MEANING AND

RELEVANCE OF HISTORY
CHAPTER NO.1
LESSON NO.1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to :

1. Make a distinction between primary and secondary
sources.
2. Differentiate external criticism from internal criticism.
3. Discuss the repositories of primary sources.
4. Explain the different kinds of primary sources.
“What is history? An echo of the past in the future; a reflex from the
future on the past.”
– Victor Hugo
INTRODUCTION

Think of the first thing that comes to your mind when you
hear the word history.
Heroes, past events, and historic places are some ideas
that you might have. History is an interesting subject for
some, but for a number of students, they may find it boring
or irrelevant in relation to their chosen college degree, or
even to their lives! Perhaps, one of the reasons is, not
knowing what history really means and not realizing its
relevance to one’s life and to a nation’s destiny as well.
INTRODUCTION
As a discipline, Merriam-Webster (2018) defined history as “a
chronological record of significant events (such as those affecting a
nation or institution), often including an explanation of their causes.”
This definition merely pertains to the events that are significant to an
organization sequentially arranged to tell a coherent story of the past.
However, looking into the etymology of the word, ‘history’ was derived
from the Greek word ‘historia,’ which means ‘inquiry or knowledge
acquired by investigation.’ Hence, the subject is not just about knowing
which event comes first, but it requires readers to examine every
information coming from a source to justify the cause of a certain event
and to identify the reasons for the actions of the personalities involved.
INTRODUCTION

On the other hand, historiography refers to how, what, and why

history is written. It is about the methods and practices used in
producing history, the development of history as a discipline, or the
philosophy or significance of historical writing.
Encyclopedia Britannica (2017) shortly defines historiography as
the writing of history based on the critical examination of sources,
the selection of particular details from the authentic materials used
in those sources, and the synthesis of the details into a narrative that
stands the test of critical examination. The term historiography also
refers to the theory and history of historical writing.
INTRODUCTION

In short, HISTORY is the study of past events and

HISTORIOGRAPHY is the study of history.
Prehistory and History

In this study, it is important to distinguish what is prehistory, history,

and historiography. Prehistory refers to that period where
information of the past were recorded in materials other than
written documents, which may not be understood by a historian.
These include artifacts, drawings, paintings, sculptures and any
other forms. History covers information derived from largely written
records of past experiences.
The prehistory of the Philippines is said to cover the events until 21
April 900 (equivalent in the Proleptic Gregorian Calendar), the date
indicated on the Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI) – the earliest
written document known in the Philippines today.
PRE-HISTORY FUTURE

HISTORY

HISTORIOGRAPHY
Prehistory and History
The LCI is considered to be the first legal document recorded in
the Philippines. It is said to contain the release of the children of
Namwaran, the bearers, from their obligation. On the next slide is
the original translation by Antoon Postma in 1991 of the Old Malay
inscription in year 822 of the Saka Era, the month of Waisaka, and
the fourth day of the waning moon, which corresponds to Monday,
April 21, 900 AD.
The LCI was very instrumental in identifying the demarcation line
between the Philippine’s prehistory and history. The later lessons will
present a number of significant written documents which will aid us
in understanding the society years ago.
Prehistory and History
THE TRANSLATION BY ANTOON POSTMA IN 1991

1. Hail! In the Saka-year 822; the month of March-April; according to the astronomer: the 4th day of the dark half of the
moon; on
2. Monday. At that time, Lady Angkatan together with her relative, Bukah by name,
3. the child of His Honor Namwran, was given, as a special favor, a document of full acquittal, by the Chief and Commander
of Tundun,
4. the former Leader of Pailah, Jayadewah. To the effect that His Honor Namwran, through the Honorable Scribe
5. was totally cleared of a debt to the amount of 1 kati and 8 suwarna (weight of gold), in the presence of His Honor the
Leader of Puliran,
6. Kasumuran; His Honor the Leader of Pailah, namely: Ganasakti; (and) His Honor the Leader
7. of Binwangan, namely: Bisruta. And (His Honor Namwran) with his whole family, on orders by the Chief of Dewata,
8. representing the Chief of Mdang, because of his loyalty as a subject (slave?) of the Chief, therefore all the descendants
9. of His Honor Namwran have been cleared of the whole debt that His Honor owed the Chief of Dewata. This (document)
is (issued) in case
10. there is someone, whosoever, some time in the future, who will state that the debt is not yet acquitted of His Honor…
Why study history?
Peter N. Stearns in 1998 has published an article with the American Historical
Association that enumerated the reasons why we should study history. Here
are some of his justifications why the subject is worth our attention:
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 an 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 do not use
what we know about experiences in the past?
Why study history?

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, we have to look for
factors that took shape earlier. Sometimes fairly recent history will suffice
to explain a major development, but often we need to look further back
to identify the causes of change. Only through studying history can we
grasp how things change; only through history can we begin to
comprehend the factors that cause change; and only through history can
we understand what elements of an institution or a society persist
despite change.
Why study history?

3. 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. "History teaching by example" is
one phrase that describes this use of a study of the past - a study not only
of certifiable heroes, the great men and women of history who
successfully worked through moral dilemmas, but also of more ordinary
people who provide lessons in courage, diligence, or constructive protest.
Why study history?

4. 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. For many [Filipinos], studying
the history of one's own family is the most obvious use of history, for
it provides facts about genealogy and (at a slightly more complex
level) a basis for understanding how the family has interacted with
larger historical change. Family identity is established and
confirmed.
Why study history?

5. 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. But the importance of
history for citizenship goes beyond this narrow goal and can even
challenge it at some points.
Why study history?

Moreover, Stern has identified a number of skills that a student may

develop in studying history. These include the following:
1. 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. Learning how to combine different
Why study history?
Moreover, Stern has identified a number of skills that a student may develop
in studying history. These include the following:
1. 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. Learning how to combine
different kinds of evidence - public statements, private records, numerical
data, visual materials - develops the ability to make coherent arguments
based on a variety of data. This skill can also be applied to information
encountered in everyday life
Why study history?
2. 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. Learning how to identify and
evaluate conflicting interpretations is an essential citizenship skill for which
history, as an often-contested laboratory of human experience, provides training.
This is one area in which the full benefits of historical study sometimes clash with
the narrower uses of the past to construct identity. Experience in examining past
situations provides a constructively critical sense that can be applied to partisan
claims about the glories of national or group identity. The study of history in no
sense undermines loyalty or commitment, but it does teach the need for assessing
arguments, and it provides opportunities to engage in debate and achieve
perspective.
Why study history?
3. Experience in assessing past examples of change.
Experience in assessing past examples of change is vital to understanding change
in society today - it is an essential skill in what we are regularly told is our "ever-
changing world." Analysis of change means developing some capacity for
determining the magnitude and significance of change, for some changes are
more fundamental than others. Comparing particular changes to relevant
examples from the past helps students of history develop this capacity. The
ability to identify the continuities that always accompany even the most dramatic
changes also comes from studying history, as does the skill to determine
probable causes of change. Learning history helps one figure out, for example, if
one main factor - such as a technological innovation or some deliberate new
policy - accounts for a change or whether, as is more commonly the case, a
number of factors combine to generate the actual change that occurs.
Why study history?
Clearly, the reasons and skills that one may
develop in studying history is not only beneficial
for students in schools but to everyone to be
equipped with the right knowledge and reasons
for our every actions and decisions to become
good and responsible citizens.
-END OF CHAPTER 1, LESSON NO.1-