Introduction to History

101
Giovanni Pierro Malitao, Jr.
Instructor
UC - Banilad
Defining 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)

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.
Origin of the word History

• History originates from Greek word historia, meaning "inquiry,

knowledge acquired by investigation.”
• 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.
 Herodotus, The 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.
The 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.
The need to study History

According to Dr. Jose Rizal, “In order to

understand the destiny of a people, it is
necessary to open the book of its past.”
5 Reasons to Study History

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.
5 Reasons to Study History

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.
5 Reasons to Study History

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.
5 Reasons to Study History

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.