Lesson 1.1

Lesson 1: Meaning and Relevance of History
Lesson 1.1 History and Historical

Research
Lesson Outcomes:
 Explained the meaning and relevance of history;
 Discussed the different theories regarding history
 Determined the importance of history
Introduction
Like any other academic disciples, there are as many definitions as there many
theories on history. The idea that the study of history is a systematic study of the past.
Nevertheless, history is not merely the record of past events: "it is the record of what one
age finds worthy of note in another."
Whatever definition or description one has on history, the fact remains that the
process of writing history is problematic and subject to different interpretations.
Analysis – Let’s Analyze
Analyze the following statement defining history, which one is correct?
History is
 An agreed-upon, a set of facts, or a forever-fixed story is never subject to changes

and updates.
 History is a simple acceptance of a historical topic, event, or person.
 Studying history is a simple historical chronology of notable dates, incidents, and
people.
 History is about the absolute truth, one particular perspective, or one set of facts and
figures.
 Chronological storytelling is in its most acceptable form; it sequentially weaves
together many related historical and contemporary events and ideas linked to a
larger story.
Abstraction
A. History
According to Carr (1970), history is a study of human achievement. The past is

intelligent only in the present's light, and the present can be fully understood only in light of
the past. To enable us to understand the society of the past and increase mastery over the
present is the dual function of history. In short, we cannot fully understand the present
situation in Philippine society unless we have a firm grasp of the past.
B. Why Study History?

Does history matter on how we are today, and what will be in the future? History is of
great help for us to understand our present and to prepare for our future.
“He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls
the past.” – George Orwell, 1984
History- is a knowledge of the past and practice of researching and making sense of what
happened in the past- is crucially important to the welfare of individuals, communities, and
our nation's future. The study of history is essential for the following reasons:
To Ourselves
Identity- history nurtures personal identity in an intercultural world. The account enables
people to discover their place in the stories of their families, communities, and nation."
History provides us a sense of identity. It helps us to understand our personality and
understand our way of living.
Critical Skills- history teaches vital 21st-century skills and independent thinking. Studying
history helped us find answers for some uncertain things. For instance, "Why do Filipino
people can speak Spanish? The answer would be, according to historical study, the
Philippines was once colonized by the Spaniards for more than three hundred years.
To Our Communities
Vital Places to Live and Work – History lays the groundwork for potent, resilient
communities. No place becomes a community until it wraps in human memory, family
stories, tribal traditions, civic commemorations.
Economic Development- History is a catalyst for economic growth. Communities draw
people to preserve a strong sense of historical identity and character.
To Our Future
Engaged Citizens – History helps people craft better solutions. At the heart of democracy is
the practice of individuals coming together to express views and take action.
Leadership – History inspires local and global leaders. History provides leaders with
inspiration and role models for meeting the complex challenges that face our communities,
nation, and the world.
Legacy- History saved and preserved is the foundation for future generations.
C. History Differentiated
1. History vs. Past
The past involves everything that ever happened since the dawn of time-every thought
and man or woman's action on earth.
By contrast, history is a process of interpreting evidence or record from the past in a
thoughtful and informed way.
2. History vs. Prehistory
The main difference between history and prehistory is the existence of records. History
is the record of significant events in the past, whereas prehistory is the period of human
activity before the invention of writing systems.
3. History, Historicity, and Historiography
History is a narrative account used to examine and analyze past events. Historicity is the
authentication of characters in history, as opposed to legend or myth. Historiography is the
writing of history and the understanding of how the interpretations of historians change over
time.
D. Defining Historical Research

Historical research is a process by which historians follow guidelines and systematic
procedures in finding evidence on a fact that accounts for the past.
 Purpose of Historical Research

The primary purpose of Historical Research is to study the past, which paved the way for
people to understand the present and gives us an overview of the future.
Historical research explains the whys and how’s of something through the interpretation
and conclusions of the gathered pieces of evidence made by historians.
 Steps in Historical Research

1. Identifying the subject or topic you want to study. Finding a topic that suits your
interest may help you go on with the research process. It will give you motivation and
may feed your curiosity.
2. Search for your sources of data and other relevant source materials. Be careful in
searching for your study; make sure that your sources are reliable and based on
facts. You can browse internet sources or books from the library that are helpful to
your research.
3. Summarizing and evaluating the sources the researcher can locate. A researcher
should examine the gathered sources and pieces of evidence. Are these sources
relevant? Do these sources support the study?
E. Theories of History
 Cyclical View of History
This theory views that history is recurrent of something. This theory envisioned that
time undergoes a cyclical fashioned, which is people can't control.
 Linear View History

This theory opposes the Cyclical idea. It views that history is progressive, moving
forward, and not having a cyclical return.
 The Great God View of History

This theory is based on the biblical aspect. We are best acquainted with one in
Genesis, which ascribes the making of heaven and earth with all its features and
creatures to a Lord God who worked on a six-day schedule.
 Great Man View of History

This theory suggests that dominant personalities determine the course of history.
According to the values attached at different times by different people to various
social activity domains, this view had numerous incarnations. It also sees history as
being a record of the collective experience of a person. Like, Alexander the Great,
Caesar, David, and religious leader (Christ, Buddha, Mohammed).
 The Best People View of History

This view believes that some elite, the Best Race, the favored nation, the ruling class
alone make history. Like for example, The Old Testament (Bible) assumed that the
Israelites were God's chosen people.
Although different races on Philippine history conquered us, most Filipinos assumed
that the Spaniards are the most potent and most vigorous race that colonized the
Philippines.
 Ideas of the Great Mind View of History

This view of history is one in which the driving force in history is people's ideas. The
conditions that create records are created or changed by ideas. Some of these ideas
came from genius people like Aristotle, G.W.F. Hegel, and the Greek Anaxagoras.
 The Human Nature View of History

This view believes that history in the last analysis has determined human nature's
qualities, good or bad. According to this theory, the events from the past up to the
future are based on human behavior. Historians believe that human behavior is
unchanging from generation to generation. They also believed that nature molds
social structure.
 Economic View of History
The economic view sees economic factors as the most crucial determinant of history.
The production and exchange of goods and services are the bases of all social
structures and processes.
In the Philippines, ancient Filipinos had this barter or exchange of goods
without money involved. Chinese ancestors had influenced barter to the Filipinos
back then. Before the Spaniards came, there's already an existing trading system
between the natives.
 Gender History
Gender history looks at the past from the perspective of gender. It considers I what
ways historical events and periodization impact women differently from men. Gender
historians are interested in how gender difference has been perceived and configured at
different times and places, usually assuming that such differences are socially
constructed.
Since ancient times the society had always been views, men and women differently.
Men have always been the Alpha of the community. In Philippine history, during the
ancient era, Filipino women (ordinary) were deprived of studying. Their family taught
them household chores and has trained them in lots of housewife duties.
In some cases, women also became slaves of some higher rank men in society, a
Datu (a chieftain of a Barangay or Balangay). Some women were also sold by their
masters in exchange for goods or land, for example.
In the '80s, with the rise of the feminist movement, the focus shifted to uncovering
women's oppression and discrimination. Nowadays, gender history is more about
charting female agency and recognizing female achievements in several fields
dominated by men.
 Postmodern View of History

This theory views history as "what we make it'. It believes that objective truth does
not exist and is mostly impossible to understand reality in an accurate sense.
Postmodernists believe that historical facts are inaccessible, leaving the historian to their
imagination and ideological bent to reconstruct what happened.
According to this theory, historians' facts or evidence were not enough and that the
information given was merely the fruit of assumptions. Postmodernists were doubtful on
the historical data. According to them, people studying history didn't live in the past, and
there is a strong possibility that the evidence presented was not accurate.
Reference: Galicia, Reynaldo and Palencia, Marjueve, Readings
in Philippine History, 2019, Golden Books Inc

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Lesson 1: Meaning and Relevance of History

Lesson 1.1 History and Historical

Analysis – Let’s Analyze

Analyze the following statement defining history, which one is correct?

 An agreed-upon, a set of facts, or a forever-fixed story is never subject to changes

According to Carr (1970), history is a study of human achievement. The past is

B. Why Study History?

D. Defining Historical Research

 Purpose of Historical Research

 Steps in Historical Research

 Linear View History

 The Great God View of History

 Great Man View of History

 The Best People View of History

 Ideas of the Great Mind View of History

 The Human Nature View of History

 Postmodern View of History

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