WHAT IS HISTORY?

GE 2 - F | Group 3

Abique, Mark Dale

Basañes, Jaycee

Cadiente, Miccah

Escobar, Jim Joshua

Jubilado, Azriel Denise

Salcedo, Mary Angely

Saldua, Xearyl Nadine

Valeriano, Rexander Alen

Vercede, Van Loui

Vergara, Charles Xander Adrian

1. Please refer to chapter 1 of the book by E. H. Carr (please see resource) and make a

compilation of the different meanings and descriptions of history by different

scholars, historians, and authors.

● A.E. Housman

- Historical facts are based on the accuracy of the documents presented that are

from the past supported by the details regarding archeology, epigraphy,

numismatics, chronology, and so forth.

● George Clark

- The way we define "history" reflects our current perspectives and beliefs about

the society we live in.

● The Positivists

- Claims history as Science, which contributed the weight of their influence to a

corpus of ascertained facts.

● Carl Becker

- Argued in deliberately provocative language that the facts of history do not exist

for any historian till he creates them which these challenges were little noticed.
● Croce

- History consists essentially in seeing the past through the eyes of the present and

in the light of its problems, and that the main work of the historian is not to

record, but to evaluate.

● Collingwood

- The inquiry conducted by the historian and the series of past events. All history is

the history of thought. It is the re-enactment in the historian’s mind of the thought

whose history he is studying - the historian’s experience. St. Augustine looked at

history from the point of view of the early Christian; Gibbon; from that of an

eighteenth-century Frenchman; Gibbin; from that of a nineteenth-century

Englishman; Mommsen from that of a nineteenth-century German: there is no

point in asking which was the right point of view: each was the only one possible

for the man who adopted it.

● Marcus Tullius Cicero

- To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to always remain a child.

For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our

ancestors by the records of history.

● E.H. Carr

- History will be an unending conversation between historians depending on the

facts that can be provided. Historians interpretations towards the past and the

present.

● G. M. Trevelyan

- Highlights the Whig interpretation of history, emphasizing the importance of

understanding the historian's background and perspective in interpreting historical

events.

● John Jacob Anderson

- History is a narration of the events that have happened among mankind, including

an account of the rise and fall of nations as well as of other great changes that

have affected the political and social condition of the human race.

2. How does E. H. Carr define history?

E.H. Carr defines history based on how interactions are made between historians,

and their interpretations towards unending dialogues between the past and the present.

There could be more than one perspective within a specific event in history depending on

what facts a historian can provide. He describes history as an ongoing, dynamic process

of interpreting and reinterpreting the past in those pages, highlighting that history is a

conversation between the historian and the past rather than merely a retelling of events.
 According to Carr, historians' views of historical events are shaped by the social

and cultural milieu of their own era. He also emphasizes how critical it is to acknowledge

the subjectivity of historical information and the significance of interpretation in the

creation of historical narratives. All things considered, Carr's definition of history

captures the intricacy and dynamic character of the field.

3. Based on Carr's definition, make a conceptual framework that answers the

question: What is history? Show in your framework the limitations, challenges, and

problems in the writing of history.

Limitations, Challenges, and Problems:

Access: The only information we have about the past is what has survived, and this

information is usually biased, fragmentary, and fragmented. We have restricted access. This

implies that certain viewpoints, experiences, and occasions are lost forever, leaving holes in our

understanding.

Biases: Subjectivity will always be present in the historian. They choose and mold

"facts" according to their own experiences, training, morals, and inclinations. It is inevitable that

subjectivity will influence the questions raised, the evidence selected, and the stories created.

Language: The terminology used by historians is a holdover from their era and might not

accurately convey the intricacies of earlier ideas or occurrences. This might result in

misunderstandings or make it difficult to correctly convey historical facts.

Social and Cultural Milieu: Narratives, which are by nature selective and impose a

predefined sequence on past events, are commonly used to represent history. This can obscure

opposing viewpoints by simplifying or distorting complicated data.

The area of historical knowledge is ever-evolving, with new discoveries, shifting

perspectives, and conflicting points of view. This highlights the limitations of any definitive

historical narrative and implies that historical understanding is always tentative and subject to

change.