2 any will to relate it to the widely worldly affairs, as if they live in small cage, although it
is nice but it is nothing worth for this widely worldly living of without limit Maarif, 2005b: 5.
Scholar is not properly to swim just within his small pond of his specialization. He should understand principles of other disciplines so that he is able to handle the
complex problems of living successfully or in other words, he is able to find out the wisdom. It is difficult to be wise man if scholars of any discipline are reluctant ly to know
philosophy, religion, and social science. At the peak time of Islamic civilization, the universities required the student of exact sciences should pass the examination of social
science at their first year. Philosophy as the root of all sciences should be a returning point for the sciences
in order not to get lost in their mission to search for the truth by which man becomes wise. Considering philosophy used logical procedures by a means of reason, it just
produces utopia truths an ideal so that we can not find them in real living in this world. However, philosophy is very important as a source for comparing with the realities so
that we know how far our efforts have been closed to the ideality. In converse, to fulfill the idealities of the goals we should take into considerations the empirical situation of the
targets. By so doing we understand the strong and the weak points of the real situation of the targets and then, we arrange the necessary activities to improve them, of course by
considering the quality of the manpower and other resources. We should also consider in our mind the barriers for improvement and then how strong the target are able to support
this improvement programs. By so doing we try to control the courses of improvement programs so that it does not appear violence or chaotic situation while we are
implementing the goodness the truth.
B. History: A source of Empirical Truth
To reach the idealities in humanistic way, that our efforts are not danger to human’s living we should have an in-depth knowledge about the situation, condition, and
history of the target for the improvement. For that purposes, we need a help of history and indeed it is the oldest sciences Widja, 1988: 7-8. This assumption is based on the
fact that historical resources and the books of history themselves become material for all
3 kind of the social science Kartodirjo, 1982: 75. In other words, history is the laboratory
for humankind because it provides someone with rich resources to be a wise man both in theory as well as in practice.
Furthermore, philosophy needs a help of history for finding the empirical truth considering that philosophy is just able to find logical truth so that its truth is limited to
just philosophical truth that is the truth which is resulted from m an’s normative thinking.
Indeed normative truth is something ideal, but it is very often that it needs a long time to materialize it in empirical truth. However, it does not guarantee that we are able to fulfill
the ideal perfectly, considering the fact that there is no absolute truth in this world. Man is just responsible for reforming the situation and condition to improve the quality of
humanity. And then, what is meant by the empirical truth? It is something considered as of worthy by majority of the members of the society so that it is viewed as a truth.
Considering the role of history for human living, it is not surprisingly that F. Nietzshe is saying that
“
Only so far as history serves life will we serve it
.” It implies that history is very useful sciences for human living and without it philosophy is not able to
take a role for directing human living. Further, social science and humanities are in need for historical resources to develop their sciences. Last but not the least, logical history is
in great need to solve social problems. History should be functional to sharpen one’s human vision in the view to deal
with the unending changes of the world affairs. Koran also emphasis on the uses of history by using the word ‘
ibrah
moral sign that is “Indeed in their stories, there is a
lesson for men of understanding. It the Koran is not of forged statement but a confirmation of God’s existing Books which were before it [i.e. the Torah, the Gospel
and other Scriptures of God] and a detailed explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe.” Koran 12: 111. From the above quote we may
conclude that history is the sciences of humanity which is very serious if it is understood smartly and correctly.
Like other sciences, history roots on philosophy so that it is very important for the lasting of the society or state. For that purposes, it should use critical thinking approach
Maarif, 2005a: 3. It also should use multi-dimensional approach that is we should write history by using various kinds of perspectives with the help of other social science and
4 humanities in order to find a holistic knowledge so that we are able to judge
proportionally each participating members. By so doing historian will find wisdom a collection of all goodness Maarif, 2005b: 6.
Indeed the big problem of human life is not a matter of history in general, but it becomes concern of philosophy or at least philosophy of history. Alan Nevis is correctly
saying that philosophy of history results from write r’s a holistic view of humanity and
consequently it also include his philosophical life view; and the interpretation of one historical event is
only writer’s explanation concerning a series of events, an era, and a movement Nevis, 1962: 264. History will be lost its functional meaning to serve the life
if we think it radically. Like a wise servant, history will think through the future for anticipating the direction of the courses of the changing so that the life will run smoothly
following the true direction. It may be an ideal hope for those who want to study without confusing themselves with any statements that history should not be related to the future
dimension Maarif, 2005b: 7. Why people need history? Considering as a conscious and normal man are not
able to forget his past time, and it is history. If he wants to develop himself humanity, he should base on the real situation and condition which actually have become a history
because of already the past time. In other words, one is not able to develop himself by jumping the past. History wants to fill the vacant of the past so that what is meant by the
collective memories is no more than the product of historians. Collective memories manifest into tradition and culture so that both of them should be considered by those
who want to write history and also to make a changes of the society. For example, if we want to implement taxation system, we should know the history of taxation systems
because it is very useful: 1 to have continuation with the past taxation systems and 2 to know any weaknesses which should be handled in the in coming new taxation system.
C. History the Sciences of Multi-Dimensional Approach
