Claim: Knowing about the past cannot help people to make important decisions today.Reason: We are not able to make connections between current events and past events until we have some distance from both.

Knowing about the past is always beneficial but it should not be given utmost importance when we are making any decision today. History shows us many past consequences that may be prevalent in that social economic premises but may not be valid at present. It shows us many important decisions from the past and their result in that time. Those consequences increases our knowledge in present time without actually experiencing them but those should not me a dormant factor to influence present decision. Therefore I am agree with the reason given against the claim.

History always plays a role of good companion for human. From the beginning of civilization it logs all the events irrespective of whether it is important or not. If we thoroughly go through any selective part of the history then we have at least rough idea how the culture and social and economic condition were. But any decision taken at that time should not be replicated blindly in the present time. If replication does occur then the consequences will be different that were happened in history. Because the situation in every sectors are different from that time.

The same argument is valid for all sectors . It may be politics, business , education etc. All the sector will be affected if any past knowledge is replicated to make decision. It is common in politics to repeat the decision because it follow the legacy of that political party. But if the situation is different then it will serve no purpose at all.

For example the decision taken by American government during cold war should not be repeated in present time though the temporal situation may be same as at that time. Because if any decision is taken then it will seriously jeopardize modern stable relation between Russia and America. Consider another situation where a corporate company force to take pink slip to its employee when the economic condition of that company was at worst. Now that situation may be beneficial in the past but may not be in present. So if the company repeat the same decision again the result may be opposite.

Exact replication of any situation from the past is not possible . So clearly replication of any decision will not work either. Past knowledge will surely help them to understand the situation better but we have to apply that sagacity intelligently in the present. Then only the decision will be most appropriate according to the situation.