LEARNING HISTORY

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To understand the meaning of history as an academic
discipline and to be familiar with the underlying philosophy
and methodology of the discipline.
2. To examine and assess critically the value of historical
evidences and sources.
3. To appreciate the importance of history in the social and
national life of the Philippines.
MEANINGS AND RELEVANCE OF
HISTORY
To make sense of history, it is necessary to first understand what it is
all about. Many people think that history is merely list of names
dates, places and important events. However History or the study of
history is more than just knowing and memorizing facts.

◦ It is a Historian’s duty to draw insights from the ideas and the realities
that have shaped the lives of men and women in the society and In
understanding these ideas a historian can comprehend how situations
happened ,identify there elements and think of how these situations
can solve todays predicaments and help them plan in the future .
The study of history, therefore is the study of beliefs and desires ,practices and
institutions of human beings .

WHY STUDY HISTORY ?

an examination of the past can tell us a great deal about how we came to be
who we are. It means looking at the roots of the modern institutions, ideas
values and problems. Looking at the past teaches us to see the world through
different eyes-appreciating the diversity of human perceptions beliefs and
cultures. Different and or new perspectives will enable us to analyze critically
the present contexts of our society and beings .
The Definition and the Subject Matter
◦ History was derived from the Greek Word “historia” which means
knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation . History as a
disciplined existed for around 2,400 and is as old as Mathematics
and Philosophy. The term was then adapted to classical latin where
it acquired new definition. Historia became known as the account
of the past of a person or a group of people through written
documents and historical evidences .The meaning stuck until the
early parts of the 20th century . History became an important
discipline .
◦ It became the historian’s duty to write about the lives of the
important individuals like monarchs ,heroes,saints ,and
nobilities. History was also focused on writing wars
,revolutions and even important breakthroughs.It is thus
important to ask ,What counts as history? Traditional
historians lived in the mantra “no document no history “ It
means that unless a written document can prove a certain
historical event then it cannot be considered as a historical
fact.
But as any other academic disciplines, history progress and opened
the possibility of valid historical sources ,which were not limited to
written documents like government records chronicler’s account or
personal letters. Giving premium to written documents essentially
invalidates the history of the other civilizations that do not keep
written records . Some were keener on passing the history by word
of mouth. Others got there historical documents burned or
destroyed in the events of war or colonization. Restricting historical
evidence as exclusively written is also discrimination against other
social classes who were not recorded on the paper.
Nobilities, monarchs the elite and even the middle class
would have there birth, education,marriage , and death as
matters of government and historical record. But what of
peasant families or indigeneous groups who were not given
much thought about being registered to government
records? Does the absence of written documents about
them mean they were people of no history or past? Did they
even exist ?
This loophole was recognized by historians who started using other kinds of
historical sources. hich may not be in written form but were just as valid .A few
examples are oral traditions in form of epics and songs,artifacts ,architecture
and memory. History thus became more inclusive and started collaborating with
other disciplines as it auxiliary discipline .

Other definitions of history:

1. History is defined as a documented record of man and his society ( Gray 1956
2. As a field of study,history is a study of man and his achievements from the
beginning of written records to the present.
UNDERSTANDING HISTORY
Why we don’t learn from history? ( An excerpt from Lidell
Hart ,1971)
What is the objective of history? One would simply
answer,quite simply “truth “ .It is a word and an idea that
has gone out of fashion.
The object might be more cautiously expressed thus: to find
out what happened while trying to find out why it
happened.It seeks the casual relations between events.
 History has limitations as a guiding signpost:
although it can show us the right direction, it does not
give detailed information about the road conditions.
But its negative value as a warning sign is more
definite .History can show us what to avoid, even if it
does not teach us what to do by showing the most
common mistakes that mankind is apt to make and to
repeat.
A second object lies in the practical value of the history. The knowledge gained
from the study of true history is the best of all education for practical life. The
study of history embraces every aspect of life. It lays the foundation of
education by showing how mankind repeats its errors and what those errors are

IMPORTANCE AND USES OF HISTORY

1. History provides a source of personal and social identity.
2. History helps us understand the problems of the present.
3. History can help one develop tolerance and open- mindedness
4. History can be a source of entertainment.
5. History when studied can teach many critical
skills.
6. History provides the biggest background for many
disciplines