THE MEANING OF HISTORY
 The English word history is derived from the Greek
word “istoia” meaning learning
 According to Aristotle, history is the systematic account
of a set of natural phenomena whether or not
chronological ordering was a factor in an account, and
this is considered as natural history. As time passed, the
equivalent Latin word “scientia”, which is science in
English later was used more to designate non-
chronological systematic accounts of phenomena.
 Presently, the word “history” means the “past of
mankind”. History is the study of past events, particularly
in human affairs.
 History in German is “Geschichte”, meaning, “that which
has happened”. This means that the word implies that
history teaches and we may learn from the lessons of
history.
 With the definition of history, it brings man to a
recognition that history cannot be reconstructed, that the
past of mankind, much of it, is beyond recall. And that
even the best of our memories cannot re-create our
past.
 The reconstruction of the total past of mankind is the
total goal of historians which, however, is unattainable.
Historians will never really know everything that
happened in the past.
 The problem that every historian confronts is that the
evidence they rely on is likely to be fragmented,
incomplete and even contradictory. The result is, each
historian’s conclusions are influenced by the evidence
they have selected from what is available and from how
they interpreted it.
 And from whatever a historian only has will be the only
thing that he can use to connect him to the past.
HISTORICAL METHOD
 The process of critically examining and analyzing the
records and survivals of the past. 
 To study objectively (intention of acquiring detached and
truthful knowledge independent of one’s personal
reactions) a thing must first be an object and must have
an independent resistance outside the human mind).
Most of history is based on the human mind since most
of history is based upon recollection (written or spoken
history).
 In reconstruction, only a part of what was observed is
remembered, only a part of what was remembered is
recorded, only a part of what was recorded survives,
only a part of what survived comes to the historian’s
attention.
 Only of a part of what is credible has been grasped, only
a part of what has been grasped can be expounded and
narrated by the historian. 
 
HISTORICAL SOURCES
     - Objects from the past or testimony concerning the past which
historians use to create their own depiction of the past.
 
1.  According to Form
*Written Sources
     - Published materials (books, journals etc.) and manuscript
(handwritten and unprinted like archival materials and memoirs)
*Non written Sources
     -Oral history, artifacts, fossils, etc.
2. According to Origin
*Primary Sources  

     - Testimony of an eyewitness *Internal Criticism

     - It must have been produced by a contemporary of that is
narrated. It is a document or physical object written or created during
the time under study. These sources were present during an
experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular
event.
*Secondary Sources
     - Interpret and analyze primary sources
     - deals with the problem of credibility.
     - Tests of credibility are:
          Determine the Character of the Author, his reliability, and his
ability and willingness to tell the truth
          Determine the Corroboration, historical facts rest upon the
testimony of two or more reliable   witnesses

     - They are one or more steps removed from the event. Examples  
are printed textbooks.
KINDS OF PRIMARY SOURCES
 
 Records of social and cultural observations
HISTORICAL CRITICISM  Chronicles
- Settles matters on the form and content of a source  Human Fossils (remains of ancient man imbedded in the
earth such as bones, hair, skin etc.)
   Artifacts (cultural evidences of man in the past such as
tools and implements)
*External Criticism  Records of Detective Investigations
 Royal Decrees and Laws
     - Deals with the problem of authenticity
 Official Reports
     - To spot hoaxes, fakes, forgeries and fabrications  Maps
 Memoirs or Autobiographies
     - Tests of Authenticity are:  Personal accounts: record of interviews
 Newspapers and Magazines: reports of correspondents
          Determine the date if it is Anachronistic: a material, skill or
 Legislative journals
culture does not exist at that time
 Court Records
          Determine the author in the uniqueness of his handwriting or
signature  

          Determine the provenance or custody:  genuineness REPOSITORIES OF PRIMARY SOURCES

          Determine the Semantics, meaning of a text or word  

          Determine the Hermeneutics, the ambiguities

National Archives of the Philippines

National Library of the Philippines

 
National Historical Commission of the Philippines

National Museum of the Philippines

Other Repositories of Primary Sources are the libraries of various

universities in the Philippines such as the University of the
Philippines, the Ateneo de Manila Rizal Library and Museum, the
American Historical Collection in ADMU, and the University of Sto.
Tomas Central Library and Museum.