Rizal argued that Filipinos are innately hardworking prior to the rule of the Spaniards.

What brought the

decrease in the productive activities of the natives was actually the Spanish colonization. Rizal explained
the alleged Filipino indolence by pointing to these factors: 1) the Galleon Trade destroyed the previous
links of the Philippines with other countries in Asia and the Middle East, thereby eradicating small local
businesses and handicraft industries; 2) the Spanish forced labor compelled the Filipinos to work in
shipyards, roads, and other public works, thus abandoning their agricultural farms and industries; 3)
many Filipinos became landless and wanderers because Spain did not defend them against pirates and
foreign invaders; 4) the system of education offered by the colonizers was impractical as it was mainly
about repetitive prayers and had nothing to do with agricultural and industrial technology; 5) the
Spaniards were a bad example as negligent officials would come in late and leave early in their offices
and Spanish women were always followed by servants; 6) gambling like cockfights was established,
promoted, and explicitly practiced by Spanish government officials and friars themselves especially
during feast days; 7) the crooked system of religion discouraged the natives to work hard by teaching
that it is easier for a poor man to enter heaven; and 8) the very high taxes were discouraging as big part
of natives’ earnings would only go to the officials and friars.

Moreover, Rizal explained that Filipinos were just wise in their level of work under topical climate. He
explained, “violent work is not a good thing in tropical countries as it is would be parallel to death,
destruction, annihilation. Rizal concluded that natives’ supposed indolence was an end-product of the
Spanish colonization.

Chapter 1 Edit

Rizal acknowledges the prior work of Gregorio Del Pilar and admits that indolence does exist among the
Filipinos, but it cannot be attributed to the troubles and backwardness of the country; rather it is the
effect of the backwardness and troubles experienced by the country. Past writings on indolence revolve
only on either denying or affirming, and never studying its causes in depth. One must study the causes
of indolence, Rizal says, before curing it. He therefore enumerates the causes of indolence and
elaborates on the circumstances that have led to it. The hot climate, he points out, is a reasonable
predisposition for indolence. Filipinos cannot be compared to Europeans, who live in cold countries and
who must exert much more effort at work. An hour's work under the Philippine sun, he says, is
equivalent to a day's work in temperate regions.

Chapter 2 Edit
Rizal says that an illness will worsen if the wrong treatment is given. The same applies to indolence.
People, however, should not lose hope in fighting indolence. Even before the Spaniards arrived, Rizal
argues, the early Filipinos were already carrying out trade within provinces and with other neighboring
countries; they were also engaged in agriculture and mining; some natives even spoke Spanish. All this
disproves the notion that Filipinos are by nature indolent. Rizal ends by asking what then would have
caused Filipinos to forget their past.

Chapter 3 Edit

Rizal enumerates several reasons that may have caused the Filipinos' cultural and economic decadence.
The frequent wars, insurrections, and invasions have brought disorder to the communities. Chaos has
been widespread, and destruction rampant. Many Filipinos have also been sent abroad to fight wars for
Spain or for expeditions. Thus, the population has decreased in number. Due to forced labor, many men
have been sent to shipyards to construct vessels. Meanwhile, natives who have had enough of abuse
have gone to the mountains. As a result, the farms have been neglected. The so-called indolence of
Filipinos definitely has deeply rooted causes.

Chapter 4 Edit

According to Rizal, Filipinos are not responsible for their misfortunes, as they are not their own masters.
The Spanish government has not encouraged labor and trade, which ceased after the government
treated the country's neighboring trade partners with great suspicion. Trade has declined, furthermore,
because of pirate attacks and the many restrictions imposed by the government, which gives no aid for
crops and farmers. This and the abuse suffered under encomenderos have caused many to abandon the
fields. Businesses are monopolized by many government officials, red tape and bribery operate on a
wide scale, rampant gambling is tolerated by the government. This situation is compounded by the
Church's wrong doctrine which holds that the rich will not go to heaven, thus engendering a wrong
attitude toward work. There has also been discrimination in education against natives. These are some
of the main reasons that Rizal cites as causing the deterioration of values among the Filipinos.

Chapter 5 Edit

According to Rizal, all the causes of indolence can be reduced to two factors. The first factor is the
limited training and education Filipino natives receive. Segregated from Spaniards, Filipinos do not
receive the same opportunities that are available to the foreigners. They are taught to be inferior. The
second factor is the lack of a national sentiment of unity among them. Because Filipinos think they are
inferior, they submit to the foreign culture and do everything to imitate it. The solution, according to
Rizal, would be education and liberty.