INTRODUCTION - Notes for History Prelim

I. Meaning of History

History originally meant “the search for knowledge and truth – a searching to
find out.” It is defined as “any integrated narrative or description of past events or facts
written in a spirit of critical inquiry for the whole truth.” (Nevins, 1988)
•History is a Social Science.
•Social – man
•Science – inquiry, research and investigation
•Based on facts.

It is a social science that deals with the study of the written records of past
events, which is chronologically arranged to give significance to the future.

From wikipedia, History originates from Greek word historia, meaning "inquiry,

knowledge acquired by investigation.”

The branch of knowledge dealing with past events. a continuous, systematic

narrative of past events as relating to a particular people, country, period, person, etc.,
usually written as a chronological account. History is the discovery, collection,
organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean
the period of time after writing was invented.

Scholars who write about history are called historians. It is a field of research

which uses a narrative to examine and analyze the sequence of events, and it
sometimes attempts to investigate objectively the patterns of cause and effect that
determine events.

II. Father of History

In the early 5th century BC, a Greek Historian, Herodotus of Halicarnassus

composed some of the first “critical history” in the western tradition by writing the “truth”
about Greek wars against the Persians. In putting together, “The Histories”, Herodotus
employed verifiable information using eyewitness accounts, some official records of the
state, and his own observations. To his admirers, he was the “Father of History”.

Ever since, Herodotus works became the foundations for the modern study of
history. Herodotus influences, along with other historical traditions in other parts of the
world, have generated many different interpretations of the nature of history which has
evolved over the centuries and are continuing to change.
III. Why do we need to study History?

People live in the present. They plan for and worry about the future. However,
given all the demands that press in from living in the present and anticipating what is yet
to come, a little bit of history may actually help us think and act ingeniously for our
future. History should be studied because it is essential to individuals and to society,
and because it harbors beauty. According to Dr. Jose Rizal, “In order to understand the
destiny of a people, it is necessary to open the book of its past.”

The reasons are:

1. History helps us understand people and societies

History offers a storehouse of information about how people and societies
behave. It offers the only extensive evidential base for the contemplation and analysis of
how societies function, and people need to have some sense of how societies function
simply to manage their own lives.

2. History helps us understand change and how the society we live in came to be
Through history can we grasp how things change; only through history can we
begin to comprehend the factors that cause change; and only through history can we
understand what elements of an institution or a society persist despite change.

3. History contributes to moral understanding

History also provides a terrain for moral contemplation. Studying the stories of
individuals and situations in the past allows a student of history to test his or her own
moral sense. "History teaching by example" is one phrase that describes this use of a
study of the past—a study not only of certifiable heroes, the great men and women of
history who successfully worked through moral dilemmas, but also of more ordinary
people who provide lessons in courage, diligence, or constructive protest.

4. History provides identity

History also helps provide identity, and this is unquestionably one of the reasons
all modern nations encourage its teaching in some form. Historical data include
evidence about how families, groups, institutions and whole countries were formed and
about how they have evolved while retaining unity.

5. Studying history is essential for good citizenship

History lays the foundation for genuine citizenship. It is essential use of the study
of the past. History provides data about the emergence of national institutions,
problems, and values - it's the only significant storehouse of such data available. It
offers evidence also about how nations have interacted with other societies, providing
international and comparative perspectives essential for responsible citizenship.