Why Study World History Jerry Bentley Analysis

In his article, “Why Study World History?”, Jerry Bentley discusses the great benefits of historical study, though at one point he heavily focuses on the impact historical study has on three key qualities of wisdom. He discusses the uses of these skills and their benefits to those who seek to improve them. These qualities of wisdom, cognitive skill, intellectual flexibility, and use of judgement, are highly regarded not only in the field of history, but in all aspects of life. The first quality of wisdom Bentley discusses is cognitive skill, which is, in his words, “the ability to assess complex situations, understand the dynamics that produced them, and evaluate them on the basis of clear-eyed understanding of human nature, both general and particular.” Basically, this cognitive skill is the ability to understand complicated situations and handle them in a calm, level-headed manner. This skill can be applied to almost every aspect of life, as problems will always arise with complex circumstances and solutions, and one must be able to approach the situation with a clear mind in order to assess the problem and solve it in a timely and calm fashion. The …show more content…
Bentley describes this as “the ability to form evaluations and make good decisions in spite of the ambiguities and uncertainties that are inherent features of complex human situations.” This quality, essentially, is being able to use judgement to evaluate a situation and create the best solution considering both the information given and uncertain events that may change the dynamic of the situation at hand. Judgement can be applied to every aspect of one’s life, as situations will always arise that will require one to make decisions without the entirety of information surrounding the issue. Judgement is developed by studying world history through, for example, court cases, from their beginning claims to the final decision given in the