WHAT IS

HISTORY
E. Kent Rogers
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
To understand the meaning of history as an
academic discipline and to be familiar with the
underlying philosophy and methodology of the
discipline.
To examine and assess critically the value of
historical evidences and sources.
To appreciate the importance of history in the
social and national life of the Philippines.
IN GROUPS, DISCUSS THIS
TOPICS:
 WHAT IS HISTORY?
OFFER A DEFINITION FOR THE
SUBJECT WE CALL “HISTORY”.
 WHAT DO OTHERS SAY?
History was derived from the
Greek word historia which
means “knowledge acquired
through inquiry or
investigation”.
History as a disciplined
existed for around 2, 400
years and is as old as
mathematics and philosophy.
 WHAT DO OTHERS SAY?
a branch of knowledge that
records and explains past events –
Merriam- Webster

the study of or a record of past

events considered together,
especially events of a particular
period, country, or subject –
Cambridge Dictionaries Online
 Other Definitions of History:
History is defined as a
documented record of
man and his society.
(Gray, 1956, pp.1-3).
As a field of study,
history is a study of man
and his achievements
from the beginning of
written records to the
present.
 Other Definitions of History:
As a literary form of history is
an effective presentation of the
unfolding events. But as a type
of literature history falls under
nonfiction work.

History comes from social

history which defines it as a
record of events showing the
evolution of man and his
society
 WHY DO WE STUDY
HISTORY?
• To know more about the roots of our current culture.
Why is this important?
• To learn about the mistakes of those who have gone before us.
Why is this important?
• To learn about human nature in general by looking at
trends that repeat through history.
Why is this important?
• To learn historical facts. Why
is this important?
• To learn about how different factors shape society e.g. religion,
greed, the intersection of different cultures, technology, etc.
Why is this important?
Importance and Uses of History
Given are the uses of history as summarized by Foray and Salevouris
(1988). Some of these are interestingly explained by B.H. Lidedell Hart
(1971).
History provides a source of personal and social identity.
History helps us understand the problems of the present.
History – good history – corrects misleading analogies and “lessons”of the
past.
History can help one develop tolerance and open-mindedness.
History helps us better understand all human behaviors and all
aspects of the human condition.
History provides the basic background for many disciplines.
History can be a source of entertainment.
History, when studied, can teach many critical skills.
WHY IS HISTORY
IMPORTANT?
In sum, we study
history to learn
about who we are
—both our past and
our present.
 WHO INVESTIGATES
Archaeologists HISTORY

a person who studies human

history and prehistory through
excavation of sites and analysis of
artifacts and other physical
remains
 WHO INVESTIGATES
HISTORY?

a person in engaged in the study of aspects

of humans within past and present socities
Anthropologists including their customs, beliefs and
relationships
 WHO INVESTIGATES
HISTORY

Oral Historians
a person who studies historical
information about individuals, families,
important events or everyday life using
audiotapes, videotapes or transcription
of planned interviewss
WHO INVESTIGATES
HISTORY?

Chemists
WHO INVESTIGATES
HISTORY?

Linguists
a person skilled in foreign languages
 HISTORY IS A MYSTERY TO
BE
• Finding out about history is SOLVED
a lot like
trying to solve a mystery…
• You must look for clues.
• You must interpret those clues
• You must bring all the clues together to shed
light on each other.
• You must reinterpret each clue every time you
find a new clue.
• You must then try fill in the gaps and come
to an educated conclusion.
 SOURCES

• Scholars call anything that gives us a clue about history

“Sources.”
• Sources fall into two major categories
• Primary Sources, and, you guessed it,
• Secondary Sources.
• Can you guess what is meant by
primary source?
 PRIMARY
A primary source is a document SOURCES
or physical
object which was written or created during the
time under study. These sources were present
during an experience or time period and offer
an inside view of a particular event.
 PRIMARY
SOURCES
What are some examples of primary
sources?
 PRIMARY
• First-hand accounts of events
SOURCES
 PRIMARY
SOURCES
• Artifacts

an object made by a human

being, typically an item of
cultural or historical interest.
 PRIMARY
SOURCES
• Historical documents
 PRIMARY
SOURCES
• Memoirs
 PRIMARY
SOURCES
• Oral histories
PRIMARY
SOURCES

• Newsprint
• Diaries MORE EXAMPLES OF
• Poetry PRIMARY SOURCES
• Personal Interviews
• Government Documents
• Autobiographies
• Peer-reviewed journal
articles of new findings
• Photographs
• Video
• Etc.
 SECONDARY SOURCES

What do you think is meant by

Secondary Source?
A secondary source interprets and
analyzes primary sources. These sources
are one or more steps removed from the
event.
 WHAT ARE INCLUDED
AS SECONDARY
• Textbooks SOURCES?
• Encyclopedias
• Magazine or
news articles
dealing with
issues from the
past