Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and Methodology PDF

Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and Methodology Learning Objectives: as an academic discipline To understand the meaning of history...

Introduction to History: Definition, Issues, Sources, and Methodology Learning Objectives: as an academic discipline To understand the meaning of history with the underlying philosophy and metho and to be familiar dology of the discipline. in historical methodology and philosophy To apply the knowledge existing historical narratives. in assessing and analyzing evidences To examine and assess critically the value of historical and sources. of history in the social and national To appreciate the importance life ofthe Philippines. as a discipline and as a narrative. It This chapter introduces history the common definition the definition of thehistory, which transcends presents of the past. This chapter also discusses several issues ofhistory as the study the opens up for the theoretical aspects of in history that consequently between primary and secondary sources is also discipline. The distinction subject matter being studied and the discussed in relation to the historical historical methodology employed by the historian. Ultimately, this chapter of facts and evidences in also tackles the task of the historian as the arbiter narrative. making his interpretation and forming historical  Definition and Subject Matter the past. Students known as the study of of History has always been in for itsnotoriety requiring them general education ofter dreadthe subject distant and events from eras. This low to memorize dates, places, names, the shallow the discipline may be rooted from understanding appreciation of contexts. WL: respective to their lives and to their of history's relevance not wrong, it does study of the past definition of history asthe the popular the to human its importance ofthesubject and nt give justice to the complexity civilization. word historia which means was derived from the Greek History History 2s inquiry or investigation." "knowledge acquired through ona for around 2,400 years and is as old as mathematics discipline existed where it acquired e This term was then adapted to classical Latin philosophy. known as the account of the past of a person new definition.Historia became documents and historical evidences or of a group of people through written of the twentieth century. History That meaning stuck until the early parts It became the historian's duty to became an important academic discipline. write about the lives of important individuals like monarchs, heroes, saints. and nobilities.History was also focused on writing about wars, revolutions, and other important breakthroughs. Itis thus important to ask: What counts as history? 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. 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. Giving premium to written documents essentially invalidates the history of other ivilizations that do not keep written records. Some were on passing their history by word of mouth. keener Others got their historical documents burned or destroyed in the events of war or colonization. Restricting historical evidence as exclusively written is also discrimination against other social classes whowere not recorded in paper. Nobilities, monarchs, the elite,andeven the middle class would have their birth, education, marriage, and death as matters of government and historical record. But what of peasant families or indigenous groups 'who were not given much thought about being registered to government records? Does the absence of written documents about them mean that they were people of no history or past? Did they even exist? This loophole was recognized by historians who started using other kinds of historical sources,which may not be in written but were justas form valid. A few examplesare oral traditions in forms of epics and songs, of these rtifacts, architecture, and memory. History thus became more inclusive and started collaborating with other disciplines as its auxiliary disciplines. With the aid of archaeologists, historians can use artifacts from a bygone era were formerly ignored in history because to study ancient civilizations that of lack of documents. Linguists can also be helpful in tracing historical evolutions, past connections among different groups, and fow of cultural influence by studying language and the changes that it has undergone. Even scientists like biologists and biochemists can help with the study of the past through analyzing genetic and DNÁpatternsof human societies. Questions and Issues in History Indeed, history as a discipline has already turned into a complex and dynamic inquiry. This dynamism inevitably produced various perspectives on the discipline regarding different questions like: What is history? Why study history? And history for whom? These questions can be answered by historiography. In simple terms, historiography is the history of history. History and historiography should not be confused with each other. The former's object of study is the past, the events that happened in the past, and the causes of such events. The latter'sobject of study, on the other hand, ishistory 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?). Thus, historiography lets the students have a better understanding of history. They do not only get to learn historical facts,but they are also provided with the understanding of the facts' and the historian's contexts. The methods employed by the historian and the theory and perspective, which'guided him, will also be analyzed. Historiography is important for someone who studies history because it teaches the student 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. It can be used as a tool to legitimize regimesand forge a sense of collective identity through collective memory. Lessons from the. from the used to make sense of the present. Learning of past past mistakes scan can can be not repeat them.Being reminded of a great past help inspire people their good practices to move forward. peoplet to keep Positivism theschool of thought thatemerged is between the and nineteenth century. This thought requires empirical and eighteenth obse evidence before one can claim that a particular observable Positivism also entails an objective knowledge is means of arriving at a trrue. the discipline of history,the mantra “no conclusion. In document,no history this very same truth, where historians stems from were required toshow primary documents in order to write written a particular historical Positivist historians are also expected to be objective narrative. and impartial not justin their argumentsbut also on their conduct of historical researnk As a narrative, any history that has been taught andis written intended for a certain group of always audience. When the ilustrados, like Jose Rizal Isabelo de los Reyes, and Pedro Paterno wrote history, they intended it for the Spaniards so that they would realize that Filipinos are people of their own intellect and culture. When American historians depicted the as uncivilized in their Filipino people publications, they intended that narrative for their fellow Americans to justify their colonization of the islands. They the colonization to wanted appear not as a means of undermining the Philippines' sovereignty, but as a civilizing" mission to fulfill what they "white man's burden." The called as the sameis true for nations which prescribe official versions of their history like North Korea, theNazi Germany during the war period, and Thailand. The same was attempted by Marcos in the Philippines during the 1970s. Postcolonialism is a school of thought that emerged in twentieth century when the early formerly colonized nations the idea of creating their grappled with identities and against the understanding their societies shadows of their colonial past. two things in writing history: Postcolonial history looks at first is to that will highlight their the history of their nation tell identity free from that of knowledge, and second is to colonial discourse and criticize the methods, colonialism. Postcolonial effects, and idea of history is therefore a to the colonial reaction and an history that colonial alternative powers created and subjects. taught to ther  One of the problems confronted by history is the accusation that the history is always written by victors. This connotes that the narrative of the past is always written from the bias of the powerful and the more dominant player. For instance, the history of the Second World War in the Philippines always depicts the United States as the hero and the Imperial Japanese Army as the oppressors. Filipinos who collaborated with the Japanese were lumped in the category of traitors or collaborators. However, a more thorough historical investigation will reveal a more nuanced account of the history of that period instead of a simplified narrative as a story of hero versus villain. History and the Historian Ifhistory iswritten with agendaor is heavily influenced by the historian, an is it possible to come up with an absolute historical truth? Is history it stillworthwhile to study history? These objective discipline? If it is not, is an exact questions have haunted historians for many generations. Indeed, for the very simple reason and accurate account of the past is impossible cannot access the past directly as that we cannot go back to the past. We get to access representation of the past our subject matter. Historians only and evidences. through historical sources toseek historical evidences and Therefore, itisthehistorian's job notjust for themselves." facts. "Facts cannot speak facts but also to interpret these to give meaning to these facts and organize It is the job of the historian and write history. Meanwhile, the them into a timeline, establish cuses, historian is not a blank paper who mechanically interprets and analyzes his own a person of his own who is influenced by present historical fact. He is others. In education, and influences, among context, environment, ideology, by his context of the historical fact is affected that sense, his interpretation process of inevitably influence the and circumstances. His subjectivity will facts that he his historical research: the methodology that he will use, the the form of his select and deem relevant, his interpretation, and even shall If that. in one way or another, history is always subjective. writings. Thus, and scientific inquiry? is so, can history still be considered as an academic that historians rigor. Despite the fact Historical research requires the study of history remains scientific cannot ascertain absolute objectivity, employ. of the rigor of research and methodology that historians because that comprises certain techniques and rules Historical methodology historians follow in order to properly utilize sources and historical in writing history. Certain rules apply in cases of evvidences conflicting different sources, and on how to properly treat eyewitness accountsin accounts evidence. In doing so, historical andoral sources as valid historical claims and the arguments that they forward in their histori doneby historians while may beinfluenced by the historian's inclinations, can still be validated by using reliable evidences and employing correct and meticulous historical methodology. The Annales School of History is a school history born in of France that challenged the canons of history. This school of thought did away with the common historical subjects that were almost always related to the conduct of states and monarchs. Annales scholars like Lucien Febvre, Marc Bloch,Fernand Braudel, and Jacques Le Goffstudied other subjects in a historical manner. They were concerned with social history and studied longer historical periods. For example, Annales scholars studied the history of peasantry, the history of medicine, or even the history of environment. The history from below was pioneered by the same They advocated that the people and classes who were not scholars. reflected in the history of the society in the grand manner be provided with space in the records of mankind. In doing this,Annales thinkers married history with other disciplines like geography, anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics. For example, if a historian chooses to use an oral account as his data in studyingthe ethnic history of the Ifugaos in the Cordilleras during the American Occupation, he needs to validate the claims of his informant through comparing and corroborating it with written sources. Therefore, while bias is inevitable, the historian can balance this out by relying to evidences thatback up his claim. In this sense,the historian need not let his bias blind his judgment and such bias is only acceptable if he maintains his rigor asa researcher. Historical Sources With the past as history'ssubject matter,the historian's most important. research tools arehistorical sources. In general, historical sources can be classified between primary and secondary. sources. The classification of sourcesbetween these two categories depends on the historicalsubject being studied. Primary sources are those sources produced at the sametime asthe event, period, or subject being studied. For example, if a 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 be used as primary sources. The same goes with other subjects of can also letters,census, historical study. Archival documents,- artifacts,memorabilia, and government records, among others are the most common examples of primary sources. which were On the other hand, secondary sources are those sources, sources to produce the material. In produced by an authorwho used primary historical sources,which studied a certain other words, secondary sources are historical subject. For example, on the subject of the Philippine Revolution The Teodoro Agoncillo's Revolt of.the Masses: of 1896, students can read published originally in 1956. The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan century in the last years of the nineteenth Philippine Revolution happened of the published his work in 1956, which makes the Revolt while Agoncillo Agoncillo than this, in writing the book, Masses a secondary source. More Katipunan, research like documents of the used primary sources with his Revolution, and correspondence between interview with the veterans of the and among Katipuneros. a a student should not be confused about what counts as However, the classification of source. As mentioned above, primary or a secondary period when and secondary depends not on the sources between primary on the subject of source was produced or the type of the source but th is usually classified as a the historicalresearch. For example, a textbook classification is usual source, a tertiary source even. However, this secondary in a historian chooses to write the history of education but not automatic. If used in that period as a primary source. the 1980s, he can utilize textbooks the historiography of the Filipino-American Ifa historian wishes to study topic as his he can use works of different authors on the War for example, primary source as well. in writing and learning Both primary and secondary sources are useful thoroughly students of history need to history. However, historians and  scrutinize these historical sources to avoid deception and to come up the historical truth. The historian should be able to conduct an with external and internal criticism of the source, especially prmary sources whicho in centuries. External criticism is the practice of verifying the its physical characteristics; authenticity of evidence by examining consistency withthe historical characteristic of the time when it was produced; and the materials used for the evidence. Examples of the things that will be examined when conducting external criticism document include the quality of of a the paper, thetype of the ink, and thelanguage and words used inthe material, others. among Internal criticism, on the other hand, is the examination of,the truthfulness of the evidence. It looks at the content of the source r examines the circumstance of its production. Internal criticism looks at th truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by looking at the author of tha source, its context, the agenda behind its creation, the knowledge which informed and its intended purpose, among others. For example, Japanese it, reports and declarations during the period of the war should not be taken as a historical fact hastily. Internal criticism entails that the historian acknowledgeand analyze how such reports can be manipulated to be used as war propaganda. Validating historical sources is important because the use of unverified, falsified,and untruthful historical sources can lead to equally false conclusions. Without thorough criticisms of historical evidences, historical deceptions and lies will be highly probable. One of the most scandalous cases of deception in Philippine history is the hoax Code of Kalantiaw. The code was a set of rules contained in anepic, Maragtas, which was allegedly written by a certain Datu Kalantiaw. The documentwas sold to the National Library andwas regarded as an precolonial documnent until important 1968, when American historian William Henry Scott debunked the authenticity of the code due to anachronism and lack of evidence to prove that the code existed in the precolonial Ferdinand Marcos also claimed Philippine society. thathe was a decorated who led a guerilla unit called World War II soldier Ang Maharlika. This was by students of history widely believed and Marcos had war medals to show. This however, was claim, disproven when historians counterchecked with the war records of the United Marcos's claims States. These cases can propagate without prove how deceptions rigorous historical research.  The task of the historian is to look at the available historical sources and select the most relevant and meaningful for history and for the subject matter that he is studying. History, like otheracademic discipline, has come a long way but still has a lot of remaining tasks to do. It does not claim torender absolute and exact judgment because as long as questions continuously asked,and as longastime unfolds, the study of history can never be complete.The task of the historian is to organizethe past that is being created so that it can offer lessons for nations, societies, and civilization. It is the historian's job to seek for the meaning of recovering the past to let the people see the continuingrelevance of provenance, memory, remembering, and historical understanding for both the present and the future. Philippine historiography underwent several changes since the precolonial period until the present. Ancient Filipinos narrated their history through communal songs and epics that they passed orally from a generation to another.When the Spaniards came, their chroniclers started recording their observations through written accounts. The perspective of historical writing and inquiry also shifted. The Spanish colonizers narrated the history of their colony in a bipartite view. They saw the age before colonization as a dark period in the history of the islands, until they brought light through Western thought and Christianity. Early nationalists refuted this perspective and argued the tripartite view. They saw the precolonial society as a luminous age that ended with darkness when the colonizers captured their freedom. They believed that the light would come again once the colonizers were evicted from the Philippines. Filipino historian Zeus Salazar introduced the new guidingphilosophy for writing and teaching history: pantayong pananaw (for us-from us perspective). This perspective highlights the importance of facilitating an internal conversationand discourse among Filipinos about our own history, using the language that is understood by everyone.