Issue48

48"The study of history places too much emphasis on individuals. The most significant events and trends in history were made possible not by the famous few, but by groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten."
(521 words)
The author asserts that the study of history places too much emphasis on individuals, meanwhile, the most siginificant events and trends in history were made by groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten, not the those famous few. I agree with the auuthor that it was the group effort that made the difference during the history. However, whether the leader have been too much emphasized in the study of history needs to to analyzed side by side.Firstly, it is sure that no matter in the antient or modern periods, no matter in the easten or the westen areas, the most significant events in history were made possible by groups of people. Without folk's attendance and support, neither could Mahatmas Gindhi set Indian free from the Great Britain nor could Matin Luther King pursuit the equality for African American. Maozedong, the former president of China, noce said, "folk is the exclusive motion of the world history." Another great politican, Abraham Lincoln praised thoes soldiers in the civil war in Gettysburg, "the world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." Without the folk, even such great men can't achieve their success.In other respects, the funtion of the individuals is more important. There would be some one else discovered the Relativity Theory sooner or later if Albert Einstein had not done the job in 1905, yet if this is the case, the great progress in physics will be postponed, and the life we enjoy now may still seem like 20 or 30 years ago. Another example is Bill Gates. Those who defend the author may wonder, if this guy didn't quit Harvard and became a normal person, whether the humankind today have a convenient operating system. Of course we still have many, just not one of them is called "Microsoft". Yet, the scientific and technological development would be lagging for several years. In short, though the individuals can't decide the main tendency of the history, they are sure to determine when, where and how these significant changes are done.Finally, as for the author's first statement, it is natural that historians always do more research on individuals. The materials of individual is always more explicit the normal persons, which can contribute to the research. In addition, the life of the great person was often permeated with legend, which appeals to the people too. On the other hand, the great individual is sometimes miniature of the society in that periods. It is helpful to understand the folks and the history by researching those individual who are representative of the nation, even the world. When it comes to study of the reform-and-open up policies, the former Chinese leader, Dengxiaoping always gets a huge share of the limelight. One who knows about the individuals can better understand the history during that time.In conclusion, the history always belongs to people. Both individuals and folks must be emphasized in the respects of study history. Though history immoralities the memories of a few individuals, trying to make a balance is a better choice.