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1 Meaning and Relevance of History: GEC 002-BALSCM12S1 - Readings in Philippine History

1.1 Meaning and Relevance of History

Hello students! Welcome to GEC 002 Readings In Philippine History. I know that you are both
excited and curious about this course and so am I. To start off, I want to ask a question: Why is
studying history important? Or what is the importance of history to us from the past to the future?

We all know that as a learner or student , history means boring or very hard to study. History
contains a lot of years, names, and such to memorize when the examination is getting nearer. But
what you did not know is that HISTORY helps us develop a better understanding of the world. It
helps us understand other people and makes us good decision-makers from learning from our
past to create a brighter future for ourselves.

I assume you are ready to embark on this whole new different learning journey. I believe you can
make it through this whole new change in our lives. Once again, welcome in GEC 002 Readings
in Philippine History. May your dreams become your present. Enjoy!

What is History?
Before we start discussing what is history, as well as the importance and relevance of knowing
what history is, it's good for you to take this formative assessment via Kahoot! first. Click on the
icon of Kahoot (https://kahoot.it/challenge/03076295?challenge-id=bd09ac46-66f2-4188-9601-
a27eb0e60108_1594952158460) below, input the Game PIN 03076295 to take the quiz and have
fun!

The best way to know what history is is to consult what historians, experts in the study of history
say about history. Then, let's contrast it with what non-historians say about it. Let's begin:

What is and what is not history?

History to Historians and Non-Historians
Non-Historians Historians
Non-historians often say that “history repeats History is the study of change over time,
itself” or that “things were always this way.” and it covers all aspects of human

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society.

Non-historians often romanticize the past and

History is exclusively as a story of
speak of the “good old days” when they
progress with everything constantly
believe that things were generally better than
improving.
at present.

Non-historians derive information mainly from
television, movies, and the internet as well as
some books or magazines. They generally
accept any sources uncritically as long as the
source is interesting.
Historians know that all sources, even
those original to a particular historical
time period, have some
biases, omissions, contradictions, or
various other limitations.

Historians read books or watch

Non-historians read books or watch
documentaries go to archives in search
documentaries of their choice.
of original records.

Historians know that the philosophy and

Non-historians assume that historians have
methodology of history have changed
always approached history the same way.
over time and will keep changing.

Historians tend to focus more on the

Non-historians often make broad
specific, detailed developments that
generalizations about people, ideas, events, or
underpin the generalizations, and
time periods in
sometimes question or reject the
history.
generalizations themselves.

Historians have various ways of

Non-historians may assume that time periods
organizing history thematically and
are fixed and absolute.
chronologically.

Meaning and relevance of history

History was derived from the Greek word historia which means "knowledge acquired through
inquiry or investigation." Historia became known as the account of the past of a person or of
group of people through written documents and historical evidences.

History is the study of the past. Events occurring before the invention of writing systems are
considered prehistory. History is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the
memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information
about these events.

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/79346113@N00/4094513441) Scholars who focus on history are

called historians. The historian's role is to place the past in context, using sources from
moments and events, and filling in the gaps to the best of their ability. Written documents are not

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the only sources historians use to develop their understanding of the

past. They also use material objects, oral accounts, ecological markers,
art, and artifacts as historical sources.

History also includes the academic discipline. which uses narrative to

describe, examine, question, and analyze a sequence of past events,
investigate the patterns of cause and effect that are related to them.
Historians seek to understand and represent the past through
narratives. They often debate which narrative best explains an event, as
well as the significance of different causes and effects. Historians also
debate the nature of history and its usefulness by discussing the study
of the discipline as an end in itself and as a way of providing "perspective" on the problems of the
present.

Stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources (such as the tales
surrounding King Arthur), are usually classified as cultural heritage or legends. History differs
from myth in that it is supported by evidence. However, ancient influences have helped spawn
variant interpretations of the nature of history which have evolved over the centuries and continue
to change today. The modern study of history is wide-ranging, and includes the study of specific
regions and the study of certain topical or thematic elements of historical investigation. History is
often taught as part of primary and secondary education, and the academic study of history is a
major discipline in university studies.

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/55997860@N00/1682736702)
Herodutus, a 5th-century BC Greek historian (pictured above) is
often considered (within the Western tradition) to be the "Father of
history," or, by some, the "Father of lies." Along with his contemporary
historian Thucydides (pictured on the right), he helped form the
foundations for the modern study of human history. Their works
continue to be read today, and the gap between the culture-focused Herodotus and the military-
focused Thucydides remains a point of contention or approach in modern historical writing.

History is and should be a science ... History is not the accumulation of events of every kind which
happened in the past. It is the science of human societies.

No historian can be 100% objective, but historians try to recognize their own limitations and
biases. Historians try not to place the values, beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes of the present onto
the topics they study. Historians try to understand their topics in the context of how and why
people of that era thought and behaved, and not how people think and act today.

Many different interpretations of all historical topics exist. Historians must work to recognize the
difference between facts and interpretations in their field. Historiography refers to the study of
history, philosophy, and methodology of history. Historians must be familiar with the
historiography of their particular area of study.

Now, at least we are able to clear some misconceptions about history. Please bear in mind that
history is also a scientific field of study that involves a lot of critical thinking, analysis, statistics,
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and more. Don't fall into the traps of pseudo-historians who profess to be historians proliferating in
the social media, okay?

Importance of History
The slogan of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines Institute (formerly
National Historical Institute) in their official website that reads: "A Filipino society with citizens
informed of their history, who love their country and are proud of their cultural
heritage" speaks volumes emphasizing how important it is for you to know history. So, do not be
wondering why you are here in the collegiate level enrolling in this Readings in Philippine History,
okay?

For our academic discussion, the following are the reasons why we study history, courtesy of
Peter N. Stearns (1998) of American Historical Association:

1. History Helps Us Understand People and Societies. In the first place, history offers a
storehouse of information about how people and societies behave. Understanding the
operations of people and societies is difficult, though a number of disciplines make the
attempt. An exclusive reliance on current data would needlessly handicap our efforts. How can
we evaluate war if the nation is at peace—unless we use historical materials? How can we
understand genius, the influence of technological innovation, or the role that beliefs play in
shaping family life, if we don't use what we know about experiences in the past? Some social
scientists attempt to formulate laws or theories about human behavior using history as one of
their bases.
2. History Helps Us Understand Change and How the Society We Live in Came to Be. The
second reason history is inescapable as a subject of serious study follows closely on the first.
The past causes the present, and so the future. Any time we try to know why something
happened—whether a shift in political party dominance in the Philippines, a major change in
the teenage suicide rate, or a conflict in the Cordilleras or the siege of Zamboanga and
Marawi—we have to look for factors that took shape earlier.
3. History is Important in Our Own Lives. History well told is beautiful. Many of the historians
who most appeal to the general reading public know the importance of dramatic and skillful
writing—as well as of accuracy. Biography and military history appeal in part because of the
tales they contain. History as art and entertainment serves a real purpose, on aesthetic
grounds but also on the level of human understanding.
4. 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 not just in
some work of fiction, but in real, historical circumstances can provide inspiration.
5. History Provides Identity. History also helps provide identity, and this is unquestionably one
of the reasons all modern nations encourage its teaching in some form. Historical data include
evidence about how families, groups, institutions and whole countries were formed and about
how they have evolved while retaining cohesion.

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6. Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship. A study of history is essential for good
citizenship. This is the most common justification for the place of history in school curricula.
Sometimes advocates of citizenship history hope merely to promote national identity and
loyalty through a history spiced by vivid stories and lessons in individual success and morality.
7. History Develops in the Students the Ability to Assess Evidence.The study of history
builds experience in dealing with and assessing various kinds of evidence—the sorts of
evidence historians use in shaping the most accurate pictures of the past that they can.
Learning how to interpret the statements of past political leaders—one kind of evidence—
helps form the capacity to distinguish between the objective and the self-serving among
statements made by present-day political leaders.
8. History Develops in the Students the Ability to Assess Conflicting
Interpretations. Learning history means gaining some skill in sorting through diverse, often
conflicting interpretations. Understanding how societies work—the central goal of historical
study—is inherently imprecise, and the same certainly holds true for understanding what is
going on in the present day.
9. History Is Useful in Your Career and in the World of Work. History is useful for work. Its
study helps create good business people, professionals, and political leaders. The number of
explicit professional jobs for historians is considerable, but most people who study history do
not become professional historians. Rather, it the professionals from various fields become
later on historians by building on the concrete foundation of historiography during the
academic preparation as what you are doing right now.

Play the video below to give you more ideas and interest in studying history.

Why is it important to study history (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmtMpQAIKjQ&t=6s)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmtMpQAIKjQ&t=6s)

Click the "Next" button to proceed.

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