MIDTERM

REFLECTIO
N PAPER
Name: Larosa, Trinashin U.

Course and section : BSMA 3-B

1) The meaning of History

Right now, we are living our lives. We worry about it and make plans for it. All that has been
accomplished is history, and as history is the study of the past, it directly affects how we live our modern
lives. Examples of historical eras that have significantly influenced how society has evolved now include
colonialism, industrialization, and other historical periods. You can use historical facts that haven't
changed to understand how the world got to where it is now and how In the future, things will change. It
covers all civilizations, eras, seasons, and locations. Also, history enables us to comprehend ancient
cultures and their inhabitants; as a result, people have become accustomed to drawing lessons from the
past.

Kings attempted to improve their nations while also trying to prevent repeated previous mistakes.
Presidents now research historical events to discover how people handled certain circumstances. People
study history to learn how individuals and society react to particular situations, and We need to
understand how earlier cultures functioned to manage our own lives. Social scientists can predict every
potential behavior since we believe that each person is individual is unique. How essential history is to
our everyday lives is significantly impacted by the idea that understanding the past is always vital. It is
easier to demonstrate this truth in the context of a certain personality. It's uncommon to be able to picture
someone who has previously served. As an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and ideas are the result of a
lifetime's worth of experiences and influences at any one moment in time, each distinct personality has a
history. The development of the rare creature known as the well-informed citizen is another reason why
history is significant. It gives us a fundamental empirical understanding of the history of our political
institutions as well as the issues and beliefs that have an impact on our social well-being. It also improves
our ability to use evidence, evaluate interpretations, and assess change and continuities.

Although we lack the perspective for this achievement, we may go in this direction by adopting historical
habits of thought, and in the process, we will operate as better citizens. No one can ever truly deal with
the present as the historian deals with the past. The study places a high value on historical information,
therefore before we can address the more profound issues related to the past, we must first improve our
general knowledge of the historical era we are studying. This explains why history is respected
throughout all academic fields. Studying history involves following a particular event from its conception
or beginning through its evolution to its current condition. Historical research makes an effort to
reinterpret the past to bring about change where it is needed. This is done by raising questions and
gathering evidence. Understanding history provides a new perspective that makes it easier to see how
things have evolved and changed over time.

2. The limitations of Historical Knowledge

Insufficient records have made it difficult for people to understand history the majority of human affairs
take place with no records or artifacts being left behind, or if they are, there aren't any extra clues about
the human environment to put any relics that are still there. Even if it did occur, there is no longer any
proof, and there are only random traces left. A historian can only know the entirety of the past (also
known as history-as-actuality) through the records that have survived, and most of history-as-record
represents a very small portion of the overall phenomena. Historians examine the documents or artifacts
that have endured the test of time. Even the archeological and anthropological findings are only minor
portions of the whole history that have been uncovered. There is historical knowledge in every human
society. It is the cognitive appropriation of material alterations that are socially driven and required for the
course of existence.

We have to start with this reality. It is a type of social consciousness and interpretation influenced by
society. The Significance of Historical Knowledge Our civilization's present and future depends critically
on our ability to learn about our history. We must learn to build on the accomplishments and errors of the
past. We all make mistakes, but the fewer errors we commit, the more intelligent and resilient we become.
It is a disadvantage to have to learn new things If we are unable to recognize or evaluate our flaws or
mistakes, we cannot improve and learn from them. To me, taking lessons from the past is the most crucial
thing we can do. In textbooks and encyclopedias, horrifying historical occurrences are included as bad
events. It's our duty as rational creatures to read this, comprehend what is being said, and take action to
prevent such occurrences from occurring in the future. According to history, certain events were failures
because they resulted in the deaths of millions of people, the catastrophic destruction of property, or the
harming of our delicate ecosystem. Since there won't be anything to mess up in the future, we won't have
to worry about failing to learn from our earlier mistakes.

We must stop a world war from ever happening since it is likely that the human species will survive
another one. Understanding our history also improves our quality of life and aids in the survival of the
wild. We can create new concepts that are quicker, stronger, smaller, lighter, more precise, and more
dependable by taking lessons from antiquated technology. The bulk of people's everyday activities also
gives religion a high priority. Studying global history can help us understand our religions' origins and
foster tolerance for other faiths. We frequently encounter new, occasionally strange customs as America
becomes more and more diverse. Understanding other people's differences, in my opinion, is crucial for
avoiding bias. The importance of historical knowledge is the last crucial component of the research. This
explains the value placed on studying history across all academic disciplines. The goal of historical
research is to identify an event's commencement, place of origin, development, and current state.

3) Sources of historical data

The primary means through which we may engage with and learn more about historical events is through
historical sources. Understanding history is crucial because it enables us to understand how we got to
where we are now. By the firsthand recollections of those who lived through such events, we may
examine the social events that molded our society and even learn about what life was like then. Sources
are things that offer information or proof. The two categories of historical sources are primary sources
and secondary sources. The first one is primary source Simply said, primary sources are those that were
produced during the era under investigation. Mostly, people who were alive at the time of writing or
producing are considered main source creators. Texts, eyewitness accounts, testimonies, documents,
autobiographies, artifacts (note that these are not the actual events themselves), and even creative works
(such as videos, artwork, films, etc.) can all be primary sources if they offer firsthand knowledge of an
occasion, subject, or era from that time period. The information must be authentic, which is essential. It
indicates that it was created by someone who had firsthand contact with the event, subject, or time period.
Primary sources come in a variety of formats. Even while they may have a higher survival rate than other
formats, they don't merely have to be interviews or diaries. They could have been created during the
event, or after it, in the form of memoirs or oral histories.and For non-historical topics, primary sources
might include data and surveys – the raw figures that you have to interpret yourself to make any sense of.
Secondary sources, on the other hand, are sources that are already interpreted and analyzed data from
primary sources. This means, unlike primary sources, they are not created during the time period in
question. They are created after the time period under study. It is created by someone not present during
the event which means they are often removed from the event itself. Examples of secondary sources are
history textbooks, written analysis, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias, etc. a second-hand account
of history. Usually these look at and interpret primary sources, using these to build up a clearer picture of
what actually happened.They don’t need to have been created at the time, and in fact they could have
been produced centuries or millennia later! Think textbooks and school essays that use quotations from
other places.Some secondary sources can be used as historical sources. There’s a difference between a
textbook written in the 1800s versus one written in the present day, so you could use them to demonstrate
how opinions or understanding of a topic have changed over time.

4) Written and Non-written sources of history ( asa cp )

When compared to written sources, non-written sources are less likely to be

tainted because they are used for a specific purpose, such as revealing psychological

meanings through frequent interviewing in order to gain a better understanding of

one's mindset. Interviews, videos, images, music records, clothing, architecture, and

tools from the time period are all examples of non-written sources that can be

discovered As vital as written sources are non-written sources. Historians and other

specialists can use a variety of historical information to obtain a better understanding

of the past and develop ideas based on it. This does not necessarily imply that their

theories are true, as we will discover later. There are two types of evidence: material

evidence and oral evidence.One of the most important unwritten evidences is material evidence, often
known as archeological evidence. Pottery, jewelry, homes, tombs, churches, highways,and other aesthetic
objects that communicate a tale about the past are included in this category. These relics can reveal a
great deal about people's past lifestyles and

cultures. When an object is discovered in more than one location, it might disclose a

lot about the socio-cultural interconnections of distinct groups of people. Because it

can provide insight into the lives of persons who have left little or no other documents,

material evidence is crucial.

While the use of recorded conversations between a narrator who has personal

knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer with the

objective of adding to the historical record is known as oral evidence in history. At

times, an interview may be the only source of knowledge about a specific place, event,or person that is
available at the moment. Individuals and groups' experiences with the forces of history can be better
understood through oral history
Historical knowledge exists in all human societies. It is the cognitive appropriation of socially-determined
material transformations necessary for life process. We must begin with this fact. It is a form of social
consciousness, a socially-determined interpretation. The Importance of Historical Knowledge Learning
about our past is vitally important to the present and future of our civilization. We must learn to grow
from our past successes and mistakes. It is human nature to make mistakes, but the less we make, the
stronger and smarter we become.

The drawback is to go through the process of learning. It is impossible to grow and learn from if we don't
know or analyze our failures and mistakes. I feel the most important thing we can do with our history, is
to take advice from it. When terrible things occur in history, it is recorded in textbook and encyclopedias
as a bad thing. As intelligent being, it's our job to read this, comprehend what is being said, and try to
prevent future occurrences. History advises us that certain events are failures because millions were
killed, or property was severely damaged, and our fragile eco-system was damaged.
If we can't learn from these past mistakes, we won't have to worry making future one because we won't
have a future to screw up. The human race would probably not survive another world war, so we must
prevent one from ever occurring again. Another great advantage of knowing our history is being able to
improve our quality of life, as well as helping wild life prevail. By learning about old technology we can
improve upon inventions making them faster, stronger, smaller, bigger, lighter, more accurate, and/or
more reliable.

And also Religion is important in most people's daily life. By studding world history we can dig deeper
into the origins of our religions, as well as learn to understand and tolerate other religions. As America is
becoming more and more divers, we are commonly coming in contact with new, and sometimes odd
customs. I feel that it is important to understand others differences so not to become prejudice against
others. Lastly The value of historical knowledge is an important part of the study. This explains the
importance attached to the study of history in every discipline. The study of history attempts to trace
the beginning or origin of an event, its progress and the present status. Historical study tries to
reinterpret the past by asking questions and seeking information to bring change where necessary.
Understanding history brings the perspective of new knowledge and experience to in explaining the old
and the improvement in the present.