SELF- ASSESSMENT 1

Below is a definition of history by Zeus A. Salazar (1999). Examine it carefully then answer the
questions following the definition.
“Ang KASAYSAYAN ay SALAYSAY hinggil sa nakaraan o nakalipas na may SAYSAY –
kahulugan, katuturan, at kabuluhan – sa SARILING LIPUNAN at KULTURA o kabuuang
kinabibilangan. Ito ay iniuulat gamit ang mga konsepto at kategorya ng sariling kultura.”
A. What does the author mean or imply by “Ang kasaysayan ay salaysay… na may saysay sa
sariling lipunan at kultura”?
➢ It means that the history is about the past that has relevance and significance in society.
It is important to know our history so that we can never forget what happened in the past.
History has special meaning in our lives. The impact on the society will also be there.
Understanding the current affairs and predicting the future of the society will always be
involved with the past.
B. The statement. “Ito (referring to kasaysayan) ay iniuulat gamit ang mga konsepto
at kategorya ng sariling kultura, implies who should write a people’s history.
What issues would emerge from (1) a history of people written and interpreted by an
“outsider” (a foreign historian); and, (2) a history of people analyzed and
presented by an “insider” (a local historian)?
B.1 History written by an outsider
➢ From my own perspective, history written by an outsider may be contradicted by
history written by an insider. Some information may not be true because he is not
living in a specific country where he writes history about. Foreigner historian may
receive negative feedback from locals.
B.2 History written by an insider
➢ I don’t think it is questionable that an insider historian write history about its country.
Unless the information that he provided has no basis, false claims, etc.