Ashley Jane C.

Macapayad BSN 2-C

Reaction Paper for “The Source: The Basis of our knowledge about the Past” by Howell, Martha
and Walter Prevenier

History can’t be made without legit and original sources. Through reading this, I have
learned the true importance of sources, in which these are artifacts that have been left by the
past or the “remains” offer the researcher a clue about the past. These are also symbols to prove
the historian’s theory to be true. Also, it may be in structure or testimonies- both written and
oral. To put it simply, I have learned that these are materials from which historians construct
meaning. There are various types of sources such as written, oral, narrative, diplomatic,
intentional and unintentional.

All of these aspects make this a practical text, but what makes the work stand out from
other introductory volumes is their reflection on how and perhaps even why we practice history
in the early twenty-first century. Howell and Prevenier reject the postmodernist challenge that it
is impossible to write about the past because it is ultimately unknowable. But they also criticize
those who refuse to respond to these challenges. The closing chapter rearticulates their position
that good historical research is founded on a critical engagement with the past, even as they
acknowledge that we only have the "reality" constructed in and by our sources (pp. 143-150 esp.).
In sum: historical researchers must be rigorous readers of their documents, considering the type
of knowledge they reveal as well as their limits. Craft skills, including Paleography and
Diplomatics, help exploit the biases inherent in these documents, but the scholar also must be
aware of how their own experiences and position color their interpretation of the past.

As stated, on the 19th century begins the golden age of text editing and source publication.
What more for today of 21st century? We continue to innovate and broaden our knowledge in
different aspects but we should always put in our minds what really is the truth of everything
through these sources.