Central Luzon State University

Science City of Muñoz 3120

Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Instructional Module for the Course

SOCIAL SCIENCE 1100:
READINGS IN PHILIPPINE
HISTORY

Prepared by:

MARVIN R. SORIANO
Department of Social Sciences
College of Arts and Social Sciences
 SOCSCI 1100: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

1st Semester AY 2020-2021

Overview of the Course

Welcome, students of history!

The course analyzes Philippine history from multiple perspectives through the lens
of selected primary sources coming from various disciplines and of different genres.
Students are given opportunities to analyze the author’s background and main
arguments, compare different points of view, identify biases and examine the evidences
presented in the document. The discussions will tackle traditional topics in history and
other interdisciplinary themes that will deepen and broaden their understanding of
Philippine political, economic, cultural, social, scientific and religious history. Priority is
given to primary materials that could help students develop their analytical and
communication skills. The end goal is to develop the historical and critical consciousness
of the students so that they will become versatile, articulate, broadminded, morally
upright and responsible citizens. This course includes mandatory topics on the Philippine
Constitution, Agrarian Reform, and Taxation.
Generally, this course has the following course outcomes and objectives:
➢ Evaluate primary sources for their credibility, authenticity and provenance.
➢ Analyze the context, content and perspective of different kinds of primary
sources.
➢ Determine the contribution of different kinds of primary sources in
understanding Philippine history.
➢ Develop critical and analytical skills with exposure to primary sources.
➢ Demonstrate the ability to use primary sources to argue in favor or against
a particular issue.
➢ Effectively communicate, using various techniques and genres, their
historical analysis of a particular event or issue that could help others
understand the chosen topic.

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 SOCSCI 1100: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

➢ Propose recommendations/solutions to present-day problems based on

their understanding of root causes and their anticipation of future scenarios.
➢ Display the ability to work in a team and contribute to a group project.
➢ Manifest interest in local history and concern in promoting and preserving
our country’s national patrimony and cultural heritage.

Preliminaries

UNIVERSITY INFORMATION

1. Vision of the University

Central Luzon State University as a world class National Research for science and
technology in agriculture and allied fields.

2. Mission of the University

CLSU shall develop globally competitive, work ready, socially- responsible and
empowered human resources who value life-long learning; and to generate,
disseminate, and apply knowledge and technologies for poverty alleviation,
environmental protection, and sustainable development.

3. Quality Policy Statement

a. Excellent service to humanity is our commitment.
b. We are committed to develop globally-competent and empowered human
resources, and to generate knowledge and technologies for inclusive societal
development.
c. We are dedicated to uphold CLSU’s core values and principles, comply with
statutory and regulatory standards and continuously improve the effectiveness of
our quality management systems.
d. Mahalaga ang inyong tinig upang higit na mapahusay ang kalidad ng aming
paglilingkod.

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 SOCSCI 1100: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

4. Goals of the College of Arts and Sciences

In line with the mission of the University, the goals of the College of Arts and
Sciences are:
a. To equip students with basic knowledge and skills needed in the pursuit of more
advanced and specialized fields of endeavors.
b. To develop civic consciousness in students and train them for active involvement
in environmental concern and agro-industrial development.
c. To mold students into more humane individuals through exposure to the arts
and participation in various forms of artistic activities.

5. Objective of the Department of Social Sciences

a. A general intellectual foundation that supports the students, analytic and critical
understanding of social life.
b. A sound methodological background that prepares the student for social science
research and policy evaluation.
c. A rich specialized body of knowledge that equips the student for the practice of
social sciences in both the public and private sectors. Students are offered many
opportunities to become actively involved in the discipline at the community and
national levels.

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 SOCSCI 1100: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

Module 1
Theoretical Concepts
in the Study of History
Overview

This module introduces the students to significant theoretical concepts and

approaches in the study of history as an academic discipline. Moreover, this module
allows students to be grounded on the meaning, methodologies and branches of
history, including its relationship with other academic disciplines.

I. Objectives
1. To know the foundational theoretical concepts approaches in the study of
history.
2. To understand how the different academic fields of Social Sciences relate with
and complement the study of History.
3. To identify the basic materials used by historians in understanding human
history and civilization.

II. Lecture Notes

A. Useful Concepts in the Study of History and Human Civilization.
Here on this section, you will familiarize yourself with useful concepts,
approaches, theories and methods in the study of history and human civilizations.
These concepts and approaches will allow you to understand the complexities and
dynamics of the discipline of history. Furthermore, by learning how do historians
study and reconstruct the past and how they utilize other disciplines in order to
have a broader understanding of the origins and development of human
civilization, you will have a deeper appreciation of history as an academic

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discipline. These approaches will also help you gain a good grounding on concepts
that might be helpful in your future historical researches.

B. History Defined
The term history entered the English language in 1390, with the meaning
of "relation of incidents/story" via the Old French historie, from Latin historia,
or "narrative/account." This itself was derived from the Ancient Greek ἱστορία,
meaning "a learning or knowing by inquiry, history, record, narrative," from the
verb ἱστορεῖν, historeîn, which means "to inquire". Its German equivalent
‘geschichle’ means “intelligible and significant narration of the past events. In
Tagalog, Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo translates history as “kasaysayan”
which means, “salaysay” na may “saysay” (“story with meaning”).
The development of history started with the ancient Greek historians such
as Herodotus and Thucydides. Herodotus, popularly known as the ‘Father of
History’ wrote about the Graeco-Persian wars which contains a mine of information
including those relating to the ancient Egyptians and Persians. Thucydides
developed these subjects on scientific lines. He wrote the “Pelopenesian Wars’ on
the basis of evidence and showed the relation between causes and effects or
results.
There are many varied definitions of history by different scholars and
thinkers, and one of the most familiar definition we have of “history” is that it is
“the study of past events”. However, this definition seems to be too
rudimentary and limited that it fails to fully capture the essence of the discipline.
In defining history, it is best to start with asking the following questions:
➢ How do historians study the past?
➢ Are there ways to prove and study the past?
➢ What are the sources from which historians can rely on?
➢ What is “the past”? Are all “events” useful in the study of history?
➢ Does the past convey a particular meaning?
➢ Is the past useful in explaining the human experience?

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We will answer these questions as we go along in this module. In the

meantime, let’s see how scholars and historians across time and culture define and
convey the meaning of “history”:

a. Edward Hallett Carr: "History is an unending dialogue between the

present and the past and the chief function of historian is to master and
understand the past as a key to the understanding of present.”
b. A.L. Rowse: “History is essentially the record of the life of men in
societies in their geographical and their physical environments. Their
social and cultural environments arise from the interaction of the one
with the other, the society and its geographical condition.”
c. John Jacob Anderson: "History is a narration of the events which have
happened among mankind, including an account of the rise and fall of
nations, as well as of other great changes which have affected the
political and social condition of the human race."
d. Carl G. Gustavson: “History is a mountain top of human knowledge
from whence the doings of our own generation may be scanned and
fitted into proper dimensions. History enables a person to see himself
as part of that living process of human growth which has emerged out
of the past and will inexorably project itself out beyond our own life
time. We are the product of the past but not the complete product.”
e. Arnold J. Toynbee: "History not used is nothing, for all intellectual life
is action, like practical life, and if you don't use the stuff well, it might
as well be dead."
f. Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges: "History is and should be a
science ... History is not the accumulation of events of every kind which
happened in the past. It is the science of human societies."
g. Teodoro Agoncillo: a. “History deals with the past, not with the future.
We use history to avoid the mistakes of the past, not to recreate the
very same events. You cannot.”; b. “History is written by every

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generation. Every generation writes its own history using the same
sources. The interpretations vary according to time.”

C. History and its relationship with other disciplines

When considering history as an academic field of study, knowledge of

history is often said to encompass both knowledge of past events and historical
thinking skills. This includes analysis and interpretation of historical accounts
(thinking about history), not just the learning of dates and names (knowing
history). It involves asking whether alternative accounts might tell a different story,
or whether the account contains any bias.

Traditionally, the study of history has been considered a part of the

humanities, alongside a subject such as literature. However, in modern academia,
history is increasingly classified as a social science, especially when chronology is
the focus (New World Encyclopedia).

This section will help you understand how history is both distinct from and
related to other academic fields.

History and Political Science

This involves dynamics and nature of fundamental political principles and

basic forms of political institution. In the view of this closeness between two
subjects, the development of political institutions, rules, regulations, right and
duties, law and mode of justice, executive, legislative and administrative functions,
economic and financial implications, nature of bureaucracy, fundamental principles
of state policy are all defined under the constitution history.

History is very helpful to politics because the political aspects is a part of

the whole range of activity recorded by historian and knowledge of history would
enable the politicians to know the politics better and play their role effectively.

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Prof. Acton has correctly pointed out, “the science of politics is the one science
that is deposited by the stream of history like grains of gold in the sand of a river.”

History and Economics

History is also closely related to Economics. As the activities of a man in

society are very closely related with the economic matters, the historian of any
period must possess at least a rudimentary knowledge of the economics. In fact,
the economic history of any period is an important branch of history and its
understanding is absolutely essential for the proper understanding of history of
any period.

There has been a new orientation in our historical outlook from the days of
the materialistic interpretation of history by Marx and such class struggle, man’s
skill in earning, arts and crafts, trade, business and commerce, land revenue, taxes
and a host of all other economic activities of the past figure very prominently in
history. No doubt, it is true that during the last few years economics has become
very complex and difficult subject, mostly dependent on mathematics, and a
modern historian cannot acquire basic working knowledge of economic theory
without devoting a lot of time and leaving little time for the study and writing of
history.

Therefore, a new set of economic history by the use of economic historians

have emerged who try to study the economic history by the use of the economic
tools. At present, history is so closely interlinked with the study of economic
problems that it would not be possible to reconstruct history without knowledge
of the relevant economic problems.

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History and Sociology

History and sociology are intimately related and a number of sociologists
like Auguste Comte are also important figure in the development of historical
studies. Karl Marx was also a great historian and sociologist. Both History and
Sociology are concerned with the study of man in society and differed only with
regard to their approach.
In the recent years it was realized that a fruitful interaction between the
two disciplines was possible and Emile Durkheim, Max Weber acknowledge the
initial dependence of sociology upon history. Although, history too benefits from
the synthesis produced by the sociologists.
Sociologists exercised profound influence on the study of history by
developing the certain narrow areas of human activity. They adopted the sampling
techniques and develop their tools with a view to minimize the subjective element.
In brief, sociology is helping history to study ‘social dynamics’ which is a study not
of society at rest but constantly in social change and development social processes
and social causation are giving a new perspective to history.

History and Ethics

History and ethics have a close relationship. Although a true historian is not
expected to pass distinct and sensitive judgments on the historical incidents and
characters, yet he must know about the ethical principle of the time which
influenced the conduct of the people in the past. Probably in the past, there was
not reliable ethical science and much of followed were merely a reflection of the
bigotry, partial and complexes of the different writers.
In the recent times an attempt has been made to evolve an ethical theory
on the basis of biology, psychology and sociology by the scholars like Stephen,
Duprat, Dewey etc. A science of conduct has been evolved. A historian must
understand and master this science of ethics to have a wider perspective of the
issue.

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History and Psychology

History and Psychology are also closely linked. A historian must have to
show some psychological insights while making an analysis of the motive and
actions of men and societies. Historian work would be mere fiction unless he uses
the discoveries of modern psychology. The personal life and the environment of a
historian has a direct bearing in his decision and often import a bias to his account
and renders the much-desired objectivity impossible.
The impact of psychology on history is evident from the fact that in the past
historian inquired primarily into the origins of war and ignored the result of war.
As a result of the influence of psychology historians have under taken the study of
the results and impacts of war. An understanding of the group psychology can
enable a historian to determine the role of masses in the various revolutions such
as Jingoistic patriotism has been described as the cause of certain wars but
historian can discuss this cause with the help of the social psychology.

History and Geography

Universally it is accepted that History and Geography have very close ties.
In fact, it would be practically impossible to study; certain branches of history
without rudimentary knowledge of geography e.g., the diplomatic or military
history cannot be fallowed without necessary geographical knowledge of the
region. Geography is one of the eyes of history the other eye being chronology.
Time and space factors give history its correct perspective.
Prof. Michelet was of the opinion that history was in essence found upon
geography. He says “Without a geographical basis the people, the makers of
history, seek to be walking.” German philosopher Kant said, “Geography lies at the
basis of history.” Herder said that “history is geography set in motion.”
Geography also plays an important role in the national character formation
and influence the human behaviour. As we know that climate of a country greatly
affected the civilisation of a country. Hence the knowledge of geographical is very

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essential for historians. It would be wise to accept the limited interpretation of

geographical influence on man’s conduct or on his history.

C. Branches of History

Like other academic disciplines, history has specialized areas of study that
deals with wide-ranging topics. As we have defined earlier on this module, history
deals with a breadth of human knowledge and experience that have been
preserved overtime through written and oral sources. With this data available in
various forms, historians deal with massive information. The best way to sift
through and organize this information is to focus on a particular dimension of a
rather multifaceted discipline. The following are some major subfields of history:

Political History

Political History is the narration of the evolution of the political related

matters of the past. This branch of history deals with the analysis of political
leaders, ideas, events, movements, activities and so on, along with the making of
government policies (constitutions etc). This branch of history focuses on the study
of normative beliefs as it is believed to be the reason behind the historical changes.

Social History

Social history primarily devotes to the social life of the people ‘viz’ religion,
national economy, morals, manners, foods, dress, art, culture etc. In this history,
the political, dynastic and constitutional aspects of history are degraded to the
background. In addition to these some historians made an attempt to deal with
the general patterns of social development.

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Economic History

Economic history is the branch of history that focuses on the study of

economies as well as economical phenomena of the past. Simply, the study of the
pattern of the production, consumption alongside industry, market and so on
concerning the past, economic history aims to understand the historical events of
the economical processes.

Legal History

Legal history is another independent branch of history which has grown in

the recent times. The historians of legal history devoted themselves to the study
of legal development and tried to show how the law adjust itself according to the
changing social conditions.

Among the prominent historians of legal history mention may be made of

Gumplowicz (in Austria), Geake, Jhering, Brunner, etc. (in Germany) Maitland,
Blackstone, Pullock, Laski (etc., in France), etc. The other contributions in the field
of legal history are the works, like the codification of the Laws of Manu, the codes
of Hummurabi, Napoleonic codes etc.

Diplomatic History

Diplomatic history can be considered a branch of political history but

developed as an independent discipline. In the view of close connections and
relations between various members of the international communities, huge body
of principles of international laws has grown, which govern the foreign relations of
various sovereign states. Considered to have started in the nineteenth century,
Diplomatic history is the branch of history that focuses on the study of international
relations between nations (between states). This history tends to be more

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concerned with the history of diplomacy and the ideas of diplomacy and much
more.

Military History

Military history is closely allied with the political history. Though waging of
wars is still considered a political activity. In the recent times, the historian makes
a detailed study of the causes of war, strategy and tactics of war, organisation of
the war machinery including weapons, fighting machine and service condition of
the soldiers.

Cultural History

Cultural history is the branch of history that deals with the traditions and
cultural interpretation of the past. It is a study of various facets of human and
history. Simply, cultural history records and interprets various past events involving
human beings like literature, sport, and entertainment and much more.

Social History

The history which focuses on the study of various societal norms like ways
of living, standard, customs, disciplines, status and so on of the people, alongside
the demography. Simply, it is a branch of history which looks at the lived
experience of the past. Today, social history is otherwise called the New Social
History.

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Intellectual History

The history which aims to understand the ideas (ideology and philosophy)
by understanding the political, cultural, intellectual, and social context of the past.
Intellectual history is about the human (historians) actions and how they
developed history.

Religious History

The branch of history which deals with the study and investigation of
ecclesiastical structures, the link between denominations and social change, the
history of doctrines, study of formal beliefs, and how did these originate and
evolved overtime across cultures and generations.

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