Chapter 1 - Introduction to History PDF

College Department GED 102: Readings in Philippine History MICHAEL S. BAUTISTA Instructor TANAUAN INSTITUTE INC. J. Gonzales St., Barangay 4, Tanauan City, Batangas Phi...

College Department GED 102: Readings in Philippine History MICHAEL S. BAUTISTA Instructor TANAUAN INSTITUTE INC. J. Gonzales St., Barangay 4, Tanauan City, Batangas Philippines Michael S. Bautista, MAED BSEd Major in History- Navotas Polytechnic College MAEd Major in Educational Administration and Supervision- Tanauan Institute Master Teacher I at DepEd SDO Sto. Tomas City, Santiago Elementary School SDO Sto. Tomas City Teachers Association- Vice President School Learning and Development Coordinator Araling Panlipunan Teacher MICHAEL S. BAUTISTA Instructor INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY: DEFINITION, ISSUES, SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY MICHAEL S. BAUTISTA Instructor 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.  Toapply the knowledge in historical methodology and philosophy in assessing and analyzing existing historical narratives.  To examine and assess critically the value of historical evidences.  To appreciate the importance of history in the social and national life of the Philippines. DEFINITION AND SUBJECT MATTER  History has always been known as the study of the past  This low appreciation of the discipline may be rooted from the shallow understanding of history’s relevance to their lives and to their perspective  History was derived from the Greek word historia which means “knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation.”  It existed for around 2,400 years and is as old as mathematics and philosophy  Historia became known as the account of the past of a person or a group of people through written documents and historical evidences  It is thus important to ask: What counts as history?  Traditional historians lived with the mantra of “no document, no history.”  But as any other academic disciplines, history progressed and opened up to the possibility of valid historical sources, which were not limited to written documents, like government records, chroniclers’ accounts, or personal letters.  Some were keener on passing their history by word of mouth  Others got their historical documents burned or destroyed in the events of war and colonization  Restrictinghistorical evidence as exclusively written is also discrimination against other social classes who were not recorded in paper  This loophole was recognized by historians who started using other kinds of historical sources, which may not be written in form but were just as valid.  Fewexamples of these are oral traditions in forms of epics and songs, artifacts, architecture and memory.  With the aid of archeologists, historians can use artifacts from bygone era to study ancient civilization that were formerly ignored in history.  Linguists can also be helpful in tracing historical evolutions, past connections among different groups, and flow of cultural influence by studying language and the changes that it has undergone.  Biologists and biochemist can help with the study of the past through analyzing genetic and DNA patterns of human societies QUESTIONS AND ISSUES IN HISTORY  History as a discipline has already turned into a complex and dynamic inquiry.  What is history? Why study history? And history for whom?  Historiography is the history of history  History- the study of the past, the events that happened in the past, and the causes of such events.  Historiography- is the history itself (i.e. how was a certain historical text written?, Who wrote it? What was the context of its publication? What particular historical method was employed? What were the sources used? Historiography is important for someone who studies history because it teaches the students to be critical in the lessons of history presented to him. History has played various roles in the past States use history to unite a nation A tool to legitimize regimes and forge a sense of collective identity through collective memory. Lessons from the past used to make sense of the present Being reminded of a great past can inspire people to keep their good practices to move forward Positivism-the school of thought that emerged between the 18th and 19th century Thisthought requires empirical and observable evidence before one claim that a particular knowledge is true Positivism also entails an objective means of arriving to a conclusion “No document, no history” Historians are required to show written primary documents in order to write a particular historical narrative As a narrative, any history that has been taught and written is always intended for a certain group of audience Postcolonialism- is a school of thought that emerged in the early 20th century when formerly colonized nations grappled with the idea of creating their identities and understanding their societies Postcolonial history looks at two things in writing history 1.to tell the history of their nation that will highlight their identity free from that of colonial discourse and knowledge 2.to criticize the methods, effects, and ideas of colonialism One of the problems confronted by history is the accusation that history is always written by victors HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN Ifhistory 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? Ifit is not, is it still worthwhile to study history? It is the historian’s job not just to seek historical evidences and facts but also to interpret theses facts. “Facts can not speak for themselves.” It is the job of the historian to give meaning to these facts and organize them into a timeline, establish causes and write history. He is a person of his own who influenced by his own context, environment, ideology, education and influences among others. History requires rigor Historicalmethodology comprises certain techniques and rules that historians follow in order to properly utilize sources and historical evidences in writing history. Annales School of History- a school of history born in France that challenge the canons of history. They were concerned with social history and studied longer historical periods HISTORICAL SOURCE The classifications of sources between these two categories depends on the historical subject being studied. Primary Sources- are those produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being studied. 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. Historians and students of history need to thoroughly scrutinize historical sources to avoid deception and to come up with the historical truth. External Criticism- is the practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining its physical characteristics; consistency with the historical characteristics of the time when it was produced; and the materials used for evidence. Internal Criticism- is the examination of the truthfulness of the evidence. It looks at the content of the source and examine the circumstance of its production. It 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 The task of historian is to look at the available historical sources and select the most relevant and meaningful for history and for the subject The task of the historian is to organize the past that is being created so that it can offer lessons for nations, societies, and civilizations. Historians job to seek for the meaning of recovering the past to let the people see the continuing relevance of provenance, memory, remembering, and historical understanding for both the present and the future. NATURE OF HISTORY ✓Historyis a study of the present in the light of the past ✓History is the study of man ✓History is concerned with man in time ✓History is concerned with man in space ✓History provides an objective record of happenings ✓History is multisided ✓Historyis a dialogue between the events of the past and progressively emerging ✓Historyis not only narration but it also an analysis ✓Continuity and coherence are the necessary requisites of history ✓History is relevant ✓History is Comprehensive RELEVANCE OF HISTORY ✓History helps us understand people and societies ✓History contributes to moral understanding ✓History provides identity ✓Studying history is essential for good citizenship ✓History is useful in the world of work Thank you!