DEPARTAMENTO NG KASAYSAYAN Kolehiyo ng Agham Panlipunan at Pilosopiya Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Diliman WHAT IS HISTORY? KAS 1 (Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas) First Semester 2024 - 2025 Aaron F. Viernes UP Department of History GUIDE QUESTIONS 01 What are the definitions and characteristics of history? 02 What is a historical source and why is it important? 03 How do historians evaluate historical sources? Defining 'history' From the ancient Greek ‘ἱστορία’ (historia); knowledge obtained from inquiry or investigation Borrowed by other languages and became related to the past Ibn Khaldun (Al Muqaddimah, 1377) – the story of societal development Edward Gibbon (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1776) – the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind Jose Rizal (19th century) – should highlight the achievements of people Defining 'history' Two academic definitions History is a narrative about the past Does not cover the entire past Features the most relevant; ang kasaysayan ay isang sanaysay na may saysay Has three elements – time, place, and people Must provide interpretations and arguments Is never final and can be revised History is written by every generation. Every generation writes its own history using the same sources. The interpretations vary according to time. (Ocampo, 2011) Defining 'history' Two academic definitions History is an academic discipline about the past Scientific, objective, or empirical due to its emphasis on historical sources. At the same time, it is also highly subjective, which leads to numerous and varying interpretations. Selection of topics and sources; defining the periodization; length and overall quality of the narrative; perspective or ideology; knowledge, experience, and bias of the historian What the historian should strive mightily to attain is impartiality, which is not the same as objectivity. To be impartial is to be fair. (Agoncillo, 1973) Defining 'history' Historicizing the academic discipline In the 19th century, history writing was described as traditional historiography which focused on politics, economy, and diplomacy. Production of historical narratives were largely influence by Leopold von Ranke’s historical positivism. Often viewed as elite-centric Defining 'history' Historicizing the academic discipline In the 1920s, approach on writing history was expanded by the Annales School of France which introduced nouvelle histoire (new history) Expanded the field of inquiry to social, cultural, and economic histories. Utilized new kinds of sources and approach. Other fields later emerged, such as demographic (1950s), feminist (1960s), environmental (1970s), world (1990s), and big (1990s) history. History of Philippine History Studying Philippine History Historical writing by Filipinos did not begin until the 1880s, they were necessarily limited not only in number but also in scope. Until almost the end of the 19th century, the history of the Philippines had been written by Spanish missionaries and government officials. Religious in character History of Philippine History Studying Philippine History It was not until the last two decades of the 19th century that Filipino ilustrados took courage to write about themselves or Spanish administration of the Philippines. Almost often written in the language of the colonizer (Spanish and English). The works of these pioneers may appear to us today as “museum pieces” because they had not used the standard tools of historical research and methodology, but they nevertheless have formed the foundation of historical studies on the Philippines. Historical writing by Americans from 1898 to 1940 was probably slightly better than the generally biased Spanish accounts. History of Philippine History Studying Philippine History By the late fifties and early sixties, modern Filipino-centric history really emerged in works on the late 19th and early 20th century and the analysis of political developments and nationalism were often made more sophisticated as historians began to employ the insights of other social science disciplines. The period of nationalism and revolution was a particular focus of historical writing Historical writing by Americans from 1898 to 1940 was probably slightly better than the generally biased Spanish accounts. ‘Doing’ history Historical Sources Historians rely on historical sources (batis pangkasaysayan) to reconstruct the past. The period of nationalism and revolution was a particular focus of historical writing Sources may be categorized according to form: written (books, articles, newspapers, archival materials, and other printed sources) and non-written (archaeological sources, audio-visual materials, oral and folkloric sources). Or according to value: primary sources (directly connected to the event being studied, and usually provides raw information) and secondary sources(borrow information from the primary ones, and provide interpretation) ‘Doing’ history Historical Criticism Historical sources are thoroughly evaluated by historians in a process called historical criticism. The first level is external or surface criticism (Identifies the provenance and purpose and checks its physical attributes and originality in order to establish the authenticity of the source). The second level is internal or higher criticism (Extracts information and understands them in their original context, identifies possible bias or prejudice, and does corroboration with other materials in order to establish the veracity of the source). In essence, historical criticism ascertains the reliability of historical sources. Other important concepts and ideas in history Historical models are diagrams that illustrate the flow and development of historical events. Three main kinds – linear, cyclical, and spiral models, which propose different philosophies about history. Others subscribe to the chaotic view of history Knowledge in geography is highly appreciated in historical scholarship. Place is an important element of history Geographical determinism – believes that geography has a strong influence on people and their history; the main proponent was Charles Louis Montesquieu (18th century) DEPARTAMENTO NG KASAYSAYAN Kolehiyo ng Agham Panlipunan at Pilosopiya Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Diliman WHAT IS HISTORY? KAS 1 (Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas) First Semester 2024 - 2025 Aaron F. Viernes UP Department of History
