All About History

History

Past - the subject and source of history.

Historiography - study of the past and is influenced by power and who it is for.

An argument - it can be valid or invalid. History can also be reinterpreted that can
either support or debunk other interpretation.

A representation - the result of studying the past will only represent the past and is
not identical to the past.

Lacks objectivity - a historian cannot comprehensively recover everything which is

why there is no generalist historian. There is always a topic and a subtopic.

Limitations that control the historical knowledge claims of historian

Epistemological fragility (limits to what can be known)

Methodologically flawed (no definitive ways to write history)

Ideologically flawed (history is never for itself; it is always for someone)

Types of historical questions

Contextualization - how the historian would want the history would be.

Comparison - looking at what is present in a specific location but not present in

other location.

Causation - what are the immediate or long-term causes.

Continuity and change - happenings in the past that could still be felt in the present
and are there any changes.

The Practice of History

Primary sources - are immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who
had a direct connection with it.

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 Secondary sources - are one step removed from primary sources, though often they
quote or otherwise use primary sources. They can cover the same topic but add a
layer of interpretation and analysis.

Why history is important

Help us understand people and society.

Helps us understand change and how the society we live in came to be.

The importance of history in our own lives.

History contributes to moral understanding.

History provides identity.

Studying history is essential for good citizenship.

Studying history helps us develop important skills e.g. assessing evidence,

assessing conflicting interpretation, and assessing past examples of change.

Problems and difficulties in the writing and study of Philippine history

Scarcity of written materials, especially in the local level

Problems of translation with regard to documents written in Spanish and other

foreign languages

Biases and prejudices on the part of foreign writers

The lack of representative materials for the whole country

Lack of trained historians

Reasons for interpreting Philippine history from a nationalist Filipino point of view

Foreign interpretation is biased and prejudiced.

Filipinos have greater familiarity with and understanding of their own culture and
history.

The Filipino point of view can help promote nationalism and patriotism.

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