issue 48

issue 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."

The speaker's contends actually two claims. Firstly, people who study history place too much emphasis on individuals. Secondly, groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten made the most significant events and trends in history. As far as I am concerned, I strongly agree with the speaker's claim.

Admittedly,in some areas such as art and science, a individual can play a more crucial role than forgettable groups of people. It is Newton, who laid foundation of calculus, formulated three fundamental laws of mechanics, leading to the law of gravitation.

The most significant historic events and trends were made possible by groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten. On the one hand, admittedly, the famous one is important to make a great decision to create a significant event in the history. He can rally much more people together to take part in the event and cause much more impact on the event. For example, the Chinese famous historic building, Great Wall, was decided to construct by the first emperor who reigned the dynasty Qing. But it was actually constructed by thousands upon thousands nameless people. If there were not these people, there was not this significant event. On the other hand, in the important long-term trend, nameless people also act as the most important factor. Let us imagine that what would happen in a significant historic process if the famous individual who should be there was not there. Somebody else would play such important role instead of him and lead the people to promote the progress. If gradual shifts in rights of women were not supported by nameless people, there was no achievement in it. A individual's power is tiny in contrast with the groups of people in the history, no matter whether he is a famous one.

In sum, while we study the history, we can place more emphasis on individuals. And we can learn much more about the society which they lived by plentiful information of them. The impact of famous individual on the social progress is only one factor, but not the most important one. People  whose identities have long been forgotten made the historic events and trends possible.

继续，着什么时候是个头啊