Is History the most pointless subject to do a degree in?

How do you know its wrong? Were you there?

That's like me saying "Henry VIII was made of poo, ate the entire population of England and burned all immigrants". Am I wrong? How do you know? Where you there?

You learn how to scrutinize source material in many subjects, incidentally as skill which is also very prevalent in the science.

I can't possibly comment on Science at degree level, but I'll take your word for it

I wouldn't, my friends in his last year of Physics Masters degree and he has never done this ^^

Studying history isn't just learning arbitrary facts about the past. Sure, I'm biased as a history applicant, but I see it as way more useful than most sciences.

Hello Jolly,

I must preface my response by making my bias clear too, because I consider myself a natural and vocational scientist, as I read medicine. Saying history is more useful than science, any science, is simply not the case (in my personal opinion).

I don't really know why this is, but whenever people think "science", they think only about the theory of relativity and astronomy. Scientists have discovered the electron, invented the wire, light bulbs and equivalent, the telephone, the internet, the computer, the processor and statistics theory (all of which constitute modern day economics), the car, architecture (applied mathematics [physics and engineering with art]), the aeroplane, and so on, and so forth. Those are just some of the real world practical applications of science. I'm not even going to get started on 21st century medicine, and just how good we have become at extending human life through major and exclusively scientific breakthroughs. Please do not imagine science as some purely theoretical exercise which elucidates "already existing stuff", because that is simply the single stupidest premise for a science based argument that's out there. Science does help us discover more about what we are and the universe through Hypothetico-deductive models, but its practical applications are absolutely, absolutely everywhere, and it is by far the single most useful asset to humanity.

I don't want you to get the impression I think History is useless, far from it, I think its an amazing way to examine psychological and in some cases psycho-physiological ideas, and makes us more aware of modern day trends in fields such as economics and politics, but your statement just hit a nerve.

On a side-note, I think that idiom is superfluous, nobody would clone a dinosaur without thinking of possible adversities. Surely you don't think that lowly of us Jolly!

EDIT: Whoever thinks History is useless, or, more shockingly, thinks you can learn its degree equivalent from Wikipedia is clearly on something.

Fair point and well made. I concede that perhaps I spoke with haste when I placed science subordinate to history in rankings of utility, and perhaps I was envisioning the more theoretical side of science. Allow me to rephrase my claim: Scientific advancements are dependent on historical understanding to be valuable to us, as a species.

However, I think we will have to agree to disagree in some respects. Scientific knowledge is an incredibly potent tool for advancement, but its practical applications are worthless without a society which they can advance. A rigorous understanding and appreciation of the follies and merits of the past is, in my view, the only thing we can use to craft the stable society that science's advancements can flourish in.

Sure its interesting but it would be better just to read Wikipedia than wasting time and money doing a degree in it.

There is much more scope to learn about and you could use the time and money to get a worthwhile degree.

Anyone else agree?

Better just to read wikipedia? When you have read real books and journal articles by historians you will realise why you can't just read wikipedia

Invalid? How so?

I could learn any history topic in a matter of hours, whats the point of studying it for a degree?

Sure its interesting but it would be better just to read Wikipedia than wasting time and money doing a degree in it.

There is much more scope to learn about and you could use the time and money to get a worthwhile degree.

Anyone else agree?

I entirely agree with your point here. I appreciate your calm and rational response, and the fact we were able to have a humane exchange of points.

Best of luck on your degree.

THIS.

It's interesting how many people who think that history is just the pointless recitation of facts also seem prepared to blindly accept one version of the events presented to them. People need to wake up.