 Definition of History: Social History: Examines the daily lives of people,

their culture, and societal norms.

History, derived from the Greek term historia,
refers to a "learning or knowing by inquiry." It Economic History: Analyzes the economic activities
involves studying past events to understand human and phenomena that shaped past societies.
experience, with different scholars offering various
Cultural History: Investigates traditions, arts, and
definitions:
other cultural elements from the past.
Edward Hallett Carr: History is a dialogue between
Military History: Studies the causes, strategies, and
the present and the past.
impacts of wars.
A.L. Rowse: It records human life within social and
Intellectual History: Deals with the history of ideas
geographical environments.
and how they influenced historical developments.
Teodoro Agoncillo: Each generation rewrites
Religious History: Investigates the evolution of
history using the same sources, with varying
religious beliefs and their impact on societies.
interpretations.
 Methodologies and Approaches:
 Objectives of the Course:
The document explains how history is linked to
The course encourages students to evaluate primary
various other fields such as psychology, ethics, and
sources for credibility, analyze historical contexts,
law. It highlights that understanding these fields can
develop critical thinking, and understand the
help in analyzing the motives, behaviors, and
interdisciplinary nature of history.
impacts of historical events and figures.
Students are expected to propose solutions to
 History Helps Us Understand People and
modern problems based on historical insights.
Societies:
 Relationship Between History and Other
History serves as a storehouse of information about
Disciplines:
how societies and people behave. It is essential for
History and Political Science: History helps in understanding societal functions and operations.
understanding political institutions and the
 History Helps Us Understand Change:
evolution of government policies.
By studying history, we can identify the causes of
History and Economics: Economic history focuses
change in society and how current institutions or
on how past economic activities (trade, taxes, etc.)
trends have evolved over time.
shaped societies.
 Moral Understanding:
History and Sociology: Both disciplines study
human societies, but sociology contributes tools like History allows us to engage with past moral
sampling techniques that assist historians in dilemmas, offering lessons in courage, adversity,
understanding social dynamics. and moral choices, which are important for
developing ethical perspectives.
History and Geography: Geography is essential to
historical study, especially in military and  History Provides Identity:
diplomatic history, as geographical knowledge
influences the understanding of events. Historical knowledge helps form personal, group,
and national identities. It explains how families,
 Branches of History: institutions, and nations were formed and have
evolved, preserving cohesion and fostering loyalty.
Political History: Focuses on the evolution of
political ideas, leaders, and institutions.  History is Essential for Good Citizenship:
A study of history is vital for informed citizenship. conquerors, or religious figures—who shape the
It helps individuals understand the emergence of course of history.
national institutions, the values of society, and
Notable figures mentioned include Solon
international relationships, encouraging responsible
(lawgiver), Alexander the Great (conqueror), Julius
public behavior.
Caesar (dictator), David (hero-emancipator), and
 Skills Developed Through History: religious leaders like Christ, Buddha, and
Mohammed.
Assessing Evidence: Learning to evaluate different
kinds of evidence helps build critical thinking skills. Historian Thomas Carlyle famously said that history
is shaped by great men, supporting this viewpoint.
Understanding Conflicting Interpretations: History
teaches how to assess and compare different The Great Mind Theory:
viewpoints, a skill necessary for informed
This philosophical variant argues that ideas and
citizenship.
intellect, rather than individuals, drive history
Analyzing Change: Historical study enhances one’s forward.
ability to identify and understand the causes and
Anaxagoras and Aristotle viewed reason or God as
consequences of change in society.
the prime mover of the universe, while Hegel saw
 History is Useful in Professional Life: history as the progression of the "World Spirit"
toward freedom.
Historical study develops research, writing, and
analytical skills, which are relevant in many This theory also aligns with the view that
professional fields, including business, law, and enlightened rulers or intellectual elites drive societal
public administration. History equips individuals for progress through rational ideas.
adaptability and long-term career growth.
The Best People Theory:
 The Beauty of History:
This theory suggests that a select group of elite
History is also a form of art, offering intellectual individuals—whether defined by race, class, or
pleasure, the joy of discovery, and insight into the national superiority—shapes history.
human experience through well-told stories.
Examples include the belief in Israelites as God’s
Theories chosen people, Greek superiority over barbarians,
and Plato and Aristotle’s belief in the natural
The Great God Theory:
superiority of aristocracy over the lower classes.
This theory is based on ancient creation myths, such
The Human Nature Theory:
as the Genesis story, and posits that divine beings
control human events and history. This persistent theory asserts that unchanging
human nature, whether good or bad, determines the
Early civilizations (e.g., Sumerians, Babylonians,
course of history.
Egyptians) believed gods directed history, and kings
were seen as divine agents maintaining cosmic Thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle based
order. their philosophies on the idea of constant human
traits.
This view was carried through into Christian and
Islamic traditions, where God’s will is considered David Hume and E.B. Tylor in the 19th century
the prime mover of history. supported this theory, viewing human institutions as
evolving in predictable patterns based on inherent
The Great Man Theory:
human nature.
A refinement of the Great God theory, this theory
emphasizes powerful individuals—leaders,
1. Greek Historical Thought he idealized the existing bourgeois state as the
culmination of this process.
Cyclical View of History: Early Greek historians
like Herodotus and Polybius believed history 5. Marxism (Historical Materialism)
followed a cyclical pattern, where societies passed
Economic Determinism: Marxism refutes idealist
through repeated stages of development.
interpretations, instead focusing on the material
Materialist and Idealist Approaches: Greek conditions of production and economic relations as
philosophers, such as the Atomists and Sophists, the drivers of historical change.
proposed materialist explanations (geography,
Class Struggle: Central to Marxist theory is the
nature shaping mankind) alongside idealist views,
idea that history is driven by the conflict between
like Plato’s belief in the progression of an ideal
different social classes, particularly between those
state.
who control the means of production and the
Polybius and Political Cycles: Polybius viewed working class.
political evolution as a cycle where governments
Modes of Production: The transformation of
transform between kingship, aristocracy, and
modes of production (e.g., feudalism to capitalism)
democracy, often degenerating into tyranny,
leads to societal changes and revolutions.
oligarchy, and mob rule.
Collective Action: Marxism emphasizes that
Influence of the Environment: Some Greek
history is made not by "Great Men" but through the
thinkers, like Polybius, emphasized the role of the
collective action of the working masses.
environment and climate in shaping societal
characteristics.
progress to their influence.
3. Renaissance and Enlightenment Thinkers
Thinkers like Machiavelli, Hobbes, and Rousseau
began analyzing history with more focus on human
agency and societal structure.
Class Struggle: Emerging from the study of
revolutions, such as the French and English
revolutions, philosophers identified the struggle
between classes and shifts in property ownership as
key to historical progress.
Giambattista Vico: Proposed that history
progresses in a cyclical manner, influenced by
societal factors like class struggles.
4. Hegelian Idealism
Hegel’s Dialectic: Hegel viewed history as a
rational and progressive process driven by the
development of ideas, particularly the idea of
freedom.
History as a Logical Process: Hegel asserted that
history unfolded according to a dialectical process,
with each stage contributing to human freedom, but
DIFFERENT SOURCES OF HISTORY the American Historical Review and specialized
journals like the Journal of American History.
 Historical Sources:
Conferences are important venues for sharing and
History relies on tangible remains of the past,
refining new research, such as those held by the
including written records and artifacts.
American Historical Association.
Primary sources are the original materials, such as
 Critical Thinking in History:
manuscripts, letters, and diaries. Secondary sources
are the interpretations made from primary sources, Both primary and secondary sources require a
like books and articles. critical approach, asking questions about the
creator’s intent, the context, and the possible biases.
 Primary Sources:
Cross-referencing sources is emphasized as a way to
First-hand materials from the time period being
avoid misleading conclusions.
studied.
 Challenges of Historical Study:
Important questions for analyzing these sources
include who created them, their purpose, context, History is pieced together from fragmentary
and reliability. evidence, and the interpretation of these fragments
is influenced by the biases of both past creators and
Various types of primary sources are discussed:
modern historians
written sources, inscriptions (epigraphy), buildings,
monuments, artifacts, and bones. Herodotus, the “father of history,” as an example
of a historical figure who wrote about events like
Manuscript Sources: Unpublished records or
the Greco-Persian Wars.
communications (e.g., handwritten or typed
documents).
These can be personal, like diaries, or institutional,
like meeting minutes.
Published Sources: Include letters, diaries, and
official documents intended for public
dissemination (e.g., newspapers, government
reports).
Care is needed when interpreting these, as they may
reflect the biases of the author or editor.
 Secondary Sources:
These are one step removed from the event, such as
books or articles interpreting primary sources.
Researchers must consider the author’s background,
publication context, the time it was written, and
potential biases.
It's important to cross-examine multiple secondary
sources for a balanced view.
 Historical Journals and Conferences:
Journals provide a professional platform for
scholarly articles and critiques. Examples include