Introduction to History:

Definition, Issues, Sources, and

Methodology
Prepared by:
PATRICE JOY B. PINCA
Part Time Lecturer
DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF HISTORY
Greek word: Historia
“Knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation.”
• as a discipline, it existed for around 2,400 years and is as
old as mathematics and philosophy.
• was then adapted to classical Latin and historia became
known as the account of the past of a person or of a
group of people through written documents and
historical evidences. This meaning stuck until the early
parts of the twentieth century.
• became an important academic discipline.
DEFINITION AND ETYMOLOGY OF HISTORY
• is the continuous process of
interaction between the
historian and his facts
• an unending dialogue between
the present and the past
• A mirror to examine the present
and a compass to guide the
future.
KASAYSAYAN IN THE LANGUAGE AND
PERSPECTIVE OF FILIPINO
KASAYSAYAN
• saysay (narrative or salaysay)
• saysay (relevance, importance)
If relevant, for whom?
“Salaysay na may saysay para sa sinasalaysayang
grupo ng tao (meaningful stories for a group of
people).”
-Zeus Salazar
(Ama ng Bagong Histograpiyang Pilipino)

• HISTORY VS. KASAYSAYAN

QUESTIONS AND ISSUES IN HISTORY

HISTORIOGRAPHY
• The history of history.
• History – The object of study is the past, the event that
happened in the past, and the causes of such events.
Historiography – The object of study is history itself
(How was a certain historical text written? Who wrote it? What was
the context of the publication? What particular historical method
was employed? What are the sources used? )
QUESTIONS AND ISSUES IN HISTORY
HISTORIOGRAPHY
• letting students have better understanding of history because
they are provided with the understanding of the facts and the
historian’s contexts, the methods employed by the historian
and the theory and perspective, which guided him.
• significant for someone studying history because it teaches
the students to be critical in the lessons of history presented
to him.
POSITIVISM
• school of thought that emerged between the 18th and 19th
century that believes empirical and observable evidence is
required before one can claim that a particular knowledge is true.
• the mantra “no document, no history” stems from this very truth.
• positivists historians are also expected to be objective and
impartial not only in their arguments but also on their conduct of
historical research.
POSTCOLONIALISM

• the school of thought that emerged in the early twentieth century

when formerly colonized nations grappled with the idea of
creating their identities and understanding their societies against
the shadow of their colonial past.
HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN
If history is written with agenda or is heavily influenced by
the historian, is it possible to come up with an absolute
historical truth?
Is history an objective discipline? If it is not, is it still
worthwhile to study history?
• We cannot go back to the past.
• The historian’s job is not just to seek historical evidences
and facts but also to interpret these facts.
HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN
•The historians is a person of his own who is
influenced by his own context, environment,
ideology, education, and influences among others.
•In one way or another, history is always subjective.

If that is so, can history still be considered as an

academic and scientific inquiry?
HISTORY AND THE HISTORIAN
Yes. The study of history remains scientific because of
the rigor of research and methodology that historians
employ.
HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY – comprises certain
techniques and rules that historians follow in order to
properly utilized sources and historical evidences in
writing history.

While bias is inevitable, the historian can balance this

out by relying to evidences that back up his claim.
Classification of Historical Sources
Historical sources may be classified as primary or secondary
sources.

1. Primary source is regarded as the source of the “best

evidence”, the only solid bases of historical work, the
original documents or remains, the first witnesses to a
fact.
2. Secondary source are information supplied by a person
who was not a direct observer or participant of the
event, object, or condition.
Internal and External criticism
1. External Criticism – is the practice of verifying the
authenticity of evidence by examining its physical
characteristics; consistency with the historical characteristics
of the time when it was produced; and the materials used
for evidence.
Examples of the things that will be examined when conducting an
external criticism of a document include the quality of the paper,
the type of the ink, and the language and words used in the
material, among others.
Internal and External criticism
2. Internal Criticism – examination is the
truthfulness of the evidence. It looks at the
content of the source and examines the
circumstance of its production.
PHILIPPINE HISTORIOGRAPHY
• Underwent several changes since the precolonial period until
present.
• Ancient Filipinos narrated their history through communal
songs and epics that they passed orally form a generation to
another.
• Spaniards came, their chroniclers started recording their
observations through written accounts.
• The Spanish colonizers narrated the history of their colony in
bipartite view. (Dilim-Liwanag)
PHILIPPINE HISTORIOGRAPHY
• Filipino historian Zeus Salazar introduced the new guiding
philosophy for writing and teaching history:
• Pantayong pananaw (for us-from us perspective)
- this perspective highlights the importance of facilitating an
internal conversation an discourse among Filipinos about our
own history, using the language that is understood by
everyone
• Dilim-Liwanag-Dilim (from the colonizers)
Liwanag-Dilim-Liwanag (from the Filipinos)
-Dr. Prospero Covar (Tripartite view)
QUIZ