SUBMITTED BY:

_________________

 Define “History” based from the various perspectives given by historians.

All historians bring to their works their own historical perspective. That perspective might be
determined by his or her political bent or by the use of social theories in the analysis. There are
different definitions of HISTORY and hereunder are some few of them:

K. Kris Hirst: “History is the study of the human past as it is described in written documents left
behind by humans. The past, with all of its complicated choices and events, participants dead and
history told, is what the general public perceives to be the immutable bedrock on which historians
and archaeologists stand.”

John Jacob Anderson: "History is a narration of the events which have happened among
mankind, including an account of the rise and fall of nations, as well as of other great changes
which have affected the political and social condition of the human race." 

W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman: "History is not what you thought. It is what you remember. All
other history defeats itself.”

Arnold J. Toynbee: "History not used is nothing, for all intellectual life is action, like practical life,
and if you don't use the stuff well, it might as well be dead."

Voltaire: "History is nothing but a pack of tricks we play on the dead." (French original) "J'ay vu un
temps où vous n'aimiez guères l'histoire. Ce n'est après tout qu'un ramas de tracasseries qu'on
fait aux morts.”

Rapson: “History is a connected account of the course of events or progress of ideas.

NCERT: “History is the scientific study of past happenings in all their aspects, in the life of a
social group, in the light of present happenings.”

 Why is the Filipino term for History “Kasaysayan”?

The ancient Filipino concept for history is kasaysayan, meaning significant story(ies);

chosen, important narratives --- orally transferred through folklore, genealogies, songs and
rituals --- of the communities. ... For the historian, this is a metaphorical return to himself and
to his people.

Kasaysayan. In a brief and direct approach it just means HISTORY. That’s it. But if you look
deeper into the meaning of the word it tells more than what happened in the past. It may also
pertain to what’s the importance of the past. ‘saysay’ which is found within it literally means
‘importance’, ‘meaning’. So I believe when you say kasaysayan you are not only pertaining to the
events that took place but also the meaning and importance of those said events.

 Importance of Studying “Kasaysayan” History as a Student

 Studying history is important because it allows us to understand our past, which in turn
allows us to understand our present. Without the historical research, it is stated that the future is
not vivid according to the scientific literature.

In writing about reason and common sense, in his book Life of Reason, the author
George Santayana observed that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to
repeat it.” This is so true because the interconnections between the past and the present is
really deep.

As freshman students of STI, the purpose of studying “Kasaysayan” History is to

identify the effect ofhistory on individual’s awareness in political and cultural aspects.  It will give
us a strong, positive and significant impact of what happened in the past that is related to what is
happening in today and maybe in the future.