I.

Module 2: Meaning and Relevance of History

 
 
IV.Learning Activities:
 
Lecture Notes/Discussion
 
• Discussion about the origin and definition of History as propounded by different authors that
include beliefs, knowledge, art law, morals, and customs and any other capabilities or habits
acquired by man as a member of society.
 
Focused Topics of this Module:
 
• Origin of History
 
            - History was derived from the Greek word historia which means “ knowledge  acquired
through inquiry or investigation.” Historia became known as the account of the past of a person or
group of people through written documents and historical evidence. It became the historian's duty
to write about the lives of important individuals like monarchs, heroes, saints, etc.
History has played various roles in the past. States use history to unite a nation It can be used as a
tool to legitimize regimes and forge a sense of collective identity through collective memory.
 
•  Definition of History
           -The word ‘History’ entered the English Language in 1390 with the meaning of “relation of
the incident story”.
           -History (from Greek historia, meaning “inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation”) is
the study of the human past. Scholars who write about history are called historians. It is a field of
research which uses a narrative to examine and analyze the sequence of events, and it sometimes
attempts to investigate objectively the patterns of cause and effect that determine events.
•  Primary and Secondary Sources
         With the past as history’s subject matter, the historian’s most important research tools are
historical sources. In general, historical sources can be classified between primary and secondary
sources. The classification of sources depends on the historical subject being studied.
•  Primary Sources
      - those produced at the same time as the event, period, subject being studied. For example, if a
historian wishes to study the Commonwealth Constitution Convention of 1936, his primary sources
can include the minutes of the conversation, newspaper clippings. Philippine commission report of
the U.S etc.
 
On the other hand, secondary sources are those which are produced by an author who used
primary sources to produce the material. For example. on the subject of the Philippine Revolution
 of 1898 students can read Teodoro Agoncillo’s Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Bonifacio and
the Katipunan published originally in 1956.  
 
  Criticism of Historical Sources
       The historian should be able to conduct an external and internal criticism of the source,
especially the primary sources which can age in centuries.
•  External Criticism 
       Physical characteristics of the time when it was produced, and the materials used for the
evidence.
       -evidence is examined based on physical characteristics like materials used for the evidence.
•  Internal Criticism
       On the other hand, is the examination of the truthfulness of the evidence.
       -It looks at the truthfulness and factuality of the evidence by looking at the author of the source and its
context.
Exercises:
Activity:
 
VI. References:
 
•  Candelaria, John Lee, et. Al. (2018). Readings in Philippine History. Rex Book Store.
• Torres, Jose Victor. (2018). BATIS Sources in History. C&E Publishing Inc.
• De Leon and De Leon. (2011) Textbook on the Philippine Constitution. Rex Bookstore.
• Agoncillo, T., and Mangahas, Fe B. (2011). Philippine History: Expanded and Updated Edition.
• https://faq.ph/facts-about-the-philippines-that-will-blow-your-mind
• https://www.google.com/search?q=philippine=history=picture&safe=strict&client=firefox-b-
d&source=Inms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiNurD_18TiahVPa94KKHQZkAPsQ_AUI
Dig