Marice Diokno Speak and Inspire: Re-writing the future by looking at the past

Summary

The speaker discusses the importance of historical context in understanding events and the challenges of learning history due to its 'unnatural' nature for the modern mind. They reflect on the common perception of history as a boring subject, often due to poor teaching methods and textbooks. The talk delves into the role of history as a learning tool, emphasizing the need to transcend the present perspective and appreciate the past's context to truly grasp its significance.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker discusses the importance of understanding historical context and narratives from different countries, such as Chile, Peru, and Argentina, emphasizing the role of truth commissions and the preservation of memory.
• 📚 The speaker is a history teacher who acknowledges the common perception of history as a subject that is often disliked due to its teaching methods and the dry nature of textbooks.
• 🤔 The speaker challenges the idea that history should be about memorizing facts, arguing that a human's role is to understand and interpret, not just to regurgitate information.
• 📈 The speaker suggests that history is not just about dates and events, but about understanding the context and reasons behind actions, which is a fundamental aspect of the discipline.
• 🧐 The speaker mentions that thinking historically is considered unnatural by some because it requires looking at events from the perspective of the time they occurred, rather than from a modern viewpoint.
• 🏛 The importance of context in historical understanding is highlighted, with the speaker using an example of how a joke said in a certain context can be misunderstood when taken out of it.
• 🌐 The speaker reflects on the difficulty of relating to the past, comparing it to trying to understand a foreign country, and the challenges historians face in making the past relatable.
• 🛠️ The speaker talks about the need for historians to develop conceptual and methodological tools to help understand and interpret historical contexts.
• 📖 The speaker criticizes the way history is often taught, suggesting that it is boring and poorly taught, which contributes to students' lack of interest in the subject.
• 💡 The speaker believes in the importance of history as a learning tool, despite admitting personal bias due to a love for the subject, and attempts to provide a more objective perspective.
• 🔄 The speaker emphasizes that advancements in science and technology are built upon discoveries and achievements from the past, illustrating the interconnectedness of history with present-day progress.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the script?

The main topic discussed in the script is the importance and challenges of learning and teaching history, particularly in the context of truth commissions and the role of memory and context in historical understanding.

What are the two stories mentioned at the beginning of the script?

The two stories mentioned are related to the experiences of truth commissions in Chile, Peru, and Argentina, which dealt with severe oppression, and the concept of memory and how it is passed down through generations.

What is the National Historical Commission Ed?

The script does not provide a clear definition of 'National Historical Commission Ed', but it seems to refer to a discussion or event related to historical commissions and education.

Why are truth commissions and their testimonies important?

Truth commissions and their testimonies are important because they provide a record of past events, often involving human rights abuses or oppression, and help societies understand and come to terms with their history.

What is the role of memory in the context of history?

Memory plays a crucial role in history as it allows individuals and societies to recall and interpret past events, even if they did not directly experience them. It helps in preserving the narrative and lessons of the past.

Why do students often find history boring according to the script?

Students often find history boring because it is frequently taught in a way that is not engaging, with textbooks that are difficult to read and do not spark interest. The script suggests that the way history is taught can be improved.

What is the speaker's profession and how does it relate to the script's topic?

The speaker is a history teacher, and their profession directly relates to the script's topic as they discuss the teaching of history, the importance of context in historical understanding, and the challenges faced in making history an engaging subject for students.

What does the script suggest about the natural tendency when thinking about history?

The script suggests that the natural tendency when thinking about history is to view it from the lens of the present, which can be limiting and may not fully capture the context and reasons behind historical events.

Why is thinking historically considered unnatural according to the script?

Thinking historically is considered unnatural because it requires us to look at events from a different context and time period, which goes against our instinct to view things from our own present perspective.

What is the importance of context in understanding history?

Context is crucial in understanding history because it provides the background, environment, and reasons that influenced the actions and decisions of people in the past, helping us to gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of historical events.

How does the script relate the study of history to the development of technology?

The script relates the study of history to the development of technology by pointing out that advancements in science and technology are built upon discoveries and achievements from the past, emphasizing the importance of understanding historical context for current progress.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Challenge of Teaching History

The speaker begins by discussing the difficulty of teaching history, noting that it is often considered a subject that students love to hate. They mention their teaching experience in Philippine history and the common perception of history as boring due to the way it is typically taught from textbooks. The speaker emphasizes the importance of context in understanding historical events and the challenge of making history relatable and interesting to students, especially when dealing with events from the distant past.

05:01

🔍 The Unnatural Act of Thinking Historically

In this paragraph, the speaker delves into the concept that thinking historically is unnatural for most people. This is because individuals tend to view history through the lens of the present, rather than understanding the context in which events occurred. The speaker uses the example of how a simple joke can be misunderstood when taken out of context, highlighting the importance of context in interpreting historical events. They also mention the difficulty of relating to the past, especially when it feels distant or foreign, and the role of historians in developing tools to bridge this gap.

10:03

🛠️ Methodological Tools for Historical Understanding

The final paragraph focuses on the methodological tools that historians use to understand and interpret history. The speaker acknowledges the existence of basic conceptual foundations within the discipline of history, which are essential for a proper understanding of the past. These tools are crucial for placing events within their proper context and for providing a more accurate and nuanced understanding of historical occurrences.

Keywords

💡National Historical Commission

The National Historical Commission is a government body responsible for the preservation and promotion of a nation's history. In the video's context, it is mentioned in relation to the People Power Commission, which likely investigates and documents historical events, particularly those involving severe oppression. The script mentions discussions and memories from Chile, Peru, and Argentina, indicating the Commission's role in understanding and learning from past experiences.

💡People Power

People Power refers to the concept where the collective will of the people can effect political change, often through peaceful means. In the script, it is associated with a commission that discusses historical events, suggesting a focus on moments where the populace played a significant role in shaping history, such as during times of oppression.

💡Oral Testimonies

Oral testimonies are first-hand accounts of events or experiences, often used in historical research and documentation to provide personal perspectives. The script mentions oral testimonies as a method of capturing the experiences of those who lived through severe oppression, emphasizing the importance of personal narratives in understanding history.

💡Context

Context refers to the circumstances or setting in which events or actions occur, which can greatly influence their interpretation. The video emphasizes the importance of context in historical understanding, as it can change one's perception of an event. For example, a joke said in a certain context may not be perceived the same way if taken out of context.

💡Memory

Memory, in the video, is discussed in two ways: as a personal recollection of past events and as a collective remembrance shaped by cultural and historical narratives. The script raises the question of how individuals can have a memory of events they did not experience, suggesting that memory is passed down through generations or learned through education.

💡Historical Thinking

Historical thinking involves the ability to understand and interpret past events within their original context, rather than through a modern lens. The script mentions that this is unnatural for most people, as they tend to view history from their current perspective. This concept is crucial for understanding the video's theme of learning from the past.

💡Education

Education is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, values, and habits. In the script, the speaker discusses the role of education in teaching history, noting that it is often seen as boring due to the way it is taught. The video suggests that engaging educational methods can change students' perceptions of history.

💡Textbooks

Textbooks are educational books that present curated information on a subject. The script criticizes textbooks for being boring and sleep-inducing, suggesting that they often fail to engage students or present history in an interesting way. This relates to the broader theme of how history is taught and perceived.

💡Historical Discipline

Historical discipline refers to the academic study of history, which includes the methods and practices used by historians to research and interpret the past. The script mentions this in the context of understanding context and the need for historians to develop tools to enable this understanding.

💡Methodological Tools

Methodological tools are the techniques and strategies used in a particular discipline to analyze and interpret data or information. In the script, these tools are mentioned as essential for historians to understand historical context, emphasizing the importance of methodology in historical research.

💡Foreign Country

The term 'foreign country' is used metaphorically by historian David Lowenthal to describe the past as a place that is unfamiliar and distant from our own time. The script uses this metaphor to illustrate the challenge of understanding historical context, as one cannot easily 'visit' the past as they might a foreign country today.

Highlights

Introduction of the topic relating to the National Historical Commission and the importance of truth commissions and oral testimonies.

Discussion on the challenges of understanding past experiences and the role of memory in museums.

Conceptual and methodological problems in storytelling and the question of who tells the story.

The paradox of memory and the difficulty of having a memory of events one was not alive for.

The author's experience teaching history and the common perception of it being a subject that is loved to hate.

The critique of history textbooks being boring and conducive to sleep rather than engaging learning.

The importance of context in historical understanding and its impact on interpretation of events.

The idea that thinking historically is unnatural due to the tendency to view the past through a modern lens.

The necessity of understanding historical context to grasp the reasons behind actions and events.

The role of history in appreciating the cumulative achievements of human progress over time.

The challenge of relating to historical periods that are distant and seemingly foreign.

The development of methodological tools by historians to understand and interpret historical context.

The author's personal bias towards history and the difficulty in being objective about its importance.

The assertion that history is not just about memorizing facts but understanding the reasons behind events.

The comparison of historical understanding to entering a foreign country, highlighting the difficulty of relating to the past.

The importance of history as a learning tool and the author's reflection on its value despite its perceived lack of marketability.

The changing perception of history's relevance in the modern world and its increasing marketability.

Transcripts

[Music]

say something fresh I want to start by

relating two things that um to introduce

my topic one over the past two days

since

Monday National hisorical Commission Ed

people power

Commission Round T

discussion

memory one from

Chile one from Peru and another from

Argentina um severe oppression and and

as a result of

that truth

commission oral testimonies photographs

videos

Etc

experiences at more importantly to us

you know to learn from their

experience memory Museum and then what

were even the conceptual and

methodological

problems basically who who are we

telling this

story

narratives and and that went on and on

it was very very interesting so of

course in the course of the

[Music]

discussion

sense of the

past memory well of course you were not

even born then how can you have a

memory but we are hoping memory through

your parents or something but the

general sense

is so that's one story the other story I

want to say is that I teach history uh

up deliman uh I teach uh ge history uh

Philippine history and you know usually

I start my class by asking the kids okay

tell me why is uh history the subject

you all love to hate and nobody argues

with me I just start my class with the

assumption that nobody well there are

one or two who will surprise me Mom I

love history oh my kind of a guy you

know but normally I start with the

assumption that you know they don't like

it and why

and

boring well it's really badly

taught I mean more often than not the

textbooks are they're nice to read if

you want to sleep I read it so I can

sleep you read one or two pages

automatic so textbooks are

boring a

common reason given to

me memory which of course I find so as a

historian rather insulting because you

know if you want someone with just the

perfect me memory of facts then don't go

to a human being you can put it in the

computer and you have a

robot you know who can spew out all

these facts and dates and events but

anyway I understand I understand the the

the thinking of young people and

usually because I want to I have to St

start somewhere and I cannot start from

where I am first of all I am much older

than my students so I have to start

where they are and in a way it also

helps me understand maybe how young

young people think so why what what is

so important about history as a tool of

of learning I think this is why you

asked me to speak of course I'm a lousy

person to invite in this sense I'm

biased as they say quentas claras no you

be transparent well love history I love

it and one lesson I can share with you

in life don't when you start working you

have to do something you really enjoy

you know history doesn't pay you much Al

that's why it's not marketable okay

although I have to correct that now

things are changing and I can relate to

you more recent experiences but I love

history so I'm probably the worst person

to ask why is it an important tool of

learning so I will try to do something

and be a

little more objective although you will

of course see my biases which I'm not

hiding anyway now there's a there's a a

book written by a he's actually a

historian and an educator where he

explains that thinking

historically is

unnatural and for him this is one

important explanation

why history is not that easy for most

people now what why why do you why does

he say that the think historically is

unnatural you see when you think of

History you want to

understand the normal tendency our

tendency is to look at it from the lens

of the present cuz you're you're not

reading it in the 19th century something

happened two centuries

ago 21st century so what is the normal

instinctive thing to do from the lens of

the here and now so I'm a ky I'm a young

student

2012 I have to study this course because

it's

required I'm looking at it from my own

point of view which means the present in

the context maybe of my family my

friends I don't know my

schoolmates

but but they're all in the present now

what does the the discipline of History

ask us to

do you can look at it from the present

but first and

foremost in history most things are

context or I would say all things are

context why nothing happens in a

vacuum people do things for a reason

they may be conscious or not conscious

of the reason but usually more often

than not there is something a fact a

particular environment a social

structure an incident that prompts

people to act in a certain

way those who are very interested in the

scientific technologies that are

developed today to realize that all

these advancements in science and

technology didn't just happened

yesterday they were built on discoveries

of centuries ago and then building upon

human achievements over time we are

where we are now we can make friends

across who knows the

cybercloud and enter into Intimate

Relationships I'm told I have never

tried I have to confess uh through

cyberspace yeah this was only made

possible because of previous

achievements history when you want to

understand what happened you have to

look at context so I give you a very

simple example of context uh you're

passing walking through the corridor and

then you hear

someone tell

another so you run and report to your

teacher okay but it was all said in a

manner of a joke that is the context

joke among Barada somebody who takes it

out of context will

say may bad May bad intention at so in

history context can change entirely your

understanding of event and one reason

why context is not always easy for us

living in the modern world to understand

H is because events happened so long ago

I mean how can you enter 19th century

life it's

unreal another historian David lenal

wrote the past is a foreign country but

at least now foreign countries you can

see on the

internet you can take a virtual tour

what about the past how does one relate

so historians have to develop all kinds

of well we have basic

conceptual foundations to the discipline

but we also have conceptual tool I mean

methodological tools that enable us to

understand

context