Chapter 1: History for Students PDF

PRAYER  Hello Learners! September 4, 2024  Hi! I’m Ma’am Lovely. READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY Prepared by: Lovely C. Conge Chapter 1: Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and Methodology  Learning objectives: To understand the meaning...

PRAYER  Hello Learners! September 4, 2024  Hi! I’m Ma’am Lovely. READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY Prepared by: Lovely C. Conge Chapter 1: Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and Methodology  Learning objectives: To understand the meaning of history as an academic discipline and to be familiar with the underlying philosophy and methodology of the discipline. To apply the knowledge in historical methodology and philosophy in assessing and analyzing existing historical narratives. To examine and assess critically the value of historical evidences and sources. To appreciate the importance of history in the social and national life of the Philippines. “Definition and Subject Matter”  HISTORY derived from the Greek word historia which means “knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation”.  Historia Became known as the account of the past of a person or of a group of people through written documents and historical evidences. Traditional historians lived with the mantra of “no document, no history.” It means that unless a written document can prove a certain historical event, then it cannot be considered as a historical fact.  What do you think? Oral form can be considered a History? “Questions and Issues in History”  What is history? Why study history? And history for whom?  Historiography In simple terms, historiography is the history of history. Note: History and historiography should not be confused with each other. “HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN”  If history is written with agenda or is heavily influenced by the historian, is it possible to come up with an absolute historical truth? Is history an objective discipline? If it is not, is it still worthwhile to study history? Indeed, an exact and accurate account of the past is impossible for the very simple reason that we cannot go back to the past. We cannot access the past directly as our subject matter. Historians only get to access representation of the past through historical sources and evidences.  It is the historian’s job not just to seek historical evidences and facts but also to interpret these facts. “Facts cannot speak for themselves.” Historians He is a person of his own who is influenced by his own context, environment, ideology, education, and influences, among others. His subjectivity will inevitably i n fl u e n c e t h e p ro c e s s o f h i s h i s t o r i c a l re s e a rc h : The methodology that he will use, The facts that he shall select a n d d e e m re l e v a n t , H i s i n t e r p re t a t i o n , A n d e v e n t h e f o rm o f h i s writings. If that is so, can history still be considered as an academic and scientific inquiry? Historical research requires rigor.  Historical methodology comprises certain techniques and rules that historians follow in order to properly utilize sources and historical evidences in writing history. “HISTORICAL SOURCES”  Primary Sources Are those sources produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being studied. Examp Archival documents le: Artifacts Memorabilia Letters Census Government records  Primary Sources Example: If historian wishes to study the Commonwealth Constitution Convention of 1935, his primary sources can include the minutes of the convention, newspaper clippings, Philippine Commission reports of the U.S. Commissioners, records of the convention, the draft of the Constitution, and even photographs of the event. Eyewitness accounts of convention delegates and their memoirs can also be used as primary sources.  Secondary Sources Are those sources, which were produced by an author who used primary sources to produce the material. In other words, secondary sources are historical sources, which studied a certain historical subject.  Secondary Sources Example: On the subject of the Philippine Revolution of 1896, students can read Teodoro Agoncillo’s Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan published originally in 1956. The Philippine Revolution happened in the last years of the nineteenth century while Agoncillo published his work in 1956, which makes the Revolt of the Masses a secondary source. More than this, in writing the book, Agoncillo used primary sources with his research like documents of the Katipunan, interview with the veterans of the Revolution, and correspondence between and among Katipuneros.  External Criticism Is the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining its physical characteristics; consistency with the historical characteristic of the time when it was produced; and the materials used for the evidence. Example: Quality of the paper The type of the ink used The language and words used in the material  Internal Criticism Is the examination of the truthfulness of the evidence. It looks at the content of the sources and examines the circumstance of its production. Internal criticism looks at the truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by looking at the author of the source, its context, the agenda behind its creation, the knowledge which informed it, and its intended purpose, among others. Internal criticism Entails that the historian acknowledge and analyze how such reports can be manipulated to be used as war propaganda. ACTIVITY: GUESS IT! Thank You!