History is not really about the past. It’s really a way of talking about the present and the future, a means of trying to make sense of the vital issues shaping contemporary existence. History is not the only means of attempting to do so, but it remains an indispensable approach to grappling with the conditions of the present-day world. Some of the old adages have strong elements of truth in them—"if you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going" or "If you don’t know where you stand, you’ll fall for anything." Every generation attempts to reinterpret the past, to tell new stories from history. In part this desire to reexplore history stems from previously unknown evidence coming to light.

Mostly, however, the retelling of history receives its impulse from the new circumstances of the present and the expectations that form about  the future. Each generation experiences the imperative of having to define itself and inevitably seeks help through a fresh look at history. Unless assisted by some grasp of the past, the present moment offers little guidance in coping with the enormous demands of a highly unequal and conflictive world. By itself, the current age of unremitting scientific innovation lacks the experience and standards of judgment to define how novel sources of technological power should be used for the human good. The "information age" drowns in oceans of detail unless some longer-run perspectives exist to define what is worthwhile and what is ultimately extraneous. 

The more we live in an era of change, the more we need history, not less.  Rather than signify irrelevance, the colloquial phrase "that's history" should be understood to mean "that's vital."  As Cornell West once put it, "a deep and abiding sense of history" remains essential if the dangerous world of the early twenty-first century is to "keep its eyes on the prize" and become a "better place."

History and employment.  Traditionally the study of history served as a good form of preparation for entry into the fields of archival management, law, politics, and teaching.   It still does.  But today the skills gained through the study of history prepare the way for many other careers as well.  Responsible positions in any field these days require an adept management of information.  Students of history gain skills in researching information, selecting relevant material from original contexts, and organizing coherent forms of argument sustained by evidence.  They gain experience in establishing relationships among factors and learn to see processes, not static factors, in operation over time.  Comprehension of a diversity of perspectives remains basic to historical interpretation, providing insights into the workings of culture and to forms of interaction between audience and argument. 

The informational and cultural skills associated with the study of history make it an ideal complement to the efforts students make to master a host of other fields from medicine to journalism, from computer science to finance, from film to marketing.  A minor in history combines easily with the requirements of other fields of study at Temple.