Jose Rizal: First Pinoy Darwinist
Much has been written about Jose Rizal to the extent that Rizal historian Ambeth Ocampo has achieved a sort of historiographic megastardom (All of my Ambeth books are autographed by him!). Ambeth has written many popular essays on the national hero. But very little has been written about the history of science in the Philippines. Rizal figures in the history of Philippine science as children are taught. Textbooks say he is an inventor,naturalist, psychologist etc. Some authors would even concoct titles for Rizal as the first "hydraulic engineer" for making an irrigation system in Dapitan! (Didn't the Ifugao have a headstart on that?)
But none would say that he was probably the first Pinoy to have read Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" and "Descent of Man". Darwin's books revolutionized our understanding of biology and laid forth the idea that a Creator God isn't needed for the diversification of life. This idea made the two works more heretical than Rizal's novels. It is unlikely that the books were imported into the Philippines in the original English or in Spanish translation. The books were first translated into Spanish within Rizal's lifetime in 1877. It is likely Rizal read the books in Europe (most likely in English) as the evidence that we have he read the books is actually in El Filibusterismo.
Rizal writes in the chapter entitled "Consequences of the Posters"
"“Paulita complied with the law discovered by Darwin, unconsciously but rigorously: the female surrendering herself to the fitter male, to the one who adapts himself to the environment in which he lives.”[Soledad Lacson translation]
Rizal subscribes to Darwin’s hypothesis that human females actively choose their mates and the basis of sexual ornamentation. In the novel Isagani’s fiancé dumps him to marry Juanito, a hunchback but who was rich. Contemporary sexual selection theory in humans proposes that cultural traits such as wealth and social status as possible “ornaments” for mate choice.
Rizal correctly interprets Darwin. This is still our theory to explain sexual selection.
In his letter to Father Pastells Rizal places the idea of ”survival of the fittest” and natural selection in the context of social conditions of the time in a likely allusion to Karl Marx. Rizal may have read Marx while he was in London.
Rizal the science literate Pinoy knew that the claims of the friars on their superiority had no basis. Even they shared a lowly origin with the rest of nature.
Rizal the science literate Pinoy believed that reason was enough to know the truth about the universe.
If Rizal were alive today what would he make off the Da Vinci Code brouhaha? Scarcely a year ago, we had this UST based Dominican Pinoy friar leading a book burning of this work of fiction.
I wonder what he would comment about Pinays marrying foreigners. Will his reading of sexual selection be verified once more? If he wrote about this how funny would it be?
Rizal had the wit and satire to write devastatingly. We don't know how his understanding of Darwinian theory would have affected the development of his analysis of Pinoy colonial society. Perhaps a scholar can tease this out of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. What we know is his indictment of the state of science education in the Fili still rings true today.
by blackshama
Saturday, March 8, 2008
articles
Proud of Our Filipino Domestic Helpers
By Jerick T. Aguilar
I have this one photo album where I place a picture of a country, territory, or autonomous region I’ve visited and it is usually of me with its famous landmark as the background – Bagan in Myanmar, Petra in Jordan, Djenné in Mali, Statue Square in Hong Kong. Yup, you read it right – an unassuming square in the island of Hong Kong which is not at all historical or was once eventful.
As a matter of fact, my friend from college with whom I travelled there had to confirm and reconfirm, while we were still in the hotel, that I wanted a photograph taken of that place. And when we got there, she finally understood why.
Statue Square is where thousands of our domestic helpers congregate during their day off from work (well, not all of them at the same time).
It was like a fiesta over there! Our “kababayans” transformed the concrete pavement into a grassy park – they were lying on either a piece of cloth or “banig” they brought with them from the Philippines and fanning themselves either with a newspaper or “pamaypay” (that went with the “banig”) while exchanging stories of how their week went, “tsismis” concerning their “amo” (i.e. employer gossip), and how their loved ones are in their respective hometowns.
My friend and I also saw family pictures strewn on the ground and, being away from my mother and siblings myself, it struck a chord when I saw them proudly showing off these photos to each other such as their children in toga, the tricycle a husband just bought, a newly-built house (with the husband and children as the background), etc., etc.
It was also very grounding to hear different Philippine dialects spoken in just one place. I only know Tagalog but my friend who is from Mindanao understood what some of our “kababayans” were talking about.
Of course I wasn’t only there for a photo opportunity. I instantly became an interviewer and asked my recently found “entourage” questions such as where they were from, how long they had stayed in Hong Kong, how old they were, and what their occupations were in the Philippines.
Their response to the first question was like listening to the jingle of “Eat Bulaga” – “mula Aparri hanggang Jolo”, since they came from everywhere in our country. There was also a huge contrast between those who had been working there for decades and the ones who had just started at the young age of 18. And among their previous professions, most were, as common knowledge, teachers; some worked as food servers; and there were a few who were homemakers.
But whether or not they have a college degree, I find these Filipino domestic helpers, not just in Hong Kong but around the world, to be intelligent and resourceful. I mean, I for one who did doctoral research did not even know that I had to separate white from colored clothes in the washing machine until a Filipino domestic helper in Singapore pointed this out to me.
Somebody I met in Qatar told me to simply gather the rubbish from a trash can with one pull of the plastic bag without having to empty and then clean the bin each time.
Our Filipino domestic helpers can also be feisty, if need be. A number, unfortunately not all, of them know when they have to argue with their employer about a pressing matter and how to do it.
I came across someone in Syria who only finished her elementary education but can speak in straight and perfect English every time she has a verbal argument with her boss. And there is another one in Tunisia who talks diplomatically to her boss’ mother when she has a complaint about her boss’ wife. The mother then discusses the matter with her son who then tells his wife what not to do or what to say next time to their “kasambahay”.
If rich people outside the country have their Jaguars instead of Kias, they also have their domestic helpers from the Philippines rather than from anywhere else in the world. In England, for instance, there are celebrities, royalty, and millionaire-businessmen who have Filipinos in their households. Mind you, they are really well-paid because the British know that they have to spend a lot on quality.
In Italy, our Filipino domestic helpers tell, not ask, their future employer the salary they prefer to receive. In some instances, they even tell their bosses when they want to go on vacation. And in Greece, it is a status symbol to have a Filipino domestic helper. A Greek family is considered middle-class if the household help is from Albania, for example. This is sadly not the case in most countries where there are Filipino domestic helpers (go Europe!), but it is great to know that some of them are being recognized and rewarded for their decent work.
With the relatively high salary they earn in countries such as these, they and their families get to live a good life in the Philippines. It is both amusing and ironic that they work as domestic helpers overseas but they simultaneously hire their own domestic helpers locally in their homes. And I like the way some of the people I asked view this irony. They said they did the same household chores in our country anyway so it’s better that they get paid to do them overseas! They also said they don’t want their husband and children (and/or mothers) to do the housework while they’re away so they hire someone else to do it provided they can afford this additional household expense.
A few months back, there was an article published in a magazine about the author’s brief summer vacation abroad in which she mentioned being on a plane with Filipino domestic helpers. She was trying to be funny and witty at the same time by recounting how their cheap colognes had overpowered the scent of her expensive and exclusive fragrance, among other things. But the readers weren’t laughing. Amazingly, almost everybody reacted negatively and passionately to her article in defense of our “kababayans.” They adamantly asked her to apologize and so she did.
But she actually forgot to thank these Filipino domestic helpers for her international trip. Were it not for the billions of foreign currency remittances that they, along with the rest of our OFWs, regularly send to the Philippines, the instability and depreciation of the peso-dollar exchange rate would’ve made the dollar costlier in peso terms. In short, the value of the dollar would be much higher so airfares that are quoted in US currency would be much more expensive in Philippine pesos – probably prohibiting her from traveling abroad and from writing about it in the first place.
It is sad that there are overseas Filipinos who have to work as domestic helpers, but it is the reality. It is much sadder that some people look down on them because they don’t consider it a professional job. What they probably fail to realize is that it is a demanding and difficult occupation nonetheless, like any other work in the office. Yes, it is manual labor but it also entails intellectual thinking and a common sense of basic things a white-collar worker like me doesn’t even know of. From the point of view of our Filipino domestic helpers (and mine), their job is a noble one – providing valuable household help to their employer and employer’s family overseas while giving more valuable financial aid to their own families at home in the Philippines. This is why I have always looked up to them and believe that they deserve not only our respect but also our appreciation and praise. So to all our Filipino domestic helpers out there – keep up the good work! You definitely make us proud!
ARTICLES
THE RESEARCHER-AUTHOR-PUBLISHER
In the middle of 1995, when I called by long distance my brother Perfecto in Washington, D.C., telling him that I am doing a research about the Philippines, the life of our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the first Filipino and the Brussels history. I had a lengthy conversation touching on all the details pertinent to my works, including the manner in which the publication of the book could be expeditiously carried out.
My brother "Perfecto" admired my ideas, courage, and God given talents. Indeed he was so very supportive of my research and he even invites me to come to the US. In the same year I stayed 3-week in the United States, but most of my time were consumed visiting libraries in Washington D.C.
When I wrote "Born to be a Hero, the history of the Philippines, the national heroes, and the Brussels history. I had in mind the Filipinos in Europe. The Filipino organization leaders suggested to me that I write this book. They said many Filipino children born in Europe have never come to the Philippines and are studying the European history and the lives of European heroes but have no knowledge of the Philippine history and the Filipino heroes. Of course, I realize the great necessity of this, so I decided to write this book which would be beneficial not only to them, but also to our countrymen in the Philippines. I wrote this book in English and some introduction in French language so that the reader will find no difficulty in understanding it. It is my aim and hope that this will enlighten our people and foreigners as well.
This book was written from the point of view of the Filipinos and not of the Spaniards and the Americans. Even so, facts are not twisted to accommodate national prejudices. The facts are allowed to stand as facts, but their interpretations are my responsibility. Consequently, while l discussed the evils of the Spanish administration, I also discussed the good that Spain had done in the Philippines. The same may be said of my treatment of the American period: the good as well as the bad are placed side by side for all to see. This is the essence of impartiality in history. There is no deliberate twisting of facts in order to accommodate friends or to drag down enemies.
I am aware that some aspects of Rizal's biography will prove to be controversial; it is not a hagiography but the story of a human being who, being human, was afflicted with "the headache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to". Rizal was not perfect, he was not always right, but I trust that those who read this story of his life will perceive that his humanity is precisely the secret of his greatness.
Sir Lino Wy Paras, KGO
In the middle of 1995, when I called by long distance my brother Perfecto in Washington, D.C., telling him that I am doing a research about the Philippines, the life of our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the first Filipino and the Brussels history. I had a lengthy conversation touching on all the details pertinent to my works, including the manner in which the publication of the book could be expeditiously carried out.
My brother "Perfecto" admired my ideas, courage, and God given talents. Indeed he was so very supportive of my research and he even invites me to come to the US. In the same year I stayed 3-week in the United States, but most of my time were consumed visiting libraries in Washington D.C.
When I wrote "Born to be a Hero, the history of the Philippines, the national heroes, and the Brussels history. I had in mind the Filipinos in Europe. The Filipino organization leaders suggested to me that I write this book. They said many Filipino children born in Europe have never come to the Philippines and are studying the European history and the lives of European heroes but have no knowledge of the Philippine history and the Filipino heroes. Of course, I realize the great necessity of this, so I decided to write this book which would be beneficial not only to them, but also to our countrymen in the Philippines. I wrote this book in English and some introduction in French language so that the reader will find no difficulty in understanding it. It is my aim and hope that this will enlighten our people and foreigners as well.
This book was written from the point of view of the Filipinos and not of the Spaniards and the Americans. Even so, facts are not twisted to accommodate national prejudices. The facts are allowed to stand as facts, but their interpretations are my responsibility. Consequently, while l discussed the evils of the Spanish administration, I also discussed the good that Spain had done in the Philippines. The same may be said of my treatment of the American period: the good as well as the bad are placed side by side for all to see. This is the essence of impartiality in history. There is no deliberate twisting of facts in order to accommodate friends or to drag down enemies.
I am aware that some aspects of Rizal's biography will prove to be controversial; it is not a hagiography but the story of a human being who, being human, was afflicted with "the headache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to". Rizal was not perfect, he was not always right, but I trust that those who read this story of his life will perceive that his humanity is precisely the secret of his greatness.
Sir Lino Wy Paras, KGO
ARTICLES
Dr. Jose Rizal
By StephDavidson
Many reading this will think to themselves, "what does Jose Rizal have to do with traveling?" Granted, I am writing this because I just happened to read his life and selected works while here in the Philippines, but he was also an avid adventurer and even wrote essays on the importance of travel to one's education. AND, it seems that everywhere I go in the Philippines, there are roads, parks, buildings, and monuments named after and dedicated to him. This is why this piece is so fitting in a travel journal!
I have now read Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not), El Filibusterismo, The Council of Gods, and one of his biographies. Rizal, one the Philippines’ national heroes, was conversational in roughly 20 languages, a world-renown optomologist, philanthropist, historian, and author among other things. He wrote the Noli to bring light to the abuses that the Philippine people suffered under Spanish rule – topics which no one dared talk about openly, hence the title. In fact, he was tried and killed for it when he was only 35.
photos
Almost the exact spot where Rizal was executed by firing squad, right infront of the historic Malete Church. The Statue was erected as a memorial to Rizal. (If I am wrong and somebody reading this knows it, please correct me!)
View more photos >
Despite the serious topic, it was written as a satire and is so much fun to read! Rizal used his characters to illustrate the ills and excesses of Philippine society at that time, and are so extreme that they are at times laughable. However, when the Spanish authorities charged that Rizal exaggerated the situation, Rizal countered that every situation he wrote about in the book were real situations, and that most of the characters are some friends and family members. It was a novel, but very must based in reality.
While the Noli was written to highlight the social problems Rizal wanted to fight, the Fili attempts to suggest solutions. Both touch on philosophical questions that deal with patriotism, the nature of patriotism, and freedom. Both were written when many in the Philippines called for independence from Spain, so I cannot help but think about the United States’ own history. I think it would benefit American students to read atleast the Noli, because of the way it deals with philosophical questions of state, but also because it is one of the best-written books I've ever read. Rizal is truly one of the most amazing human beings that ever lived.StephDavidson
By StephDavidson
Many reading this will think to themselves, "what does Jose Rizal have to do with traveling?" Granted, I am writing this because I just happened to read his life and selected works while here in the Philippines, but he was also an avid adventurer and even wrote essays on the importance of travel to one's education. AND, it seems that everywhere I go in the Philippines, there are roads, parks, buildings, and monuments named after and dedicated to him. This is why this piece is so fitting in a travel journal!
I have now read Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not), El Filibusterismo, The Council of Gods, and one of his biographies. Rizal, one the Philippines’ national heroes, was conversational in roughly 20 languages, a world-renown optomologist, philanthropist, historian, and author among other things. He wrote the Noli to bring light to the abuses that the Philippine people suffered under Spanish rule – topics which no one dared talk about openly, hence the title. In fact, he was tried and killed for it when he was only 35.
photos
Almost the exact spot where Rizal was executed by firing squad, right infront of the historic Malete Church. The Statue was erected as a memorial to Rizal. (If I am wrong and somebody reading this knows it, please correct me!)
View more photos >
Despite the serious topic, it was written as a satire and is so much fun to read! Rizal used his characters to illustrate the ills and excesses of Philippine society at that time, and are so extreme that they are at times laughable. However, when the Spanish authorities charged that Rizal exaggerated the situation, Rizal countered that every situation he wrote about in the book were real situations, and that most of the characters are some friends and family members. It was a novel, but very must based in reality.
While the Noli was written to highlight the social problems Rizal wanted to fight, the Fili attempts to suggest solutions. Both touch on philosophical questions that deal with patriotism, the nature of patriotism, and freedom. Both were written when many in the Philippines called for independence from Spain, so I cannot help but think about the United States’ own history. I think it would benefit American students to read atleast the Noli, because of the way it deals with philosophical questions of state, but also because it is one of the best-written books I've ever read. Rizal is truly one of the most amazing human beings that ever lived.StephDavidson
articles
How Can You Make Yourself Become Great and Famous Like Dr. Jose Rizal
By Moises Reconalla
In the history of great men, you will be amaze and surprise on what makes them great and known in the pages of history. As a young man and a young Historian, sometimes it comes- up in my mind the following questions: What are the secret of these great individuals, why they became so famous in the history of mankind? And what are the other reasons that motivated them to became a great men of excellence and valor?
In this article, I would like to share with you dear readers, the secret of what makes Dr. Jose Rizal famous as well as well-known in the pages in history of mankind.
On the night Dr. Jose Rizal was born, other were born in his hometown Calamba, Laguna and hundreds of other children were also born all over the Philippines. But why is it that of all these children, only one boy Jose Rizal rose to fame and greatness?
In the lives of all men there are influences which cause some to be great and others not. Dr. Gregorio and Dr. Sonia Zaide, explained in their book entitled “Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero” on what makes Dr. Rizal became famous and great than other Filipino people. Dr. Gregorio and Dr. Sonia exclaimed that, “In the case of Rizal, he had all favorable influences, few other children in his time enjoyed.” They continued and proved their statements by giving the following reasons on what influences makes him to become a great man of excellence and valor.
1. Hereditary influence. According to biological science, there are inherent qualities which a person inherits from his ancestors and parents. Dr. Rizal through his Chinese ancestors, he derived his serious nature, frugality, patience, and love for children. From his Spanish ancestors, he got his elegance of bearing, sensitivity to insult, and gallantry to ladies. From his father, he inherited a profound sense of self-respect, the love for work, and the habit of independent thinking. And from his mother, he inherited his religious nature, the spirit of self-sacrifice, and the passion for arts and literature.
2. Environmental Influence. According to psychologists, environment, as well as heredity, affects the nature of a person. Environmental influence includes places, associates, and events. The scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the Rizal family stimulated the inborn artistic and literary talents of Jose Rizal. The religious atmosphere at his home fortified his religious nature. His brother, Paciano, instilled in his mind the love for freedom and justice. From his sisters, he learned to be a courteous and kind to women. His three uncles, brothers of his mother, exerted a good influence on him. Tio (Uncle) Jose Alberto, who had studied for eleven years in British school in Calcutta, India, and had traveled in Europe inspired him to develop his artistic ability. Tio (Uncle) Manuel, a husky and athletic man, encouraged him to develop his frail body by means of physical exercises, including horse riding, walking, and wrestling. And Tio Gregorio, a book lover, intensified his voracious reading of good books.
Father Leoncio Lopez, the old and learned parish priest of Calamba, fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual honesty.
3. Aid of Divine Providence. Greater than heredity and environment in the fate of a man is the aid of Divine Providence. A person may have everything in life brains, wealth, and power but, without the aid of Divine Providence, he cannot attain greatness in the annals of the nation. Rizal was providentially destined to be the pride and glory of his nation. God had endowed him with the versatile gifts of a genius, the vibrant spirit of a nationalist, and the valiant heart to sacrifice for a noble cause.
How about you? Also want to become famous and great man in the future like Dr. Jose Rizal? If your answer is yes, I encouraged you, starting today promise to yourself that you will only socialize to the group of wise people, those people who has a good visions and plans for the future. Avoid the negative, toxic people who are only fun of talking, criticizing, mocking the mistakes of other people, instead of improving themselves and doing a valuable works for self-improvement.
The word of God reminds you dear readers, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad Company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV). And Word of God added, He walks with wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20 NIV).
Before I will conclude my article, I would like to encourage you once again; Do your best and God will do the rest!
Always remember this, The Future Belongs to Those Who Believes in the Beauty of Their Dreams!
Wish you many Blessings to come as well as God Bless!
By Moises Reconalla
In the history of great men, you will be amaze and surprise on what makes them great and known in the pages of history. As a young man and a young Historian, sometimes it comes- up in my mind the following questions: What are the secret of these great individuals, why they became so famous in the history of mankind? And what are the other reasons that motivated them to became a great men of excellence and valor?
In this article, I would like to share with you dear readers, the secret of what makes Dr. Jose Rizal famous as well as well-known in the pages in history of mankind.
On the night Dr. Jose Rizal was born, other were born in his hometown Calamba, Laguna and hundreds of other children were also born all over the Philippines. But why is it that of all these children, only one boy Jose Rizal rose to fame and greatness?
In the lives of all men there are influences which cause some to be great and others not. Dr. Gregorio and Dr. Sonia Zaide, explained in their book entitled “Jose Rizal: Life, Works, and Writings of Genius, Writer, Scientist and National Hero” on what makes Dr. Rizal became famous and great than other Filipino people. Dr. Gregorio and Dr. Sonia exclaimed that, “In the case of Rizal, he had all favorable influences, few other children in his time enjoyed.” They continued and proved their statements by giving the following reasons on what influences makes him to become a great man of excellence and valor.
1. Hereditary influence. According to biological science, there are inherent qualities which a person inherits from his ancestors and parents. Dr. Rizal through his Chinese ancestors, he derived his serious nature, frugality, patience, and love for children. From his Spanish ancestors, he got his elegance of bearing, sensitivity to insult, and gallantry to ladies. From his father, he inherited a profound sense of self-respect, the love for work, and the habit of independent thinking. And from his mother, he inherited his religious nature, the spirit of self-sacrifice, and the passion for arts and literature.
2. Environmental Influence. According to psychologists, environment, as well as heredity, affects the nature of a person. Environmental influence includes places, associates, and events. The scenic beauties of Calamba and the beautiful garden of the Rizal family stimulated the inborn artistic and literary talents of Jose Rizal. The religious atmosphere at his home fortified his religious nature. His brother, Paciano, instilled in his mind the love for freedom and justice. From his sisters, he learned to be a courteous and kind to women. His three uncles, brothers of his mother, exerted a good influence on him. Tio (Uncle) Jose Alberto, who had studied for eleven years in British school in Calcutta, India, and had traveled in Europe inspired him to develop his artistic ability. Tio (Uncle) Manuel, a husky and athletic man, encouraged him to develop his frail body by means of physical exercises, including horse riding, walking, and wrestling. And Tio Gregorio, a book lover, intensified his voracious reading of good books.
Father Leoncio Lopez, the old and learned parish priest of Calamba, fostered Rizal’s love for scholarship and intellectual honesty.
3. Aid of Divine Providence. Greater than heredity and environment in the fate of a man is the aid of Divine Providence. A person may have everything in life brains, wealth, and power but, without the aid of Divine Providence, he cannot attain greatness in the annals of the nation. Rizal was providentially destined to be the pride and glory of his nation. God had endowed him with the versatile gifts of a genius, the vibrant spirit of a nationalist, and the valiant heart to sacrifice for a noble cause.
How about you? Also want to become famous and great man in the future like Dr. Jose Rizal? If your answer is yes, I encouraged you, starting today promise to yourself that you will only socialize to the group of wise people, those people who has a good visions and plans for the future. Avoid the negative, toxic people who are only fun of talking, criticizing, mocking the mistakes of other people, instead of improving themselves and doing a valuable works for self-improvement.
The word of God reminds you dear readers, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad Company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV). And Word of God added, He walks with wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20 NIV).
Before I will conclude my article, I would like to encourage you once again; Do your best and God will do the rest!
Always remember this, The Future Belongs to Those Who Believes in the Beauty of Their Dreams!
Wish you many Blessings to come as well as God Bless!
articles
Jose Rizal: Veneration Without UnderstandingThe “Limited” Filipinos
But the appropriation of this term was not the end of the historic struggle for national identity. While for Rizal’s time this was a signal victory, it was in truth a limited victory for us. For the users of the term were themselves limited Filipinos based on education and property. Sincethis term was applied to those who spoke in the name of the people but were not really of the people, the next stage for this growing concept should be the recognition of the masses as the real nation and their transformation into real Filipinos. However, the Filipino of today must undergo a process of de-colonization before he can become a true Filipino. The de-colonized Filipino is the real goal for our time just as the Hispanized Filipino was once the goal of the reformists.
Though Rizal was able to win for his countrymen the name Filipino, it was still as ilustrado that he conceived of this term. As ilustrado he was speaking in behalf of all the indios though he was separated by culture and even by property from the masses. His ilustrado orientation manifests itself in his novels. [p. 138] Though they are supposed to represent 19th century Philippine society in microcosm, all the principal characters belonged to the principalia. His hero, Ibarra, was a Spanish mestizo. The Spaniards, the creole, the mestizo, and the wealthy Chinese - these were characters he could portray with mastery because they were within his milieu and class. But there are only very hazy description of characters who belonged to the masses. His class position, his upbringing, and his foreign education were profound influences which constituted a limitation on his understanding of his countrymen.
Rizal, therefore, was an ilustrado hero whose life’s mission corresponded in a general way to the wishes and aspirations of the people. He died for his people, yet his repudiation of the Revolution was an act against the people. There seems to be a contradiction between the two acts; there is actually none. Both acts were in character; Rizal was acting from patriotic motives in both instances.
He condemned the Revolution because as an ilustrado he instinctively underestimated the power and the talents of the people. He believed in freedom not so much as a national right but as something to be deserved, like a medal for good behavior. Moreover, he did not equate liberty with independence. Since his idea of liberty was essentially the demand for those rights which the elite needed in order to prosper economically. Rizal did not consider political independence as a prerequisite to freedom. Fearful of the violence of people’s action, he did not want us to fight for our independence. Rather, he wanted us to wait for the time when Spain, acting in her own best interests, would abandon us. He expressed himself clearly on these points in the following passage from a letter which he wrote in his cell on December 12, 1896, for the use of his defense counsel.
….. many have have interpreted my phrase to have liberties as to have independence, which are two different things. A people can be free without being independent, and a people can be independent without being free. I have always desired liberties for the Philippines and I have said so. Others who testify that I said independence either have put the cart before the horse or they lie.
He had expressed much the same opinion earlier in his El Filibusterismo when Father Florentino said:
I do not mean to say that our liberty will be secured at the sword’s point, for the sword plays but little part in modern affairs, but that we must secure it by making ourselves worthy of it, by exalting the intelligence and the dignity of the individual, by loving justice, right and greatness, even to the extent of dying for them - and when a people reaches that height God will provide a weapon, the idols will be shattered, the tyranny will crumble like a house of cards and liberty will shine out like the first dawn.
Yet the people revered him because, though he was not with them, he died for certain principles which they believed in. He was their martyr; they recognized his labors although they knew that he was already behind them in their forward march.
In line with their avowed policy of preparing us for eventual self-government, the Americans projected Rizal as the model of an educated citizen. His name was invoked whenever the incapacity of the masses for self-government was pointed out as a justification for American tutelage. Rizal’s preoccupation with education served to further the impression that the majority of the Filipinos were unlettered and therefore needed tutelage before they could be ready for independence. A book, Rizal, Educator and Economist, used in certain Philippine schools, supports this thesis by quoting a portion of Rizal’s manifesto of December 15, 1896 which states:
…..I am one most anxious for liberties in our country and I am still desirous of them. But I placed as a prior condition the education of the people that by means of instruction and industry our country may have an individuality of its own and make itself worthy of these liberties.
The authors of this book then make the following comment:
Rizal intentionally avoided the use of the term independence, perhaps because he honestly believed that independence in its true, real, and strict sense should not be granted us until we were educated enough to appreciate its importance, and its blessings, and until we were economically self-reliant.
This statement not only supports the American line but is also an example of how our admiration for Rizal may be used to beguile us into accepting reactionary beliefs, the products of colonial mentality.
A people have every right to be free. Tutelage in the art of government as an excuse for colonialism is a discredited alibi. People learn and educate themselves in the process of struggling for freedom and liberty. They attain their highest potential only when they are masters of their own destiny. Colonialism is the only agency still trying to sell the idea that freedom is a diploma to be granted by a superior people to an inferior one after years of apprenticeship.
But the appropriation of this term was not the end of the historic struggle for national identity. While for Rizal’s time this was a signal victory, it was in truth a limited victory for us. For the users of the term were themselves limited Filipinos based on education and property. Sincethis term was applied to those who spoke in the name of the people but were not really of the people, the next stage for this growing concept should be the recognition of the masses as the real nation and their transformation into real Filipinos. However, the Filipino of today must undergo a process of de-colonization before he can become a true Filipino. The de-colonized Filipino is the real goal for our time just as the Hispanized Filipino was once the goal of the reformists.
Though Rizal was able to win for his countrymen the name Filipino, it was still as ilustrado that he conceived of this term. As ilustrado he was speaking in behalf of all the indios though he was separated by culture and even by property from the masses. His ilustrado orientation manifests itself in his novels. [p. 138] Though they are supposed to represent 19th century Philippine society in microcosm, all the principal characters belonged to the principalia. His hero, Ibarra, was a Spanish mestizo. The Spaniards, the creole, the mestizo, and the wealthy Chinese - these were characters he could portray with mastery because they were within his milieu and class. But there are only very hazy description of characters who belonged to the masses. His class position, his upbringing, and his foreign education were profound influences which constituted a limitation on his understanding of his countrymen.
Rizal, therefore, was an ilustrado hero whose life’s mission corresponded in a general way to the wishes and aspirations of the people. He died for his people, yet his repudiation of the Revolution was an act against the people. There seems to be a contradiction between the two acts; there is actually none. Both acts were in character; Rizal was acting from patriotic motives in both instances.
He condemned the Revolution because as an ilustrado he instinctively underestimated the power and the talents of the people. He believed in freedom not so much as a national right but as something to be deserved, like a medal for good behavior. Moreover, he did not equate liberty with independence. Since his idea of liberty was essentially the demand for those rights which the elite needed in order to prosper economically. Rizal did not consider political independence as a prerequisite to freedom. Fearful of the violence of people’s action, he did not want us to fight for our independence. Rather, he wanted us to wait for the time when Spain, acting in her own best interests, would abandon us. He expressed himself clearly on these points in the following passage from a letter which he wrote in his cell on December 12, 1896, for the use of his defense counsel.
….. many have have interpreted my phrase to have liberties as to have independence, which are two different things. A people can be free without being independent, and a people can be independent without being free. I have always desired liberties for the Philippines and I have said so. Others who testify that I said independence either have put the cart before the horse or they lie.
He had expressed much the same opinion earlier in his El Filibusterismo when Father Florentino said:
I do not mean to say that our liberty will be secured at the sword’s point, for the sword plays but little part in modern affairs, but that we must secure it by making ourselves worthy of it, by exalting the intelligence and the dignity of the individual, by loving justice, right and greatness, even to the extent of dying for them - and when a people reaches that height God will provide a weapon, the idols will be shattered, the tyranny will crumble like a house of cards and liberty will shine out like the first dawn.
Yet the people revered him because, though he was not with them, he died for certain principles which they believed in. He was their martyr; they recognized his labors although they knew that he was already behind them in their forward march.
In line with their avowed policy of preparing us for eventual self-government, the Americans projected Rizal as the model of an educated citizen. His name was invoked whenever the incapacity of the masses for self-government was pointed out as a justification for American tutelage. Rizal’s preoccupation with education served to further the impression that the majority of the Filipinos were unlettered and therefore needed tutelage before they could be ready for independence. A book, Rizal, Educator and Economist, used in certain Philippine schools, supports this thesis by quoting a portion of Rizal’s manifesto of December 15, 1896 which states:
…..I am one most anxious for liberties in our country and I am still desirous of them. But I placed as a prior condition the education of the people that by means of instruction and industry our country may have an individuality of its own and make itself worthy of these liberties.
The authors of this book then make the following comment:
Rizal intentionally avoided the use of the term independence, perhaps because he honestly believed that independence in its true, real, and strict sense should not be granted us until we were educated enough to appreciate its importance, and its blessings, and until we were economically self-reliant.
This statement not only supports the American line but is also an example of how our admiration for Rizal may be used to beguile us into accepting reactionary beliefs, the products of colonial mentality.
A people have every right to be free. Tutelage in the art of government as an excuse for colonialism is a discredited alibi. People learn and educate themselves in the process of struggling for freedom and liberty. They attain their highest potential only when they are masters of their own destiny. Colonialism is the only agency still trying to sell the idea that freedom is a diploma to be granted by a superior people to an inferior one after years of apprenticeship.
articles
Dr. Jose Rizal: The Foremost Filipino Deist
published by: joemar.ct
There are so many things that ordinary Filipinos do not know about their national hero. Even if his two novels (Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo) is being studied in high school and his life and works in college as part of the curriculum, many things have been left out of importance. Many details in the novels have been omitted and some aspects of Rizal’s life have been neglected if not concealed for some reasons.
For instance, it is little known that Rizal was actually a deist. He had a firm belief in God but he rejected revealed religion. When we say revealed religion, it refers to a religion that bases its teachings on a supposed revelation from God contained in “holy books” and/or traditions handed down from generations to generations. One can read Rizal’s exposition on this subject in his correspondence with a Jesuit priest, Fr. Pablo Pastells, who was actually his spiritual director during his youthful years in Ateneo. The exchange occurred when Rizal was in an exile in Dapitan and when Fr. Pastells was already the Superior of the Philippine Mission of the Society of Jesus.
In his third letter to Pastells, our national hero explained:
“Through reasoning and by necessity, rather than through faith, do I firmly believe in the existence of a creative Being. Who is he? I do not know. What human sounds, what accents are we to use in pronouncing the name of this Being whose works overwhelm the imagination? Can anyone give him an adequate name, when a small creature on this earth with power so fleeting carries two or three names, three or four surnames, and many more titles and designations? We call him Dios but this only comes from the Latin dues and ultimately from the Greek Zeus. What kind of being is he? I would attribute to him, to an infinite degree, all the beautiful and holy qualities my mind can think of, but the fear of my ignorance constrains me. Someone has said that everyone conjures up his own God in his own image and likeness. And if my memory serves me right, it was Anacreon who said that if a bull could form an image of God, it would imagine with horns and mooing in a superlative degree. Even so I venture to think of him as infinitely wise, mighty, good (my idea of the infinite is imperfect and confused), when I behold the wonders of his works, the order that reigns over the universe, the magnificence and expanse of creation, and the goodness that shines in all.”
“Unable to pass judgement on what surpasses my powers, I settle for studying God in his creatures like myself and in the voice of my conscience, which only can have come from him. I strive to read and find his will in all that surrounds me and in the mysterious sentiment speaking from within me, which I strive to purify above all else.”
Thus, Rizal’s belief in a Deity was based on reasonable reflection of nature as well as from conscience and not on faith or divine revelation. On the same letter, Rizal expressed his disbelief on the teachings of ancient sacred books. He writes:
“The various religions claim to have God’s will condensed and written in books and dogmas; but apart from the many contradictions, conflicting interpretations of words, and many obscure and untenable points I find in them, my conscience, my reason cannot admit that he who like a wise father had provided his creatures with everything necessary for this life, proceeded to bury what was necessary for eternal life in the obscurities of a language unknown to the rest of the world and hide it behind metaphors and deeds that go against the very laws of nature. Is it possible that he who makes the sun rise for all and the air to blow everywhere to give life, he who has endowed everyone with intelligence and reason for life here on earth, has also hidden from us what is most necessary for our eternal life? What shall we say of a father who heaps candies and toys on his children, but gives food only to one of them, educates and rears him alone? And what if it so happens that this chosen one refuses to eat while the others die looking for food?”
But Rizal goes to qualify his denial of revelation. He only denied special revelation that came through ancient books or traditions. He pointed it out in his fourth letter to Fr. Pastells that:
“I believe in revelation, but in the living revelation of nature which surrounds us everywhere, in the voice speaking out through nature – powerful, eternal, incorruptible, clear, distinct, and universal as the Being from which it comes. It is this revelation that I believe in, which speaks to us and penetrates our being from the day we are born to the day we die. Can any other books reveal to us more faithfully God’s work, his goodness, his love, his providence, his eternity, his glory, his wisdom? ‘The heavens tell the glory of the Lord, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Ps 19:1’ Must humanity look for other gospels in order to love God? Do you not believe that men did wrong when they looked for God’d will in scrolls and temples instead of the wonders of nature under the majestic canopy of the skies? Instead of interpreting obscure passages or phrases which provoked hatreds, wars, and dissensions, would it not have been preferable to interpret the facts of nature the better to shape our lives according to its inviolable laws and utilize its resources for our perfection?”
It is then obvious that Rizal was neither Catholic nor Protestant or any other religion you know. He just came to the conclusion that God exists through reasoning and through studying nature and not from any suspicious and contradictory revelation. I advise you get hold of these exchanges with Fr. Pastells. You can also read the honest and equally intelligent replies of Fr. Pastells, which makes their exchange mentally stimulating and really interesting. But in the end, Rizal remained unmoved. He was not convinced by the priest’s arguments as was clearly expressed in his last letter.
Therefore, our national hero, who was incontestably intelligent and no doubt studied these matters carefully, came to arrive at a very simple religious philosophy that was attuned to be one of the foundations of the Filipino nation; attuned to his aspirations of independence, academic and religious freedom for our country.
published by: joemar.ct
There are so many things that ordinary Filipinos do not know about their national hero. Even if his two novels (Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo) is being studied in high school and his life and works in college as part of the curriculum, many things have been left out of importance. Many details in the novels have been omitted and some aspects of Rizal’s life have been neglected if not concealed for some reasons.
For instance, it is little known that Rizal was actually a deist. He had a firm belief in God but he rejected revealed religion. When we say revealed religion, it refers to a religion that bases its teachings on a supposed revelation from God contained in “holy books” and/or traditions handed down from generations to generations. One can read Rizal’s exposition on this subject in his correspondence with a Jesuit priest, Fr. Pablo Pastells, who was actually his spiritual director during his youthful years in Ateneo. The exchange occurred when Rizal was in an exile in Dapitan and when Fr. Pastells was already the Superior of the Philippine Mission of the Society of Jesus.
In his third letter to Pastells, our national hero explained:
“Through reasoning and by necessity, rather than through faith, do I firmly believe in the existence of a creative Being. Who is he? I do not know. What human sounds, what accents are we to use in pronouncing the name of this Being whose works overwhelm the imagination? Can anyone give him an adequate name, when a small creature on this earth with power so fleeting carries two or three names, three or four surnames, and many more titles and designations? We call him Dios but this only comes from the Latin dues and ultimately from the Greek Zeus. What kind of being is he? I would attribute to him, to an infinite degree, all the beautiful and holy qualities my mind can think of, but the fear of my ignorance constrains me. Someone has said that everyone conjures up his own God in his own image and likeness. And if my memory serves me right, it was Anacreon who said that if a bull could form an image of God, it would imagine with horns and mooing in a superlative degree. Even so I venture to think of him as infinitely wise, mighty, good (my idea of the infinite is imperfect and confused), when I behold the wonders of his works, the order that reigns over the universe, the magnificence and expanse of creation, and the goodness that shines in all.”
“Unable to pass judgement on what surpasses my powers, I settle for studying God in his creatures like myself and in the voice of my conscience, which only can have come from him. I strive to read and find his will in all that surrounds me and in the mysterious sentiment speaking from within me, which I strive to purify above all else.”
Thus, Rizal’s belief in a Deity was based on reasonable reflection of nature as well as from conscience and not on faith or divine revelation. On the same letter, Rizal expressed his disbelief on the teachings of ancient sacred books. He writes:
“The various religions claim to have God’s will condensed and written in books and dogmas; but apart from the many contradictions, conflicting interpretations of words, and many obscure and untenable points I find in them, my conscience, my reason cannot admit that he who like a wise father had provided his creatures with everything necessary for this life, proceeded to bury what was necessary for eternal life in the obscurities of a language unknown to the rest of the world and hide it behind metaphors and deeds that go against the very laws of nature. Is it possible that he who makes the sun rise for all and the air to blow everywhere to give life, he who has endowed everyone with intelligence and reason for life here on earth, has also hidden from us what is most necessary for our eternal life? What shall we say of a father who heaps candies and toys on his children, but gives food only to one of them, educates and rears him alone? And what if it so happens that this chosen one refuses to eat while the others die looking for food?”
But Rizal goes to qualify his denial of revelation. He only denied special revelation that came through ancient books or traditions. He pointed it out in his fourth letter to Fr. Pastells that:
“I believe in revelation, but in the living revelation of nature which surrounds us everywhere, in the voice speaking out through nature – powerful, eternal, incorruptible, clear, distinct, and universal as the Being from which it comes. It is this revelation that I believe in, which speaks to us and penetrates our being from the day we are born to the day we die. Can any other books reveal to us more faithfully God’s work, his goodness, his love, his providence, his eternity, his glory, his wisdom? ‘The heavens tell the glory of the Lord, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Ps 19:1’ Must humanity look for other gospels in order to love God? Do you not believe that men did wrong when they looked for God’d will in scrolls and temples instead of the wonders of nature under the majestic canopy of the skies? Instead of interpreting obscure passages or phrases which provoked hatreds, wars, and dissensions, would it not have been preferable to interpret the facts of nature the better to shape our lives according to its inviolable laws and utilize its resources for our perfection?”
It is then obvious that Rizal was neither Catholic nor Protestant or any other religion you know. He just came to the conclusion that God exists through reasoning and through studying nature and not from any suspicious and contradictory revelation. I advise you get hold of these exchanges with Fr. Pastells. You can also read the honest and equally intelligent replies of Fr. Pastells, which makes their exchange mentally stimulating and really interesting. But in the end, Rizal remained unmoved. He was not convinced by the priest’s arguments as was clearly expressed in his last letter.
Therefore, our national hero, who was incontestably intelligent and no doubt studied these matters carefully, came to arrive at a very simple religious philosophy that was attuned to be one of the foundations of the Filipino nation; attuned to his aspirations of independence, academic and religious freedom for our country.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
