him", meaning that acting under orders was not a defence for committing crimes; something which has since been used to enforce prosecution of criminals, and forced many people to accept accountability for crimes committed under orders.

Alongside very prominent examples, there are many everyday examples that demonstrate the way in which history influences the present and thus the future. For example, case studies such as those of factory workers during the industrial revolution have influenced the way employment law is applied today. This is demonstrated by the establishment of a minimum wage in England in 1999, the enforced basic rights at work, and the right to join a trade union and to strike. Therefore, history has influenced new laws and legislation that have served to give people their rights and basic human needs without exception. Without studying the negative effects that non-regulated employment caused within society via historical investigation, these bad practices and conditions may have continued into the present day. History also allows us to make scientific and cultural advancements in the present day. For example our knowledge of how Aids spreads and how the disease progresses is key to developing potential cures. The influences of great writers such as Shakespeare enable us through studying their work to further develop our own cultural identities, alongside helping us to experiment with innovative literary techniques; thus expanding on what past works have delved into.

Having a sense of community has been found to be a key element to functioning well as a society. In 1974, psychologist Seymour Sarason's book introduced the concept of "psychological sense of community," and asserted that psychological sense of community "is one of the major bases for self-definition"; history helps to give people a shared background, a sense of common ground, and this feeling of being part of a community. In this aspect history is very important; it gives structure to our societies, it explains the way we act now and it also provides the element of hindsight needed for societies to progress and prosper.

It can also be argued that history gives us a sense of purpose and a sense of responsibility that influences the way we act. “History cannot give us a programme for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future' Robert Penn Warren. Our actions will become tomorrow’s history in which every individual has played apart. Therefore our actions are influenced by the potential reactions of our descendants; though global warming is unlikely to drastically affect the earth within our lifetimes, it is likely to affect the lives our future generations, and in that sense, society feels an obligation to change the way we act now, in order to preserve the future and to have played our part within history.

Therefore, history not only puts our lives and actions into a greater context, it also influences the future that we create. Without history we cannot grow, we cannot develop and we cannot improve ourselves. If only for the purpose of our growth as a society, studying our history must remain integral in deciding how to progress.