Name: Ej M.

FERRER Score

Course/Year/Section: BS-BIO 1-2 Date: September 4, 2020

Brief Discussion

Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Analyze and criticize this definition of history – “a study of the written records of the past.”
How would you improve this definition?

Answer:

As far as I know, historians don’t always rely on merely written records of the past. History is
sometimes based on oral tradition, folk tradition, and anything created by humans in the past
that gives information to the present (cultural artifact). In short, history is the study of the
records of the past, either it’s written or not written. Historians can always rely on both things as
long as it’s reliable.

2. Explain why knowledge of history is important.

Answer:

Knowing the knowledge of history is important because the present is connected to it. Some
people don’t know that the past is the result of the present day, we will know how people
improve through generations, we will know our past ancestors that share our same
characteristics or what life do they have back then, we learn the past to unleash the truth behind
the events and the phenomenal things that are happening right now in the present and will
happen to the future. In essence, the past has a big impact in the present days and to the future.
Hence, knowledge of history is important.

3. Give and briefly explain the four major views or philosophies of history. Think of concrete
events or developments that could illustrate the four.

Cyclical View- This view is based on the repetition or recurrence of history or that history occurs
in a repeating pattern. One event of this is the current pandemic that is happening right now.
Pandemic rarely happens because it only affects the whole world significantly. According to my
knowledge, the first pandemic happened in the year 1918 which killed 50 million people
worldwide. Currently, the world is experiencing the same threat right now which exactly killed
848 thousand people. Indeed, history repeats itself.

Providential View- This view shows that God is in control of history and that history revolves
around the Lord Jesus Christ, it is also known as the "Christian View of History". A true event of
this is the life of our Lord Jesus Christ in which how he traveled and built churches to spread
Christianity with the help of his apostles were actual historical events that changed the world.

Progressive View or Linear View- This view shows the improvement of mankind civilization
throughout history, that history is a step by step process in improving mankind. The Evolution of
man is one example of a progressive view where humans evolved from apelike ancestors to
Homo sapiens (Wise Man).

Relativist View- It is the view of right and wrong, truth and false, and standard of reasoning in
history. For example, just because Muslim culture approves man to have multiple wives doesn't
mean that other cultures can rightfully acknowledge or practice it. In fact in some cultures this
kind of thing is considered crime.

4. Present various approaches in the study of Philippine history and differentiate them from
one another.

Answer:

The first various approaches that I realized who are contradicting each other is the Clerico-
imperialist school and the Leftist-Socialist or Marxist View. Where the Clerico-imperialist stands
that history is of God's grand design and that no interpretation is needed because everything is
willed by God. On the other hand, Leftist-Socialist or Marxist View contravened and explained
that history is not by the will of God and that it can be controlled, influenced, and predicted. This
approach mainly believes in science and not from the work of some divine intervention. Next, is
the Democratic-Imperialist School and Pure Nationalistic School that clearly oppose each other.
The Democratic-Imperialist School's main objective was to rewrite Philippine history from the
time of the U.S... And make the Philippines under a part of a so-called "Manifest Destiny". The
Pure Nationalistic School was the opposite of this because their goal was to study Philippine
History from a Filipino point of view where the interpretation of Philippine history is needed.
This was revolutionary as it was a logical reaction to foreign countries like America who
dominated our country.

5. Explain why there is a need to interpret Philippine history from a Filipino point of view. How
would this approach help in understanding one’s national identity?

Answer:

While reading Philippine history books we feel sometimes that this isn’t something that a Filipino
would do in the past or this isn’t the past we knew, to the point that our history is even hard to
believe or that history is not on sync with us. There is no issue with these. But the problem here
is, we do not know our past clearly. Our history was first written by our colonizers. Our image of
ourselves and our past was changed by the writing of foreign people mostly Spanish and
American. That’s why Filipino have a hard time believing history because they don’t understand
the writer clearly. We are unable to communicate with the past because our writers are also our
colonizers. That’s why Filipino historians appeared to interpret the Philippine history from a
Filipino point of view for us to understand the history clearly and easily. Filipinos will believe a
Filipino writer who tends to show us our true history. In that way, we can understand the
writer’s point of view because he/she is also a Filipino.
 6. What role does history take in the study of Philippine Society, Culture, and identity?

Answer:

Our current state right now was changed by history, same goes for society, culture, and identity.
By learning our history we would know our origin, personalities, and characteristics. This would
give us a proper understanding of our own identity. You’ll know how the Filipino change from
this to that. Also, history teaches us how to preserve our culture; it also shows us how important
it is in our own country. History is also considered as the guide of society. By understanding the
things that happened in the past, we would know what to do in case the same situation will
happen In the future. Lastly, history teaches how we struggle to find our own identity.

ACTIVITY 1

Form groups of five members. Pause for a few minutes and think about or reflect on your
past. Has your past influenced you in one way or another? How does your past shape your identity
and behavior? Discuss and collaborate your answers with your groupmates and submit your answers
in a short bond paper.

Answer:

At a certain point in our past, we experienced all kinds of problems, where all people go through
that kind of situation. Some are mistakes that serve as a lesson and a wake-up call. We learn from
those mistakes, and it teaches us how to never do it again in the future. It also changes your identity
and behavior. I’m a believer in Christ since I can remember when I was a child. My parents have
different religions, but they are all Christians. Some of them are pastors. But, it does not mean I have
the same mindset as them when it comes to my religion. Yes, I believe in Christ, I know what is right,
but I keep on doing what is wrong. I read the bible, occasionally, but I don’t even apply it in my daily
living. I’m a hypocrite person, I know that, but I can’t stop being like this. That’s when I truly
understand that my mistakes were not just a simple mistake. Jesus Christ sacrificed for the sin of
humanity. I realized if I keep on making the same mistakes, then he just died because of nothing.
That realization in the past changed everything from me. I’m not perfect like God, not even an inch
of it, and yet, I’m trying hard to be the son he deserved. I stopped being the person I used to be and
continue to grow up until now.
ACTIVITY 2

Research on what Teodoro Agoncillo, Reynaldo Ileto, and Renato Constantino said about
history. Do you agree with them? Illustrate through a Venn diagram their thoughts about history.
Share your findings and opinions with the class.

Answer:

I agree with everything they said, I don’t understand their mindset or how their minds work when it
comes to history, but I know for sure that they are doing this because they love their country. I also
love the fact that they are doing this for the Filipino people. For me, everything they said is right,
nothing is wrong, if they have words that contradict each other, it is because they have their
standard of reasoning. I can’t give a reason why I don’t agree with them who dedicated their lives
studying history.

Teodoro Agoncillo

-Agoncillo said that History deals with the past, not

with the future. That we use history to avoid the
mistakes of the past, not to recreate the very same
events.
-He said that history is written by every generation. That every
generation writes its own history using the same sources. The
interpretations vary according to time.

-They have the same -Their writing style

nationalistic view. focuses on Philippine
revolution.
-They don’t talk
about religious
-Constantino believed that beliefs
history should be -They interpret
rewritten as a struggle of Philippine history
from a Filipino point -“History is not just the
the people towards narrative of singular
freedom and liberty. of view
-They both believe in the idea events, but can be seen as
that Filipino history should a long history of
-Constantino said that history is not only also be focused upon the mentalities”
for the rich and famous people but also common people.
for the ordinary citizens

Renato Constantino Reynaldo Ileto