Category: History

Should the West return cultural artefacts to their former colonial territories?

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Oliver - Year 12 Student Editor’s note: Year 12 student Oliver writes here in response to the thought-provoking Art History essay title set for the New College of the Humanities essay competition, 2021. ‘Should the West return cultural artefacts to their former colonial territories?’ – what are your thoughts on this controversial issue? CPD Touring the British Museum is … Continue reading Should the West return cultural artefacts to their former colonial territories?

Witold Pilecki: The Auschwitz Volunteer

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Oliver - Year 12 Student & Chief Editor, Humanities Journal Editor's note: Oliver shares here the remarkably brave life of Polish resistance fighter Witold Pilecki, the so-called 'Auschwitz volunteer'. As Oliver notes, "[a]lthough exalted today by his compatriots, Pilecki deserves to be better known... He is remembered today as a national hero in Poland and, … Continue reading Witold Pilecki: The Auschwitz Volunteer

Did continual military expansion lead to the decay of the Carolingian Empire?

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Mei - Year 13 Student & Former Chief Editor, Humanities Journal Editor's Note: Year 13 student Mei, founder and former Chief Editor of the school's Humanities Journal, researched and composed this remarkable extended essay on the Carolingian Empire in response to the Robson History Prize essay competition organised by Trinity College, Cambridge. The judges were … Continue reading Did continual military expansion lead to the decay of the Carolingian Empire?

To what extent is the ‘Harrying of the North’ responsible for the contemporary economic disparity between the North and South?

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James - Year 13 Student Editor’s Note: Year 13 student James submitted this fascinating essay on William the Conqueror's Harrying of the North to the Peterhouse College, Cambridge, annual Vellacott History Prize essay competition. James's essay was a competition winner: as the judges noted, "[t]he standard of entries was high, but the judges felt that your essay stood … Continue reading To what extent is the ‘Harrying of the North’ responsible for the contemporary economic disparity between the North and South?

According to Kant, is Rousseau a figure of the Enlightenment?

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Francesca - Year 11 Student Editor's Note: Talented student Francesca, now in Year 12, writes here about two prominent 18th century philosophers, namely Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and Jean-Jaques Rousseau (1712-1778). Whilst both men were influential thinkers during the Age of Enlightenment, the 'intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during … Continue reading According to Kant, is Rousseau a figure of the Enlightenment?

Can history teach us lessons?

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Elle - Year 13 Student Editor’s Note: This essay forms part of a collection of student works published in the 2020 edition of Salutaris, the GSAL Sixth Form academic journal. It was originally published here in The GSAL Journal. CPD Throughout the process of studying the discipline, it is inevitable that many individuals studying History have been asked as … Continue reading Can history teach us lessons?

What have the rubbish dumps of Oxyrhynchus ever done for us?

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Mei – Year 12 Student & Chief Editor, Humanities Journal Editor's Note: In a rich vein of form and with her passion for classical studies burning bright, Year 12 student Mei, founder and current Chief Editor of the school’s Humanities Journal, writes once again for us here. In this essay she explores Oxyrhynchus, a well-known 'rubbish dump' … Continue reading What have the rubbish dumps of Oxyrhynchus ever done for us?

How does the knowledge of the past help us prepare for the challenges of the 21st century?

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Jamie - Year 12 Student Editor’s Note: Writing for the New College of Humanities annual essay competition, Jamie Y12 writes expertly on the disciplines of history, economics and politics, examining the geopolitical challenges of the clash between China and the United States of America. He delves into this case study whilst crafting a broader historical … Continue reading How does the knowledge of the past help us prepare for the challenges of the 21st century?

Was Achilles’ rage a symptom of conscious injustice or of an infantile psychopathologic disorder?

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Mei - Year 12 Student & Chief Editor, Humanities Journal Editor’s Note: Year 12 student Mei, founder and current Chief Editor of the school’s Humanities Journal, researched and composed this daunting yet enlightening extended essay on Achilles, the mythological Greek hero of the Trojan War and the central character of Homer's Illiad. Mei writes here in response … Continue reading Was Achilles’ rage a symptom of conscious injustice or of an infantile psychopathologic disorder?