The Purposes and Uses of History, with Various Examples Including Marx and John Tosh

History can be utilised as a guidance of social behaviour, education, a verification of self-identity, a means of understanding the development of present society, an indication of human potential and providing cultural context to society. However, the argument also exists that there is no useful purpose for history. By contrasting the perceptions of history and its function, a concept of the uses of history can be derived.
The historian John Tosh claims that 'history tells us most of what we need to know about the future'. The idea that history can educate humans is reinforced by believers of God and the Bible, where the Ten Commandments provide a guideline on how life should be lived. Through retelling events passed and the people within these events, a parameter is drawn on human behaviour. For example, Eugene Khoo, a history student, relates: 'Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for human sins. In making this ultimate sacrifice and through his behaviour on Earth, he is the ideal person. …