Readings in Philippine History WEEK 1-2 LORCENA, DARWIN

Readings in Philippine History
Learning Outcome
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to: Week 1-2
1. Evaluate primary sources for their credibility, authenticity and provenance.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of history
3. Identify the differences between a primary source and secondary source.
DISCUSSION
What is History?
History (from Greek ἱστορία, historia, meaning "inquiry; knowledge acquired by investigation")
is the study of the past. ... "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well as the
memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of these events.
To make sense of history, it is necessary to first understand what it is all about. Many people
think that history is merely lists of names, dates, places, and important events. However, history or
the study of history is more than just knowing and memorizing facts (Jose Victor Torres 2018).
It is a historian’s duty to draw insights from ideas and realities that have shaped the lives of
men and women and the society. And in understanding these ideas, a historian (or, in fact, a student
of history) can comprehend how situations happened, identify their elements, and think of how these
situations can solve today’s predicaments and help plan for the future.
The study of history, therefore, is the study of the beliefs and desires, practices and institutions
of human beings.
With this definition, history becomes an active factor in the study of Philippine society. It also
includes a look into the development of Philippine culture through time especially with the influences
of the colonial period that would eventually shape the present Philippine identity.
Distinction of Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary Sources
Primary sources are materials produces by people or groups directly involved in the event or
topic being studied. These people are either participants or eyewitness to the event. These sources
range from eyewitness accounts, diaries, letters, legal documents, official documents (government or
private), and even photographs.
Formally, there are eight examples of these primary sources:
1. Photographs that may reflect social conditions of historical realities and everyday life.
2. Old sketches and drawings that may indicate the conditions of life of societies in the past.
3. Old maps that may reveal how space and geography were used to emphasize trade routes,
structural build-up, etc.
4. Cartoons for political expression or propaganda.
5. Material evidence of the prehistoric past like cave drawings, old syllabaries and ancient
writings.
6. Statistical tables, graphs and charts
7. Oral history or recordings by electronic means of accounts of eyewitnesses or participants;
the recordings are then transcribed and used for research.
8. Published and unpublished primary documents, eyewitness accounts, and other written
sources.
Secondary Sources
Gottschalk simply defines secondary sources as “the testimony of anyone who is not an
eyewitness-that is of one who was not present at the event of which he tells” (p.53). These are the
books, articles, and scholarly journals that had interpreted primary sources or had used them to
discuss certain subjects of history.
ACTIVITIES
Questions 1
I. Read carefully and write your answer in a one whole sheet of paper. 5 points each
1. What is history? How is your understanding of history different from what is explained in this
lesson?
2. What role does history take in the study of Philippine society, culture and identity?
3. How did the word “history” come about? Discuss its etymology and evolution.
4. What does a historian do? As a student in this subject, what do you think will be your “duties”?
Questions 2
I. Read carefully and write your answer in a one whole sheet of paper. 5 points each
1. What is the main distinction between primary source and secondary source?
2. Why is primary source important in the study of history?
3. What is the purpose of a secondary source?
4. At present, how do you discriminate between contradicting reports of a single event from
different sources?
Prepared by;
DARWIN M. LORCENA
Instructor
Readings in Philippine History
Learning Outcome
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to: Week 1-2
1. Evaluate primary sources for their credibility, authenticity and provenance.

2. Identify the differences between external and internal criticism.
3. Identify the different kinds of primary sources.
DISCUSSION
External Criticism
External criticism, which is also known as lower criticism, is a tool used by historians and
exegetes to determine the validity of a document, particularly a document with some sort of historical
significance. It is the first of two stages of inquiry for it is followed by internal criticism. It ventures
towards inquiry regarding (a) authorship; (b) originality and accuracy of copy; and (c) if errors are
found it helps assess the nature of errors found, i.e., if they are scribal errors or other kinds of errors.
External criticism is a process by which historians determine whether a source is authentic by
checking the validity of the source.
Internal Criticism
Internal criticism is applied to check the credibility of the document whether the contents given
in it are believable or not. Internal criticism looks at the reliability of an authenticated source after it
has been subjected to external criticism.
Internal criticism, aka positive criticism, is the attempt of the researcher to restore the meaning
of the text. This is the phase of hermeneutics in which the researcher engages with the meaning of
the text rather than the external elements of the document. Here, more than before, domain specific
knowledge of context is essential.
In this stage of investigation the researcher and exegete engage in positive criticism, which
attempts to restore the meaning of statements, and negative criticism, which places doubt on what
external and positive criticism have established as reasonable findings. Here the researcher and
exegete combat both aesogesis and untrustworthiness.
Source: Google
Different Kinds of Primary Source
Literary or cultural sources:
 novels, plays, poems (both published and in manuscript form)

 television shows, movies, or videos
 paintings or photographs
Accounts that describe events, people, or ideas:
 newspapers
 chronicles or historical accounts
 essays and speeches
 memoirs, diaries, and letters
 philosophical treatises or manifestos
Finding Information about people:
 census records
 obituaries
 newspaper articles
 biographies
Finding information about organizations:
 archives (sometimes held by libraries, institutions, or historical societies)

 search Library Catalog Search or WorldCat using the name of the organization as an author
Finding information about a place:
 maps and atlases

 census information
 statistics
 photographs
 city directories
 the local library or historical society
ACTIVITIES
Questions
I. Write your answer in a whole sheet of paper. 5 points each.

1. What are the external and internal criticisms?
2. Why external criticism is important?
3. How is internal criticism done?
4. Why internal criticism is important in history?
5. Why do we need to criticize the sources?
Prepared by:
DARWIN M. LORCENA
Instructor

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Readings in Philippine History

1. Evaluate primary sources for their credibility, authenticity and provenance.

Distinction of Primary and Secondary Sources

Formally, there are eight examples of these primary sources:

1. Evaluate primary sources for their credibility, authenticity and provenance.

Literary or cultural sources:

 novels, plays, poems (both published and in manuscript form)

Accounts that describe events, people, or ideas:

Finding Information about people:

Finding information about organizations:

 archives (sometimes held by libraries, institutions, or historical societies)

Finding information about a place:

 maps and atlases

I. Write your answer in a whole sheet of paper. 5 points each.

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