Understanding History and Kasaysayan

Meaning of History

• History comes from the Greek word "historie" meaning "to inquire" or "to investigate".
• History is now defined as the scientific study of the past.
• History is used to understand the past, present and the future.

History & Kasaysayan

• "Kasaysayan" is the Filipino word for "history".
• Prof. Zeus Salazar defines "Kasaysayan" as "a narrative that has meaning for the people it narrates".

History & Relevance of History

• History is more than memorable dates, names, and places, it is about understanding our past and our identity.
• We repeat history because we don't understand our past.
• History is not a static entity, it is constantly being rewritten and reinterpreted.

History & Historians

• Historians are people who study the past and attempt to interpret events and understand historical processes and phenomena.
• Historians use various sources to reconstruct and analyze the past, including written documents, oral histories, artifacts, and archaeological evidence.

History & Social Sciences

• The social sciences study human societies and the relationships between individuals within those societies.
• This includes disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, political science, history, geography, and linguistics.
• The goal of Social Sciences is to understand and explain social behavior and phenomena to improve societal outcomes and address social issues.

History & Historiography

• Historiography studies how history has been written, including the methods, interpretations, and perspectives of historians over time.
• It examines the narrative and analytical approaches that shape our understanding of past events.

History & Past

• History includes all prior events or things that have happened, whether personal or collective in nature.

History & Memories

• Memory is the faculty of the mind that encodes, stores, and retrieves data or information.
• Memory is the ability to encode, store, retain, and recall information and past experiences in the human brain.

History & Historical Revisionism

• Historical Revisionism involves reinterpreting the conventional view of history and historical evidence.
• It often challenges the established, accepted, or conventional views held by professional scholars about historical events.

History & Historical Distortion

• Historical Distortion involves altering or misrepresenting historical facts or events for various reasons such as political agenda, nationalistic pride, or ideological motives.