What is the purpose of History?

What is the purpose of History?

By Mr Shaun McCabe

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

– George Santayana

Today, history forms a huge component of human knowledge in general, alongside cultural and scientific knowledge, both of which overlap with history. Historians place a great emphasis on primary sources; people writing based on events they or their immediate friends actually experienced, rather than secondary sources, writing merely based on hearsay.

Also important are comparisons between primary sources. Without comparisons, it can be difficult to validate historical claims.