History is the most universal of the humanities. It is not merely a body of facts to be learned, but is a series of arguments and points of view to be debated. The study of the ideas, attitudes, and actions of peoples in the past helps to sharpen a person's own sense of values, offering moral lessons in the search for a global future of creative achievement and international peace. It also helps to cultivate a more tolerant and compassionate spirit toward peoples whose culture and way of life may be different from one's own. Besides the obvious relevance of historical events to certain contemporary issues, the study of history offers the student the opportunity to develop mental skills which are invaluable in all fields of endeavour.
Historical study teaches the student how to organize and classify extensive data.
It develops literary techniques and promotes the analytical capabilities of the student. These are skills which are useful in every profession or field of study. Historical study can also prepare students for a wide variety of careers in law, journalism, library work, publishing, government, business, and politics. History is also central to a liberal arts education. At UCC it may be studied intensively as part of a Majors programme or individual courses can be taken simply to satisfy one's curiosity about the past.