History

This article is about the academic discipline. For a general history of human beings, see Human history. For a general history of Earth, see History of Earth. For other uses, see History (disambiguation).

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History (derived from Ancient Greek ἱστορία (historía) 'inquiry; knowledge acquired by investigation')[1] is the systematic study and documentation of the human past.[2][3] History is an academic discipline which uses a narrative to describe, examine, question, and analyze past events, and investigate their patterns of cause and effect.[4][5] Historians debate which narrative best explains an event, as well as the significance of different causes and effects. Historians debate the nature of history as an end in itself, and its usefulness in giving perspective on the problems of the present.[4][6][7][8]

The period of events before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory.[9] "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well as the memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of these events. Historians seek knowledge of the past using historical sources such as written documents, oral accounts or traditional oral histories, art and material artifacts, and ecological markers.[10]

Stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources (such as the tales surrounding King Arthur), are usually classified as cultural heritage or legends.[11][12] History differs from myth in that it is supported by verifiable evidence. However, ancient cultural influences have helped create variant interpretations of the nature of history, which have evolved over the centuries and continue to change today. The modern study of history is wide-ranging, and includes the study of specific regions and certain topical or thematic elements of historical investigation. History is taught as a part of primary and secondary education, and the academic study of history is a major discipline in universities.

Herodotus, a 5th-century BCE Greek historian, is often considered the "father of history", as one of the first historians in the Western tradition,[13] though he has been criticized as the "father of lies".[14][15] Along with his contemporary Thucydides, he helped form the foundations for the modern study of past events and societies.[16] Their works continue to be read today, and the gap between the culture-focused Herodotus and the military-focused Thucydides remains a point of contention or approach in modern historical writing. In East Asia a state chronicle, the Spring and Autumn Annals, was reputed to date from as early as 722 BCE, though only 2nd-century BCE texts have survived. The title "father of history" has also been attributed, in their respective societies, to Sima Qian, Ibn Khaldun, and Kenneth Dike.[17][18][19]

  1. ^ Joseph, Brian; Janda, Richard, eds. (2008) [2004]. The Handbook of Historical Linguistics. Blackwell Publishing. p. 163. ISBN 978-1405127479.
  2. ^ "History Definition". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  3. ^ "What is History & Why Study It?". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  4. ^ a b Professor Richard J. Evans (2001). "The Two Faces of E.H. Carr". History in Focus, Issue 2: What is History?. University of London. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  5. ^ Professor Alun Munslow (2001). "What History Is". History in Focus, Issue 2: What is History?. University of London. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  6. ^ Tosh, John (2006). The Pursuit of History (4th ed.). Pearson Education Limited. p. 52. ISBN 978-1405823517.
  7. ^ Stearns, Peter N.; Seixas, Peter Carr; Wineburg, Samuel S. (2000). Knowing, teaching, and learning history : national and international perspectives. Internet Archive. New York University Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0814781418.
  8. ^ Nash l, Gary B. (2000). "The "Convergence" Paradigm in Studying Early American History in Schools". In Peter N. Stearns; Peters Seixas; Sam Wineburg (eds.). Knowing Teaching and Learning History, National and International Perspectives. New York & London: New York University Press. pp. 102–115. ISBN 0814781411.
  9. ^ "Prehistory Definition & Meaning". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  10. ^ Arnold, John H. (2000). History: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 019285352X.
  11. ^ Seixas, Peter (2000). "Schweigen! die Kinder!". In Peter N. Stearns; Peters Seixas; Sam Wineburg (eds.). Knowing Teaching and Learning History, National and International Perspectives. New York & London: New York University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0814781418.
  12. ^ Lowenthal, David (2000). "Dilemmas and Delights of Learning History". In Peter N. Stearns; Peters Seixas; Sam Wineburg (eds.). Knowing Teaching and Learning History, National and International Perspectives. New York & London: New York University Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0814781418.
  13. ^ Halsall, Paul. "Ancient History Sourcebook: 11th Brittanica: Herodotus". Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Fordham University. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  14. ^ Vives, Juan Luis; Watson, Foster (1913). Vives, on education : a translation of the De tradendis disciplinis of Juan Luis Vives. Robarts – University of Toronto. Cambridge : The University Press.
  15. ^ Juan Luis Vives (1551). Ioannis Ludouici Viuis Valentini, De disciplinis libri 20. in tres tomos distincti, quorum ordinem versa pagella iudicabit. Cum indice copiosissimo (in Latin). National Central Library of Rome. apud Ioannem Frellonium.
  16. ^ Majoros, Sotirios (2019). All About Me: The Individual. FriesenPress. ISBN 978-1525558016. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  17. ^ Tschannen, Rafiq (19 May 2013). "Ibn Khaldun: One of the Founding Fathers of Modern Historiography". The Muslim Times. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  18. ^ Thomas, Kelly (2018). "The History of Others: Foreign Peoples in Early Chinese Historiography". Institute for Advanced Study. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  19. ^ Chuku, Gloria (2013), Chuku, Gloria (ed.), "Kenneth Dike: The Father of Modern African Historiography", The Igbo Intellectual Tradition: Creative Conflict in African and African Diasporic Thought, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 137–164, doi:10.1057/9781137311290_6, ISBN 978-1-137-31129-0, retrieved 18 November 2024