Prelim Lesson: Historical Criticism

Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:

1. Determine the meaning of historical criticism, its importance, and types

2. Make a historical criticism on a chosen historical event, data or source using
external and internal criticism
What is Historical Criticism?

Criticism is basically to assess, evaluate, examine, appraise or appreciate something.

To engage in criticism is to criticize or to make a critique which means to judge
the value, worth, quality, grade, authenticity, relevance, meaning of something.
The one who criticizes is called the critic (www.merriam-webster.com).

Historical criticism is a criticism on history. It is a criticism on historical events, sources,

artifacts, documents, and testimonies among others to understand the world
behind them (Soulen, Richard N.; Soulen, R. Kendall (2001). Handbook of biblical criticism).
Why is Historical Criticism Necessary?

Historical criticism is not simply about finding faults and mistakes on history or on historical
events, sources, artifacts, documents, and the like for the sake of finding faults.
Instead it is an analysis of historical events , sources, artifacts, documents and others
to determine their authenticity, originality, facticity, and
understand their meaning, relevance, significance or value
(http://queergrace.com/historical-criticism/).
Historical criticism is an essential component of historical research. Historical
Research is conducted for several good reasons:

1. Prevent the mistakes of the past from happening again

2. Learn from the past how to solve current problems
3. Use the lessons and experiences of the past to predict the present and future
4. To understands everything in the present because everything is a product
of the past.
5. Examine patterns and trends across time
6. Be inspired by the achievements of the past
7. Be able to preserve and sustain good practices, traditions, laws, and norms
8. To improve life and and the world-
https://researchbasics.education.uconn.edu/historical_research/#
 What are the Types of Historical Criticism?

There are two types of historical criticism namely External Criticism and Internal Criticism.

What is External Criticism?

External Criticism determines whether a historical event, data, source, document, artifact
and the like are real/true/authentic/genuine/ and original.

It asks the following questions:

1. Who is the author? Is he/she the real author?
2. Where was it written/made? Is it true that it was written there?
3. When was it written/made? Is true that it was written at the time?
4. Is it original or fake?
5. How and why did it survive?
(researchgate.net and slideplayer.com).
What is Internal Criticism ?

It determines the meaning , accuracy and value of the historical event, data, sources,
Artifacts, documents among others. it s focus is the content.

It asks the following questions:

1. Is it a primary or secondary source? Is it an eyewitness or second hand account?

2. Why was it written/made? Or why did it happen?
3. Is there consistence or inconsistence in it?
4. What is its meaning (literal or contextual)?
5. what is its /worth/value, relevance and importance?
6. What are its connotations and implications?
(researchgate.net and slideplayer.com).
External Criticism and Internal Criticism are not opposed to each other but rather
complement each other. Once a historical event, data, document and others are
determined to be authentic (external criticism) then there is a need to determine
whether or not its meaning or content is accurate (internal criticism). In other word,
Before one deals with the content (internal), one has to deal with the form and
appearance (external) first(https://researchbasics.education.uconn.edu/historical_research/).
 Lesson Activity and Assessment

1. Make a historical criticism on a historical event, data, source, artifact, or document

of your choice using external and internal criticism.

Rubric
Rating-50 Rating- 25 Rating -0 Total points-50

Answered all Does only one type of No answer

questions of both criticism
external
and internal
criticism