 What’shistory

o The study of the beliefs and desires, practices and institutions of

human beings. With this definition, history becomes an active factor in
the study of Philippine society. It also includes a look into the
development of Philippine culture through time especially with the
influence of the colonial period that would eventually shape the present
Philippine identity.

 Why Study History?

o Looking at the past teaches us to see the world through different eyes
– appreciating the diversity of human perceptions, beliefs and cultures.
Different and/or new perspectives will enable us to analyze critically the
present contexts of society and beings.

 The Meaning of “History”

o Excerpts from Understanding History: A Primer of Historical Method

by Louis Gottschalk (1950, New York: Knopf, p.17)

o The English word history is derived from the Greek noun istoia, meaning
learning. As used by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, history meant a
systematic account of a set of natural phenomena, whether or not
chronological factoring was a factor in the account.

 By its most common definition, the word history now means, “the past of
mankind.”