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    The Meaning of History: Historical Method

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    Princess Jovelyn Gutierrez
    History is the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. Historians aim to reconstruct the total past of mankind, but this is unattainable as evidence is often fragmented, incomplete, and contradictory. Historians use primary and secondary sources to create depictions of the past, applying historical criticism to examine source authenticity and credibility. Primary sources include records, artifacts, and eyewitness accounts, while secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources.

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    The Meaning of History: Historical Method

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    Princess Jovelyn Gutierrez
    82 views4 pages
    History is the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. Historians aim to reconstruct the total past of mankind, but this is unattainable as evidence is often fragmented, incomplete, and contradictory. Historians use primary and secondary sources to create depictions of the past, applying historical criticism to examine source authenticity and credibility. Primary sources include records, artifacts, and eyewitness accounts, while secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources.

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    History is the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. Historians aim to reconstruct the total past of mankind, but this is unattainable as evidence is often fragmented, incomplete, and contradictory. Historians use primary and secondary sources to create depictions of the past, applying historical criticism to examine source authenticity and credibility. Primary sources include records, artifacts, and eyewitness accounts, while secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources.

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    82 views4 pages

    The Meaning of History: Historical Method

    Uploaded by

    Princess Jovelyn Gutierrez
    History is the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. Historians aim to reconstruct the total past of mankind, but this is unattainable as evidence is often fragmented, incomplete, and contradictory. Historians use primary and secondary sources to create depictions of the past, applying historical criticism to examine source authenticity and credibility. Primary sources include records, artifacts, and eyewitness accounts, while secondary sources interpret and analyze primary sources.

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    THE MEANING OF HISTORY

    The English word history is derived from the Greek word “istoia” meaning learning
    According to Aristotle, history is the systematic account of a set of natural
    phenomena whether or not chronological ordering was a factor in an account, and this
    is considered as natural history. As time passed, the equivalent Latin
    word “scientia”, which is science in English later was used more to designate non-
    chronological systematic accounts of phenomena.
    Presently, the word “history” means the “past of mankind”. History is the study of
    past events, particularly in human affairs.
    History in German is “Geschichte”, meaning, “that which has happened”. This means
    that the word implies that history teaches and we may learn from the lessons of
    history.
    With the definition of history, it brings man to a recognition that history cannot be
    reconstructed, that the past of mankind, much of it, is beyond recall. And that even
    the best of our memories cannot re-create our past.
    The reconstruction of the total past of mankind is the total goal of historians which,
    however, is unattainable. Historians will never really know everything that happened
    in the past.
    The problem that every historian confronts is that the evidence they rely on is likely
    to be fragmented, incomplete and even contradictory. The result is, each historian’s
    conclusions are influenced by the evidence they have selected from what is available
    and from how they interpreted it.
    And from whatever a historian only has will be the only thing that he can use to
    connect him to the past.

    HISTORICAL METHOD

    The process of critically examining and analyzing the records and survivals of the
    past.
    To study objectively (intention of acquiring detached and truthful knowledge
    independent of one’s personal reactions) a thing must first be an object and must
    have an independent resistance outside the human mind). Most of history is based
    on the human mind since most of history is based upon recollection (written or spoken
    history).
    In reconstruction, only a part of what was observed is remembered, only a part of
    what was remembered is recorded, only a part of what was recorded survives, only
    a part of what survived comes to the historian’s attention.
    Only of a part of what is credible has been grasped, only a part of what has been
    grasped can be expounded and narrated by the historian.

    HISTORICAL SOURCES
    - Objects from the past or testimony concerning the past which historians use
    to create their own depiction of the past.

    1. According to Form
    *Written Sources
    - Published materials (books, journals etc.) and manuscript (handwritten and
    unprinted like archival materials and memoirs)
    *Non written Sources
    -Oral history, artifacts, fossils, etc.

    2. According to Origin
    *Primary Sources
    - Testimony of an eyewitness
    - It must have been produced by a contemporary of that is narrated. It is a
    document or physical object 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.
    *Secondary Sources
    - Interpret and analyze primary sources
    - They are one or more steps removed from the event. Examples are printed
    textbooks.

    HISTORICAL CRITICISM
    -Settles matters on the form and content of a source

    *External Criticism- Deals with the problem of authenticity


    - To spot hoaxes, fakes, forgeries and fabrications.
    Tests of Authenticity are:
    • Determine the date if it is Anachronistic: a material, skill or culture does not
    exist at that time
    • Determine the author in the uniqueness of his handwriting or signature
    • Determine the provenance or custody: genuineness
    • Determine the Semantics, meaning of a text or word
    • Determine the Hermeneutics, the ambiguities
    *Internal Criticism - Deals with the problem of credibility.

    Tests of credibility are:


    • Determine the Character of the Author, his reliability, and his ability and
    willingness to tell the truth

    • Determine the Corroboration, historical facts rest upon the testimony of two
    or more reliable witnesses

    KINDS OF PRIMARY SOURCES


    1. Records of social and cultural observations
    2. Chronicles
    3. Human Fossils (remains of ancient man imbedded in the earth such as bones,
    hair, skin etc.)
    4. Artifacts ( cultural evidences of man in the past such as tools and implements)
    5. Records of Detective Investigations
    6. Royal Decrees and Laws
    7. Official Reports
    8. Maps
    9. Memoirs or Autobiographies
    10. Personal accounts: record of interviews
    11. Newspapers and Magazines: reports of correspondents
    12. Legislative journals
    13. Court Record
    REPOSITORIES OF PRIMARY SOURCES
    1. National Archives of the Philippines
    2. National Library of the Philippine
    3. National Historical Commission of the Philippines
    4. National Museum of the Philippines
    5. Other Repositories of Primary Sources are the libraries of various
    universities in the Philippines such as the University of the Philippines, the
    Ateneo de Manila Rizal Library and Museum, the American Historical
    Collection in ADMU, and the University of Sto. Tomas Central Library and
    Museum.

    HISTORICAL CRITICISM

    - Settles matters on the form and content of a source


    *External Criticism

    - Deals with the problem of authenticity


    - To spot hoaxes, fakes, forgeries and fabrications
    - Tests of Authenticity are
    1. determine the date if it is Anachronistic: a material, skill or culture does not
    exist at that time
    2. Determine the author in the uniqueness of his handwriting or signature
    3. Determine the provenance or custody: genuineness
    4. Determine the Semantics, meaning of a text or word
    5. Determine the Hermeneutics, the ambiguities

    *Internal Criticism

    - Deals with the problem of credibility.


    - Tests of credibility are
    1. Determine the Character of the Author, his reliability, and his ability and
    willingness to tell the trut
    2. Determine the Corroboration, historical facts rest upon the testimony of two
    or more reliable witnesses

    KINDS OF PRIMARY SOURCES

    - Records of social and cultural observations


    - Chronicles
    - Human Fossils (remains of ancient man imbedded in the earth such as
    bones, hair, skin etc.)
    - Artifacts ( cultural evidences of man in the past such as tools and
    implements)
    - Records of Detective Investigations
    - Royal Decrees and Laws
    - Official Reports
    - Maps
    - Memoirs or Autobiographies
    - Personal accounts: record of interviews
    - Newspapers and Magazines: reports of correspondents
    - Legislative journals
    - Court Records

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