--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History is re-creation while literature…" description: "\"“History is re-creation while literature is creation.”\" — Teodoro A. Agoncillo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_books_history-is-re-creation-while-literature_402433.jpg" --- # History is re-creation while literature is creation. ![“History is re-creation while literature is creation.” quote by Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_books_history-is-re-creation-while-literature_402433.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_books_history-is-re-creation-while-literature_402433.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c0/teodoro-a-agoncillo-18516_books_history-is-re-creation-while-literature_402433.jpg) > ““History is re-creation while literature is creation.”” [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement distinguishes history as a reconstruction of past events and literature as a creative act, highlighting their different purposes. **In simple terms:** History rebuilds the past; literature creates new worlds. Key Takeaway Recognize the distinct roles of factual recounting and imaginative storytelling. Themes history literature creation reconstruction Mood analytical reflective Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education - writing - historical analysis Key Concepts narrative theory epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How does fiction influence our view of history? - Can historical narratives be both accurate and artistic? A Different Perspective Both can blend, blurring lines between fact and fiction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [Creation Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation-literature-3605686/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-creation-3442309/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Literature Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature-creation-3605685/) ## Related quotes > [The aim of literature ... is the creation of a strange object covered with fur which breaks your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/the-aim-of-literature-is-the-creation-of-a-strange-object-covered/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [Revolutionaries see history as a creation of their own spirit, as being made up of a continuous series of violent tugs at the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-gramsci/revolutionaries-see-history-as-a-creation-of-their-own-spirit-as/) [Antonio Gramsci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-gramsci/) > [The universe is not going to see someone like you again in the entire history of creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vartan-gregorian/the-universe-is-not-going-to-see-someone-like-you-again-in-the-entire/) [Vartan Gregorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vartan-gregorian/) > [“History is, above all else, the creation and recording of that heritage; progress is its increasing abundance, preservation, transmission, and use. To those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/history-is-above-all-else-the-creation-and-recording-of-that-heritage/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [“The people who criticize me are ignorant of what history is, because the very fact that the student of history chooses what to include…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/the-people-who-criticize-me-are-ignorant-of-what-history-is-because/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [The use of natural history is to give us aid in supernatural history: the use of the outer creation, to give us language for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-use-of-natural-history-is-to-give-us-aid-in-supernatural-history/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [The study of history and philosophy, accompanied by some acquaintance with art and literature, should be for lawyers and engineers as well as for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/the-study-of-history-and-philosophy-accompanied-by-some-acquaintance/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [History without politics descends to mere Literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-robert-seeley/history-without-politics-descends-to-mere-literature/) [John Robert Seeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-robert-seeley/) > [And wheresoever, in his rich creation, Sweet music breathes--in wave, or bird, or soul-- 'Tis but the faint and far reverberation Of that great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-sargent-osgood/and-wheresoever-in-his-rich-creation-sweet-music-breathes-in-wave-or/) [Frances Sargent Osgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-sargent-osgood/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [“am not suggesting that successes in academics, athletics, or vocation somehow stand outside God’s good plan. Learning and play are joys that God himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-paul-jones/am-not-suggesting-that-successes-in-academics-athletics-or-vocation/) [Timothy Paul Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-paul-jones/) ## More by Teodoro A. Agoncillo > [“The people who criticize me are ignorant of what history is, because the very fact that the student of history chooses what to include…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/the-people-who-criticize-me-are-ignorant-of-what-history-is-because/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“Maganda ang kastila. It is beautiful, lalo pa kung nagmumura.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/maganda-ang-kastila-it-is-beautiful-lalo-pa-kung-nagmumura/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“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.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/who-is-this-historian-who-can-say-that-he-s-telling-the-whole-truth/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“The attitude of a student in history should be do not accept anything until proven otherwise. Doubt everything including your parentage! Including your parentage!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/the-attitude-of-a-student-in-history-should-be-do-not-accept-anything/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“I said that great men had a sense of history. But when you say you have a great sense of history it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/i-said-that-great-men-had-a-sense-of-history-but-when-you-say-you/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“What history is not biased? Show me a historian, a real historian who is not biased!...History is never objective.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/what-history-is-not-biased-show-me-a-historian-a-real-historian-who/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [ “Politeness is good only in social relations, because to be polite in literary or academic \[matters\] would be to be dishonest. Ipinasa mo out… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/politeness-is-good-only-in-social-relations-because-to-be-polite-in/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“A good historian always provides for an exit in case of fire. "Probably," "allegedly," "it is possible...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/a-good-historian-always-provides-for-an-exit-in-case-of-fire-probably/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“I do not believe in this command leadership. Dangerous doctrine 'yan ha. Because you cannot know everything your men do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/i-do-not-believe-in-this-command-leadership-dangerous-doctrine-yan-ha/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“In historical methodology, it says that the more private a communication is, the more authoritative it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/in-historical-methodology-it-says-that-the-more-private-a/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“History deals with the past, not with the future. We use history to avoid the mistakes of the past, not to recreate the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/history-deals-with-the-past-not-with-the-future-we-use-history-to/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [ “It's stupidity to continue using a method which is proven to be useless \[and\] fruitless. It's a waste of manpower.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/it-s-stupidity-to-continue-using-a-method-which-is-proven-to-be/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/that-is-why-i-m-not-in-favor-of-the-up-today-which-is-too-big-because/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“You see, this is one big defect of many people... They see nothing good in people they don't like. And this is dangerous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/you-see-this-is-one-big-defect-of-many-people-they-see-nothing-good/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) > [“I am not stamped by the majority. The herd may go anywhere I will not go with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teodoro-a-agoncillo/i-am-not-stamped-by-the-majority-the-herd-may-go-anywhere-i-will-not/) [Teodoro A. Agoncillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teodoro-a-agoncillo/) [Explore all 34 Teodoro A. 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People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. 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