HISTORY AND HISTORIOGRAPHY: MEANING AND RELEVANCE

Meaning and Importance of History

• Etymology and scope:

  • History etymology from the Greek word $ext{historia}$ meaning "to learn"; today also refers to the past events, their records, and history as an academic discipline.

  • Three meanings: $ext{past events}$, $ext{records of past events (chronicles, annals, vital records)}$ , $ext{history as an academic discipline}$.

• History as forward projection: not only the past, but a social construction of a future reality; writing history can be a political endeavor.

• History and power: history as a discourse selects what is privileged or muted; it is a form of power over the past.

• Notable definitions:

  • Carr: history as a study of human achievements; the term implies past events.

  • Medina: history is not only the past but also the present and future; forward projection.

  • Jenkins: history can never be for oneself; it is always for others and is a form of power shaping the past.

  • Samuel Tan: history is a dynamic, interconnected process where developments in the present and future condition how we understand the past; it is a collective interplay of events.

  • Renato Constantino: history is the achievement of the many, not a single individual; history-from-below; masses as the real movers (Marxist influence).

• Why study history?

  • Significance for society and individuals; understanding strengths, limits, and aspirations; collective memory and national identity.

• Writing and sources:

  • Writing emerged as a key instrument to record achievements; marks the historic era.

• Branches of history:

  • General history (political, economic, diplomatic, military)

  • Economic history (economic thoughts and systems)

  • Cultural history (local and ethnic)

  • Social history and myth history

  • Contemporary practice extends beyond politics to include economic and socio-cultural history.

History and Historiography

• Historiography: the art of writing history; theory and history of historical writing; roots in $historia$ (past) and $graphier$ (to write).

• Timelines of development:

  • Historicism gained prominence in the early 1900s; data sources broadened beyond traditional documents.

  • New Historicism (Michel Foucault) introduced new perspectives; challenge to conventional sources by including oral history, folklore, indigenous materials, and silences in history (Bakhtin).

• Filipino historiography:

  • Filipino historians (Agoncillo, Ileto, Guerrero, Diokno, Salazar, etc.) worked to counter colonial historiography and write from a Filipino perspective.

  • Post-EDSA: pantayong pananaw (Filipino-centered discourse) emphasizes local meanings and context; prioritizes Filipino voices, oral traditions, culture, and local histories.

• Purpose and direction:

  • Develop Filipino philosophy of history; align historical interpretation with national consciousness.

The Development of Philippine Historiography

• Historical consciousness is intrinsic to Filipinos (popular saying about looking back to move forward).

• From positivism to new approaches:

  • Early Filipino historiography relied on positivist methods (document-based, critical source evaluation).

  • New Historicism and interpretative approaches broadened bases of interpretation within Philippine society.

• Early scholars and debates:

  • Leslie Bauzon (1960s): argued for a Philippine-specific interpretative methodology; Western models often do not fit the Philippine setting.

1.1 The Writing of History during the Spanish Period

• Friar-dominated historiography focused on missionary history but provided indispensable data on early Philippine life.

• Orders and contributors:

  • Augustinians: Grijalva, Diaz, Zuñiga; works on missions and early Philippine life.

  • Dominicans: Advante, Santa Cruz, Salazar, Colantes, Ferrando; missionary activities and revolts.

  • Franciscans: Plasencia, Santa Ines; laws and cultures of pre-Spanish Philippines.

  • Jesuits: Chirino, Collin, Murillo y Velarde, Delgado; broader descriptions of life, missions, and maps.

  • Recollects: Concepcion; cultural insights.

• Bias and post-colonial readings: contemporary historians use post-colonial readings to correct colonial biases and recover indigenous perspectives.

1.2 Secular Historians during the Spanish Period

• Secular writers included Spanish officials, foreign residents, and Filipino ilustrados.

• Key figures and works:

  • Antonio de Morga: $Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas$ (16th century) – highly regarded.

  • Miguel de Loarca: $Relación de las Islas Filipinas$ – material culture and economy.

  • Tomás de Comyn: $Estado de las Islas Filipinas$ (1810) – colonial economy post-Manila opening.

  • Paul de la Goromiere; José Montero y Vidal: $Historia General de Filipinas$ (descubrimiento to present).

  • Foreign observers: Pigafetta (Magellan voyage), Peddington, Mallat, Browning, Jagor, Foreman; Retana.

• Impact: these works provided alternative views to colony-centered narratives.

1.3 Filipino Historians during the Spanish Philippines

• Emergence of Ilustrados and nationalist historians defending Filipino interests.

• Notable figures: Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar, Graciano López Jaena, Pedro Paterno, Antonio Luna, Mariano Ponce, Isabelo de los Reyes, among others.

• La Solidaridad (Propaganda Movement) and nationalist writings (e.g., Rizal, Del Pilar, Jaena, Paterno) helped forge national consciousness.

• These works laid groundwork for later nationalist historiography and prefigured pantayong pananaw tendencies.

1.4 The Writing of History during the American Period

• Post-1898 transition to American rule; civil government established in $1901$ under Taft.

• Classification of writers:

  • Filipino ilustrados: Paterno, Palma, Tavera, de los Santos, Kalaw, Isabelo de los Reyes; contributed to historical writing and collections (e.g., Biblioteca Filipina).

  • American officials and non-colonial officials: produced many official histories; some colonial narratives celebrated American administration while others criticized it.

  • Academic historians: produced significant works, including the multi-volume Blair and Robertson $The Philippine Islands: 1493-1898$.

• General trend: many accounts framed Philippines under American governance; some authors highlighted backwardness to critique colonial rule.

1.5 Historical Writings during the Third Republic

• Post-independence (1946) faced national unity and identity questions; history used as unifying narrative.

• 1950s positivism and archival emphasis persisted (Zafra, Benitez, Alip, Zaide, Molina).

• Cold War influence: history often framed to favor anti-communist narratives; clerical perspectives in some works (Zaide, de la Costa, Arcilla).

• Teodoro Agoncillo (1950s–1980s): revolution-centered, argued 1896 as pivotal; pre-1782 history treated as less meaningful; sparked controversy over methodology (reliance on oral sources).

• Renato Constantino: Mars Marxist-influenced, “The Philippines: A Past Revisited”; emphasized mass agency and pre-colonial civilizations; controversial for phenomenology and political aim.

• Debates and criticisms:

  • Glen May criticized nationalist historians (e.g., Agoncillo, Constantino, Ileto) for methodological issues.

• Archaeology and anthropology broadened sources in the late 1960s:

  • William Henry Scott and Landa Jocano: integrated archaeological, ethnographic, and colonial documents; emphasized pre-colonial societies and indigenous voices; introduced “History from the periphery” and the concept of the "History of the Inarticulate".

• Reynaldo Ileto (Pasyon and Revolution): argued for non-linear history and the interpretive power of popular texts; highlighted the role of the masses in the national movement; criticized the “lustrado’s construction” of history.

• Annales and language-focused studies:

  • Vicente Rafael and Consolacion Alaras used Annales-school approaches to analyze language, cultural contracts, and worldviews; emphasized native agency and mentalities.

• Overall significance:

  • A shift toward “history from below,” non-linear and marginal voices; inclusion of folk beliefs, language, and everyday life into historical interpretation.