READINGS IN PHILLIPPINE HISTORY

GENERAL EDUCATION 2

JESON P. DONQUE
Compiler and Author
TITLE PAGE

Topic 1 
 Meaning and relevance of history

Learning Outcome: 
 Explain the significance of the study of history and the history of one’s place

Number of Weeks to be Taught:

 1

Background

This module was designed and prepared for students in USM who are enrolled in
General Education 2 - Readings in Philippine History. It is made to view Philippine
history from the lens of selected sources (primary, secondary, and tertiary) in different
periods, analysis and interpretations. The topics recognize the familiarity of the students
to some traditional historical events from which they could understand and appreciate
our rich past by deriving insights from those who were actually present at the time of the
event. The subject-matters are presented according to the order of the occurrence of
events in Philippine history.

The study of history is oftentimes one of the disciplines the students could hardly
appreciate. The subject created notorious impression in which many students dislike
like memorizing dates, names, events, etc. For many, it is so tedious reading articles
with few or no images that could be seen on books. But there is no better way to learn
from history except by painstakingly reading books literately, remembering significant
dates, people and events. Understanding the essence of history is only made when one
is able to weave altogether these elements in history. 

In this part of the course, students are able to maintain important concepts of the
term history. Moreover, students would find significant and practical values of the
discipline.
 
 GUIDE CARD

Definition of History
 
There is no single definition for history. Some definitions are similar and others
different when compared with other disciplines. While not untrue to say that history is
the study of the past, such definition is seen to be inadequate. Here is a collection of a
variety of descriptions. Identify which one do you think is the best definition.
 
History…
 
is the study of the past – specifically, the people, societies, events
and problems of the past – and our attempts to understand them.
It is a pursuit common to all human societies.
can be a tremendous story, a rolling narrative filled with great
personalities and tales of turmoil and triumph. Each passing
generation adds its own chapters to our history while
reinterpreting and finding new things in those chapters already
written.
gives us a sense of identity. By understanding where we have
come from, we can better understand who we are.
provides a sense of context for our lives and our existence. It
helps us to understand the way things are and ways that we might
approach the future.
Is projecting heroic deeds of recognized heroes and idealizing
other national leaders abetting the illusion that history is the work
of great men and heroes
teaches us what it means to be human, highlighting the great
achievements and disastrous errors of the human race.
also teaches us through example. It offers hints about how we can
organize and manage our societies for the benefit and betterment
of all those who live in them.
is a chronological storytelling in its finest form; it sequentially
weaves together many related historical and contemporary events
and ideas that are linked to a larger story.
 is a science which first investigates and then records in their
causal relations such human past as are definite in time and
place, social in nature and socially significant. 
is that part of the human past which can be meaningfully
reconstructed from the available records and from inferences
regarding their setting.

Etymology

The word “history” is etymologically derived from the Greek ἱστоρία (estoria),
from the Latin historia, meaning learning, inquiry, knowledge acquired through
investigation of past events. Traditionally, history has been defined as the study of the
past of mankind in written form.

History is a collection of thousands of stories about the past.  Because there are
so many of these stories, they are often variable, contradictory and conflicting. This
means history is subject to constant revision and reinterpretation. Each generation looks
at the past through its own eyes. This is the essence of historical method which involves
the process of critically examining and analyzing the records and survivals of the past

Historiography is the imaginative reconstruction of the past from the data derived
through the process of historical method. It is not surprising therefore that the study of
history changes over time as there is less unanimity in textbook on how to study history.
Historians have different ways of presenting their ideas about how the past should be
studied, reconstructed, written and interpreted.

As a consequence, historians may approach history in different ways, using

different ideas and methods and focusing on or prioritizing different aspects. 

Theories of History:

History is the study of great people

According to the ancient Greek writer Plutarch, true history is the study of great
leaders and innovators. Prominent individuals shape the course of history through their
personality, strength of character, ambition, abilities, leadership or creativity.  

History is the study of the ‘winds of change’

Other historians have looked at factors and forces that produce significant
historical change rather than on individuals. ‘Winds of change’ means those powerful
ideas, forces and movements that shape or affect how people live, work and think.
 One example of a notable ‘wind of change’ was Christianity, which shaped
government, society and social customs in medieval Europe. Another was the European
Enlightenment, which undermined old ideas about politics, religion and the natural
world; this triggered a long period of curiosity, education and innovation.

History is the study of difficulty and response

Some historians, such as the British writer Arnold Toynbee (1889-1975), believed
historical change is driven by difficulties and responses. All civilizations are shaped not
just by their leadership or conditions but by how they respond to difficult problems or
crises. The survival and success of civilizations depends on its people and how
creative, resourceful, adaptable and flexible they are.

For example, the process of colonization involved major difficulties, both for
colonists and the colonized. Economic changes, such as new technologies and
increases or decreases in trade, have created challenges in the form of social changes
or class tensions.

History is the study of dialectics

The theory of dialectics was first introduced by German philosopher Georg

Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) who applied it to history. In philosophy, dialectics
is a process where two or more parties with vastly different viewpoints reach a
compromise and mutual agreement. 

Hegel suggested that most historical changes and outcomes were driven by
dialectic interaction. According to Hegel, for every thesis (a proposition or ‘idea’) there
exists an antithesis (a reaction or ‘opposite idea’). The thesis and antithesis encounter
or struggle, from which emerges a synthesis (a ‘new idea’).

This ongoing process of struggle and development reveals new ideas and new
truths to humanity. The German philosopher Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a student of
Hegel and incorporated the Hegelian dialectic into his own theory of history – but with
one important distinction.
According to Marx, history was shaped by the ‘material dialectic’: the struggle
between economic classes. Marx believed the ownership of capital and wealth
underpinned most social structures and interactions. All classes struggle and push to
improve their economic conditions, Marx wrote, usually at the expense of other classes.

Marx’s material dialectic was reflected in his stinging criticisms of capitalism, a

political and economic system where the capital-owning classes control production and
exploit the worker, in order to maximize their profits.

History is the story of the unexpected

 Some historians believe history is shaped by the accidental and the surprising,
the spontaneous and the unexpected. While history usually follows patterns, it does not
always follow a clear and expected path. The past is filled with unexpected incidents,
surprises and accidental discoveries. Some of these have unleashed changes
that could not be predicted, controlled or stopped. A few have come at pivotal times and
served as the ignition or ‘flashpoint’ for changes of great significance. 

In June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s car took a different route through
Sarajevo and passed an aimless Gavrilo Princip, a confluence of events that led
to World War I.

Importance of Studying History 

There are many ways to discuss the real functions of the subject—as there are
many different historical talents and many different paths to historical meaning. All
definitions of history's utility, however, rely on some fundamental facts. Here are some
of them.

History Helps Us Understand People and Societies

History offers a storehouse of information about how people and societies

behave.  Data from the past must serve as our most vital evidence in the quest to figure
out why our complex species behaves as it does in societal settings. This,
fundamentally, is why we cannot stay away from history: it offers the only extensive
evidential base for the contemplation and analysis of how societies function, and people
need to have some sense of how societies function simply to run their own lives.

History Helps Us Understand Change and How the Society We Live in Came to Be

The past causes the present, and so the future. Any time we try to know why
something happened we have to look for factors that took shape earlier.  We need to
look further back to identify the causes of change. Only through studying history can we
grasp how things change; only through history can we begin to comprehend the factors
that cause change; and only through history can we understand what elements of an
institution or a society persist despite change.

History Contributes to Moral Understanding

History also provides a terrain for moral contemplation. Studying the stories of
individuals and situations in the past allows a student of history to test his or her own
moral sense, to hone it against some of the real complexities individuals have faced in
difficult settings. People who have weathered adversity in historical circumstances can
provide inspiration. "History teaching by example" is one phrase that describes this use
of a study of the past—a study not only of certifiable heroes, the great men and women
of history who successfully worked through moral dilemmas, but also of more ordinary
people who provide lessons in courage, diligence, or constructive protest.

History Provides Identity

History also helps provide identity. Historical data include evidence about how
families, groups, institutions and whole countries were formed and about how they have
evolved while retaining cohesion. Histories that tell the national story, emphasizing
distinctive features of the national experience, are meant to drive home an
understanding of national values and a commitment to national loyalty.

Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship

A study of history is essential for good citizenship. History provides data about
the emergence of national institutions, problems, and values. It offers evidence also
about how nations have interacted with other societies, providing international and
comparative perspectives essential for responsible citizenship. Further, studying history
helps us understand how recent, current, and prospective changes that affect the lives
of citizens are emerging or may emerge and what causes are involved. More
importantly, studying history encourages habits of mind that are vital for responsible
public behavior, whether as a national or community leader, an informed voter, a
petitioner, or a simple observer.