Teodoro A. Agoncillo Quotes

The role of the Filipino historian must be the role of all historians. There is, of course, [Filipino history], but as rule, the role of the historian is to tell the truth-- in so far as documents are concerned.

You see, this is one big defect of many people... They see nothing good in people they don't like. And this is dangerous.

I said that great men had a sense of history. But when you say you have a great sense of history it does not follow that you are great.

Nothing is lost to you by being polite. You can be polite and courteous without losing anything.

They know that Marcos will not give in, so why continue? The only thing that [people have to do] is not pay taxes. Wher will the government get money? Nanghihinayang ako sa life na nawala, because I know Marcos will not give in.

A biography should be faithful to the truth. I do not believe that a biography of a man should be all praises, it should be both [praise and criticism] because it is not bad to show the human side of a person. You make him human by painting the defects.

The people who criticize me are ignorant of what history is, because the very fact that the student of history chooses what to include and what not to include in his work, is proof that history is never objective.

No matter how good a President you are, if the historian is hostile to you, he will emphasize your errors and break down your merits... without departing from the facts.

That is why I'm not in favor of the UP today which is too big, because the standard goes down. The reason is that the bigger a University becomes, the bigger the problems regarding the faculty.

Politeness is good only in social relations, because to be polite in literary or academic [matters] would be to be dishonest. Ipinasa mo out of politeness? Our of kwan to the father or...No!

In the time of writing you have to forget the present, if you can do that. Try to live in the period you are writing.

The attitude of a student in history should be do not accept anything until proven otherwise. Doubt everything including your parentage! Including your parentage!

A good historian always provides for an exit in case of fire. "Probably," "allegedly," "it is possible...

It's stupidity to continue using a method which is proven to be useless [and] fruitless. It's a waste of manpower.

Who is this historian who can say that he's telling the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth. Nobody, because you're human.

There are two kinds of faculty members in the UP. Those who are honored to be in the UP and those who honor the UP. I belong to the last.

There is a great similarity between legal evidence and historical evidence. The only difference lies in the fact that in legal evidence it is the judge who determines whether the account of a witness is acceptable or not... The historian is prosecuting attorney and defense attorney and the judge all rolled into one, and he is the narrator and the interpreter.

History deals with the past, not with the future. We use history to avoid the mistakes of the past, not to recreate the very same events. You cannot.

History is re-creation while literature is creation.

I am not stamped by the majority. The herd may go anywhere I will not go with them.