LECTURE 1: 2.

Diplomatic criticism
HISTORICAL CRITICISM
 Examines the origins of earliest text to
appreciate the underlying circumstances
upon which the text to appreciate the
underlying circumstances upon which
the text came to be (Soulen & Soulen)
aCritical analysis of historical document to
understand how the document came to be the
information transmitted, and the relationship
between the facts purported in the document and
the reality.
TEST OF AUTHENTICITY

It has 2 important goals: 1. Determine the date of the document to

see whether they are anachronistic
1. Discover the original meaning of the (belonging to a period)
text in its primitive or historical context Ex.
and its literal sense. Paper was rare in Europe before the 15th
2. To establish a reconstruction of the century
historical situation of the author and the Printing was unknown
recipient of the text. Pencil did not exist before the 16th
 In order for a source to be used as an century.
evidence in history, basic matters about 2. Determine the author
its form and content must be settled. Ex.
TWO KINDS OF HISTORICAL Handwriting
Paleography can
CRITICISM Signature
detect fake ones
Seal, Letterhead
1. Internal Criticism 3. Anachronistic style
Idiom, orthography (the conventional
2. External Criticism
spelling system of a language)
 According to Gottschalk (1969) PUNCTUATION- can be detected by
 It focuses on the problem of specialists who are familiar with
authenticity. contemporary writing
 It is done to spot fabricated, forge, or  Often spelling of proper name and
fake documents. signatures reveal forgery as would
 They also do it to distinguish a hoax or also unhistoric grammar
misinterpretation. 4. Anachronistic reference to events
 To avoid deception and to come up with Ex. Or the dating of a document at a
the historical truth. Too early time when the alleged writer could
-of the material Too late not possibly have been at the pace
Too remote designated uncovers fraud.
-its author;
-sources of information. 5. PROVENANCE OR CUSTODY
THE MATERIALS MAY BE  Determines its genuineness
TESTED IN 2 WAYS:  If the documents is where it ought to
be.
1.The deciphering and dating of historical Ex.
manuscript (Paleography or paleography)- the Family archives
study of ancient and historical handwriting) In the governmental records
Included in the discipline is the practice of Its provenance- creates a
deciphering (decode), reading, and dating presumption of its genuineness
historical manuscript. (Gottschalk 1969)
 6. SEMANTICS
 Determining the meaning of a text
or word
7. HERMENEUTICS
 Determining
 ambiguities (uncertain)
 Examining its physical
characteristics
THEREFORE...
 Consistency with the historical
characteristic of the time when it
was produced.
 Material used for the evidence
 When conducting external criticism
of a documents include the quality
of paper, the type of the ink, the
language, words used in the
materials.
INTERNAL CRITICISM
 According to Gottschalk (1969),
internal Criticism focuses on the
problem of credibility
 It seeks the credibility of relevant
particulars in the document.
 It checks the credibility if it as close
as really happened from a critical
examination of best available
EXAMPLE
sources.
TEST OF CREDIBILITY
1. Identification of the author.
 To determine his liability
 Mental processes
 Personal attitudes
 The knowledge of the author
 The character of the sources.
2. Determination of the approximate
date
 Handwriting, signature, seal
3. Ability to tell the truth
 Nearness to the event
 Competence of witness
 degree of attention
4. Willingness to tell the truth
To determine if the author
consciously or unconsciously tells
falsehoods
5. Corroboration (Verification)
 Historical facts= particulars which
rest upon the independent testimony
of two or more reliable witnesses)
 The facts contained in the document
must first be tested before any
conclusion pertaining to it can be
admitted.
 In determining the value of the
facts;
 The character of the sources
 The knowledge of the author
 And the influences prevalent at
the time writing must be
carefully investigated
 It must be ascertained first that
the critic knows exactly what
the author said and understand
from the standpoint of the
author.
1. Japanese reports and declarations during the period of
the war should not be taken as a historic fact hastily.
2. CODE OF KALANTIAW- the code was a set of rules
contained in an epic, Maragtas, which was allegedly
written by a certain Datu Kalantiaw. The document was
sold to the National library and was regarded as an
important precolonial document until 1968. When
American historian William Henry Scott debunked
(discredited) the authenticity of the code due
anachronism and the lack of evidence to prove that the
code existed in the precolonial Philippine Society.
3. Ferdinand Marcos- also claimed that he was a decorated
World War II soldier who led a guerilla unit called Ang
Maharlika- this was widely believed by students of
history and Marcos had war medals to show. This
claims was disproven when historians counterchecked
Marco’s claim with the war record of U.S
- This cases prove how deceptions can propagate
without rigorous historical research.