INTRODUCTION TO HISTORY

Trivia:

According to Mark, Joshua J. from the Ancient History of Encyclopedia,

“Herodotus (c. 484 – 425/413 BCE) was a Greek writer who invented the field of study
known today as `history’. He was called `The Father of History’ by the Roman writer and
orator Cicero for his famous work The Histories but has also been called “The Father of
Lies” by critics who claim these `histories’ are little more than tall tales.”

I. DEFINITION OF HISTORY

According to Cambridge University Press (2019), “History is the study of or

a record of past events considered together, especially events of a particular
period, country, or subject.”

A. Traditional Definition:
 History is a record of human past based merely on written records.
 Oral history and oral traditions, and cultural artifacts are not considered.
 Historian focused on studying the past alone and abandoned the present,
for according to Gottschalk, history is actuality; hence it must study the
past as it happened.
 “No written records, no history”

B. Modern Definition:
 History is the imaginative reconstruction of the past not just based on
written records but also on oral history, cultural artifacts and folk
traditions.
 Historian should interpret facts orderly and intelligibly and discover
patterns and trends which govern the behavior of people and of nations.
 History is the interpretative and imaginative study of surviving records
from the past.

II. USES OR IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY

According to Pholland14 (Certified Educator), “ The study of history is

important because it allows one to make more sense of the current world.”
A. Bridging the gap between the present and past

According to enotes.com (2019), Studying history is important because it

allows us to understand our past, which in turn allows us to understand our
present. If we want to know how and why our world is the way it is today, we
have to look to history for answers. Thus, knowing the past improves the
understanding of the present.

B. Explaining causes of things and events

According to Cause, n.d., par.1, “The underlying principle is one adapted

from physics: for every action there is an equivalent reaction; every cause results
in an effect. In historical terms, every event has a cause, and is itself the cause of
subsequent events, which may therefore be considered its effect(s), or
consequences.” Thus, no other discipline can provide explanations for causes of
events and/or developments.

C. Projecting the future

According to Florida Department of Education (2011), “History allows us to

answer the question why things happened the way they did in the past. It’s also a
strategy that can make it possible to predict what may happen in the future.”
Thus, History allows us to speculate intelligently about the future.

D. Interpreting conditions of a given space and time

According to The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2016), “The

historian faces an even more basic intellectual task: that of discovering and
making sense of the archival information that exists about a given event or time
in the past.” Thus, history is the only branch of knowledge that can give a
corresponding interpretation of periods in the past.

E. Promoting nationalism and patriotism

According to ThoughtCo., “Patriotism is based on the positive values the

country embraces—like freedom, justice, and equality. Nationalism is based on a
belief that one’s country is superior to all others. It also carries a connotation of
distrust or disapproval of other countries.” This means that history makes you
know more about the roots of your culture, country, religion and specifically
history, thus, it is the best area of human knowledge than can help in promoting
nationalism and patriotism.
III. SOURCE OF HISTORY

According to University of Washington (2019), there are primary and

secondary sources of history: “Primary sources include documents or artifacts
created by a witness to or participant in an event. They can be firsthand
testimony or evidence created during the time period that you are studying.
Secondary sources analyze a scholarly question and often use primary sources as
evidence.”

A. Written or Inscribed Sources

- These are sources that were written just like:
 Birth Certificates
 Marriage Certificates
 Directories
 Local Newspapers
 Files
 And more...
B. Graphic/Visual Materials and Artifacts
- These are sources that were illustrated or objects that were made by
human beings just like:
 Photographs
 Heirlooms and keepsakes
 Arts and Crafts
 Tools, weapons and utensils
 And more…
C. Folklore/Oral literature
- These are sources from stories, beliefs and any form of verbal art which is
transmitted orally just like:
 Poems
 Songs
 Tales
 And more…
D. Oral History through interviews
- These are method for obtaining evidence by interviewing people about
their experiences.
IV. MAJOR VIEWS OR PHILOSOPHIES IN THE STUDY OF HISTORY
According to Jensen, Anthony K., “History is the study of the past in all its
forms. Philosophy of history examines the theoretical foundations of the
practice, application, and social consequences of history and historiography.” In
addition, philosophies of history are ways of interpreting and explaining
historical developments.

A. Cyclical Views
According to tparents.org, “The ancient Greeks considered that just as the
four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter repeat themselves year
after year, so does history follow a cyclical course. For them, history was just
a repetition of destined events, which could not be affected by human power,
so that history had no meaning or goal.”
- History repeats itself.
- Famous exponents were Herodotus and Spengler.

B. Providential Views
According to tparents.org, “That is to say, its assertions were that history
started with the creation and tile human fall, that it is a salvation history
leading to tile Last judgment, and that what drives history is God's
providence. Such a view of history is called "providential view of history," or
"Christian view of history." It was St. Augustine (354-430) who systematized
tile Christian view of history. ”
- History is determined by God.
- Foremost exponent was St. Augustine.

C. Progressive View or Linear View

According to tparents.org, “it was the human being, rather than God's
providence, that drove history. The view considered that history was
progressing in a straight line and necessarily according to the progress of the
human spirit. This view of history is called "spiritual view of history," or
"progressive view of history."”