Introduction to History

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the definition of history, historiography, types of sources, and historical criticism based on the provided lecture notes.

Historia

A Greek word meaning knowledge acquired through inquiry or investigation; it refers to the account of the past of a person or group through written documents and historical evidences.

Positivism

A school of thought that emerged between the 18th and 19th century requiring empirical observable evidences and an objective means of arriving at a conclusion.

No document, no history

A positivist mantra requiring historians to show written primary documents in order to write a particular historical narrative.

History

The study of the past—specifically the events that happened, the causes of such events, and their consequences.

Historiography

The history of history, which examines how historians interpret events, why those interpretations change over time, and the different methods used by historians.

External Criticism

The practice of verifying the authenticity of evidence by examining physical characteristics such as the type of paper, ink, handwriting, language, and date of production.

Internal Criticism

The examination of the truthfulness and factuality of evidence by looking at the content, author's background, intended audience, and possible bias or propaganda.

Primary Source

Original, firsthand evidence produced at the same time as the event, period, or subject being studied, such as letters, diaries, artifacts, or government records.

Secondary Source

Work produced by an author who used primary sources to analyze, interpret, or discuss a historical subject, such as history books and journal articles.

Tertiary Source

Sources that compile, summarize, or organize information from primary and secondary sources, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and textbooks.

Code of Kalantiaw

A penal code containing 18 articles allegedly promulgated in 1433 by Datu Bendahara Kalantiaw, which was later debunked by William Henry Scott.

William Henry Scott

The individual who debunked the authenticity of the Code of Kalantiaw.

Maharlika

A guerrilla unit in Northern Luzon that Ferdinand Marcos Sr. claimed to have fought in during World War II, a claim later disproved by the National Historic Commission of the Philippines and the US Army.

Subjectivity

The inevitable influence of a historian's own context, education, culture, religion, and beliefs on their research, interpretation, and writing.