cannot
RPH L1: INTRODUCTION TO
HISTORY: DEFINITION,
ISSUES, SOURCES, AND
METHODOLOGY
be
considered
as
a
historical fact.
Restricting historical evidence as
exclusively
written
discrimination
social
is
against
also
other
classes who were not
recorded in paper such as, if you
DEFINITION AND SUBJECT MATTER
think about it - only nobles,
discipline existed for
monarchs, the elite and even
around 2400 years ago and is as old as
middle class will have their birth,
math
education,
History
as
and
a
philosophy.
History
was
marriage,
derived from the Greek word ‘historia’
certificates,
which
government
means
“knowledge
acquired
through inquiry or investigation.” The
term was then adapted to classical Latin
where it acquired a new definition.
Historia became known as the account
of the past of a person or a group of
people through written documents and
historical evidences.
death
matters
and
of
historical
records.
What about the other people in
the
society
such as peasant
families or indigenous groups
who
were
not
given
much
thought about being registered
to the government records? Does
This meaning stuck until the early parts
the
of the 20th century. History became an
documents about them mean
important
It
that they were people of no
became the historian’s duty to write
history or past? Do they even
about the lives of important individuals
exist?
like
academic
monarchs,
heroes,
discipline.
saints,
and
nobles.
absence
of
written
This loophole was recognized by
historians
who
started
using
History was also focused on writing
other historical sources which
about
may not be written in written
wars, revolutions, and other
important breakthroughs.
What counts as history?
●
Traditional historians believed in
the mantra of “no document, no
history”. It means that unless a
written document can prove a
certain historical event, then it
form but may be just as valid
such as oral traditions like epic
and
songs.
artifacts,
It
can
materials,
also
be
structures
like architecture and memory or
memoir.
History
thus
inclusive
collaborating
became
and
with
more
started
other
READINGS OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY (RPH) COMPILATION NOTES
●
disciplines such as its auxiliary
Differences
disciplines.
HISTORIOGRAPHY:
Giving
premium
documents
to
written
-
essentially
invalidated the history of other
of
HISTORY
and
History is the event or period and
the study of it.
-
Historiography is the study of
civilizations that do not keep
how history was written, who
written records.
wrote
Through time, history progressed
it,
and
what
factors
influence how it was written.
and opened up to the possibility
It focuses on ‘history’ itself (how was a
of valid historical sources, which
certain historical text written? Who
were
written
wrote it? What was the context of its
documents. Some were keener
publication? What particular historical
on passing their history by word
method was employed? What were the
of mouth. Others were burned or
sources used?
not
limited
to
destroyed by events of war or
colonization.
It gives us a better understanding of
history;
not only we get to learn
Because of this, historians are
historical facts, but also understanding
now more inclusive and also
of the facts and the historians contexts
making
(methods used, theory and perspective
validation
recognizing
other
and
kinds
of
historical sources.
Importance of Historiography:
History as a discipline has already
turned into a complex and dynamic
inquiry.
This
dynamism
that guided him will be analyzed.)
inevitably
produced various perspectives on the
discipline regarding different questions
such as:
What is history? Why study history? And
history is for whom?
It 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 used history to unite a
nation. It can be used as a tool to
legitimize regimes and forge a sense of
HISTORIOGRAPHY is the history of
collective
history.
memory. Lessons from the past can be
According to Oxford, it is the study of
historical writing or the writing of
history.
identity
through
collective
used to make sense of the present,
learning of past mistakes can help
people to not repeat them.
POSITIVISM
READINGS OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY (RPH) COMPILATION NOTES
This
school
of
thought
emerged
between the 18th - 19th century. This
thought
requires
empirical
and
observable evidence before one can
claim that a particular knowledge is
true.
powers created and taught their
subjects.
One of the problems confronted by
history is the accusation that history is
always written by victors. Similar to the
positivist view - “no document, no
Their mantra: “NO DOCUMENT, NO
history”.
HISTORY.” Positivism also entails an
narrative of the past is always written
objective
from the bias of the powerful and the
means
of
arriving
at
a
conclusion. In the discipline of history,
this mantra stems from the very same
truth. Historians were required to show
written primary documents in order to
write a particular historical narrative.
Positivist historians are expected to be
objective and impartial not just in their
argument but also on their conduct of
historical research.
POSTCOLONIALISM
This
connotes
that
more dominant.
Comparison
POSITIVISM
POSTCOLONIALISM
Between
Early 20th century
18th - 19th
century
Mantra “no
Tell the history of
document,
their nation; highlight
no history”
their identity free
Emerged in the early 20th century
from colonial
when
discourse and
formerly
colonized
nations
grappled with the idea of creating their
identities
and
understanding
their
societies against the shadow of their
colonial past.
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, and
2. To criticize the methods, effects,
and idea of colonialism
Postcolonial history is therefore a
reaction and an alternative to the
colonial
history
that
colonial
the
knowledge
Requires
Criticize methods,
empirical and
effects, and idea of
observable
colonialism
evidences
Objective
A reaction and an
means of
alternative to the
arriving at a
colonial history that
conclusion
colonial powers
created and taught to
their subjects
THEIR SIMILARITY: School of Thought
READINGS OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY (RPH) COMPILATION NOTES
HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN
historians employ. It is not purely
If history is written with agenda or is
heavily influenced by the historian, is it
subjective, there is still objectivity in that
manner.
possible to come up with an absolute
Historical
truth?
certain
An exact and accurate account of the
past is impossible for the very simple
reason that we cannot go back to the
methodology
techniques
and
comprises
rules
that
historians follow in order to properly
utilize resources and historical evidence
in writing history.
past. We cannot access the past directly
Certain
as our subject matter.
conflicting accounts in different sources
It is the historian’s job not just to see
historical evidences and facts but also to
interpret these facts. “Facts cannot
speak for themselves.”
rules
apply
in
cases
of
as valid historical evidence.
THE ANNALES SCHOOL OF HISTORY
School of history born in France
challenged the canons of history. This
It is the job of the historian to give
school of thought did away with the
meaning to these facts and organize
common historical subjects that were
them into a timeline, establish causes,
almost always related to the conduct of
and write history. He is a person of his
states and monarchs. Annales scholars
own who is influenced by his own
like Lucien. Febvre, Marc Bloch, Fernand
context,
environment,
ideology,
Braudel, and Jacques Le Goff studied
education,
and
among
other subjects in a historical manner.
others. In that sense, his interpretation
They were concerned with social history
of the historical fact is affected by the
and studied longer historical periods.
influences,
methodology that he will use, the facts
that he shall select and deem relevant,
his interpretation, and even the form of
his writings. Thus, in one way or
another, history is always subjective.
Concerned with social history: For
example: Annales scholars studied the
history of peasantry, the history of
medicine,
or
even
the
history
of
environment. The history from below
If that is so, can history still be considered
was pioneered by the same scholars.
as an academic and scientific inquiry?
They advocated that people and classes
Yes,
research
who were not reflected in the history of
requires rigor despite the fact that
the society in the grand manner be
historians cannot ascertain absolute
provided with space in the records of
objectivity, the study of history remains
mankind. In doing this, Annales thinkers
scientific
married history with other disciplines
because
research
historical
because
and
of
the
rigor
methodology
of
that
READINGS OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY (RPH) COMPILATION NOTES
like
geography,
anthropology,
archaeology, and linguistics.
The historian should be able to conduct
HISTORICAL SOURCES
an external and internal criticism of the
With the past as history’s subject matter,
the historian’s most important research
Historical sources can be classified
primary
and
secondary
sources. The classification of sources
between these two categories depends
on the historical subject being studied.
Primary sources are those sources
produced at the same time as the event,
period,
or
subject
source,
especially
primary
sources
which can age in centuries.
External criticism is the practice of
tool are historical sources.
between
CRITICISMS
being
studied.
Primary sources can include such as
minutes of the convention, newspaper
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.
Examples
of
things
that
will
be
examined when conducting external
criticism: quality of paper, type of ink,
and language.
clippings, documents, reports of the US
* History is not only a discipline but also
Commissioner, records of convention,
a narrative: it extends to different fields
draft,
and disciplines.
photographs
of
the
event.
Eyewitnesses if still alive can give their
account of the convention such as
delegates
or
those
with
tasks
or
organizers can be the memoirs of those
who were present. We can also include
archival
memorabilia,
documents,
letters,
artifacts,
census,
and
government records, or novels.
Internal criticism is the examination of
the truthfulness of the evidence. It looks
at the content of the source 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
Secondary sources are those sources,
its
which were produced by an author who
informed it, and its intended purpose,
used primary sources to produce the
among others.
material. In other words, secondary
sources are historical sources which
studied a certain historical subject.
Both primary and secondary sources
are
useful
history.
in writing and learning
creation,
the
knowledge
which
SCANDALOUS CASES OF DECEPTION
IN THE PHILIPPINES
1. One of the most scandalous
cases of deception in Philippine
READINGS OF PHILIPPINE HISTORY (RPH) COMPILATION NOTES
history
is
hoax
Code
of
Kalantiaw.
Sold to the National Library and
was regarded as an important
precolonial document until 1968,
when
the
American historian
William Henry Scott debunked
the authenticity of the code due
to
anachronism
and
lack of
evidence to prove.
*
anachronism
is
a
chronological
inconsistency in some arrangement,
especially a juxtaposition of people,
events, objects, language terms and
costumes from different time periods.
2. Ferdinand Marcos also claimed
that he was a decorated World
War II soldier who led a guerilla
unit called Ang Maharlika.