RIZAL & THE THEORY OF NATIONALISM

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• 1. Assess what characterizes a nation.

• 2. Define what nationalism is.

• 3. Explain how Rizal and his works contribute to phil.
Nationalism.
 INTRODUCTION
• Jose Rizal is recognized as the most prestigious and
dedicated 19th century Filipino nationalist.
• During his youth, Rizal wrote a letter to a close
German friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, in which he
discussed the need for the young Filipino patriots to
promote local nationalism.
 INTRODUCTION
• Rizal was one of the elites who demands changes in the
Philippine government during the Spanish colonization.
• Together with his other ilustrado friends, Rizal voiced the
inclusion of Filipinos as representatives in the Cortes.
• Filipinization in churches and equal rights were among the
requests made by Rizal to the Spanish government
 INTRODUCTION

• Rizal fought for equality with the Spaniards

• Rizal and his fellow ilustrados wanted to acquire the same
education and wealth as the Spanish students and families in
the Philippines have.
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• Jose Rizal came from a family belonging to the middle class
• His father owned lands and her mother was one of the most
highly educated women in the Philippines at that time
• The family lived a good life compared with the common Filipinos
during those times
• Well provided and was sustained in his studies
• Rizal was a voracious reader
• Young Jose Rizal immediately became a top flight student
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• Rizal was sent to schools run by Dominican and Jesuits
• He was able to acquire his education from Spanish school,
allowing him to nurture his skills and talents
• He excelled in almost all aspects of his studies
• He was good in language, spelling, and science, and he was
able to master numerous foreign languages
• His skills grew as he increased his acquisition of various courses
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• He was good in Spanish, making it advantageous for him to
interact in a class dominated by Spaniards
• Education led Rizal to a deeper understanding of equality and
order in society.
• Rizal’s urge to learn also increased his desires for reforms.
• Rizal convinced to believe that reforms were possible through
education and liberty.
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• The unheard cries of the natives and the increasing fame of
Rizal fueled revolts in the country
• The natives organized groups and continued to engage in
bloody battles to acquire reforms and democracy
• Rizal’s writings made a huge impact on the minds of the
native who wished to break free from the abuses of the
Spaniards.
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM

• When Rizal was imprisoned, numerous plans to break him out

of jail were initiated by the revolting group
• But none of them prospered as Rizal preferred to engage in a
bloodless battle for independence
• The dilemma that Rizal faced was depicted in his two famous
novels, the Noli and El Fili
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• In Noli Me Tangere, Rizal was represented by both Elias and
Ibarra
• In the chapter, “Voice of the Hunted,” Elias believed in the need
for radical reforms in the armed forces, priesthood, and
administrative justice system
• While, Ibarra did not agree with the reforms Elias wanted and
believed in the power of the authorities and the need for
necessary evil
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• In the chapter, “Elias’ Story,” Elias saw the need for an armed
struggle and resistance against the opposing forces while
Ibarra disagreed and believed that education was the key to
make the people liberated, so he encourages the building of
schoolhouses to educate those who are worthy of it.
• In the chapter “Chase on the Lake,” Elias suddenly had a
change of heart; he believed in reforms while Ibarra became a
filibuster, initiating revolution
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• This change of hear in Ibarra was a product of hardships and the
desire to attain personal vengeance
• This trend of vagueness continued in the novel El Fili, were Rizal was
reflected in the characters of Simoun, Basilio, and Padre Florentino
• In the chapter “Simoun,” he was Ibarra in disguise, again being
adamant for a revolution, and Basilio was being like Ibarra initially in
the Noli when he proclaimed his belief in education as a tool for
equality and freedom
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• In the conclusion of the Fili, Rizal has implied his resolution
when in the story, he killed Simoun, the promoter of
revolution, and made Padre Florentino, an advocate of peace,
prevail
• In real life, Rizal reiterated his stand regarding this issue in his
December 15 Manifesto when he declared that he was against
the revolution, and he favored the reform programs, especially
regarding education.
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• Rizal was Realist as he understood why there was a need for
revolution
• Yet he was more of Idealist because:
– He wanted to have freedom through peaceful means
– He did not want to see the ugly face of society
– He expressed his gratitude to Spain since he did not want to fight against it
– Spain was like a mother country for him, he did not want to stab his own
mother
• So in the process of making circumstances favorable for both, his
appeal was for reforms and education
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• However, his plea for education and some other reforms was
impossible during those times, and those were not what the
people then currently needed.
• What would liberate the people was the massive movement
of the natives united against the oppressors.
 RIZAL’S WORK AND PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• When Rizal died, the natives were able to push through their
freedom with their strong nationalism that had been heated up and
strengthened by his artistic and realistic viewpoints in his writings
• He had influenced numerous natives to fight for independence
• The result of independence was very sweet for the Filipinos who
fought and died for it, and it was a regret feel that Rizal was not
able to see that the revolution that he did not favor was what
liberated his people
 PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM

• Nationalism usually springs from the consciousness of a

national identity of being one people. It is that all pervading
spirit that binds together men of diverse castes and creeds,
clans and colors, and unites them into one people, one
family, one nation with common aspirations and ideals
(Anderson, 1983)
 PHILIPPINE NATIONALISM
• Things built up nationalism in the Filipinos:
– The abuse of the Spanish people
– Opening international trade
– Influence of liberal thoughts in the Philippines
– Revolution in Cavite
– Death of GOMBURZA
– Rise of the Middle Class
– Secularization Movement
– Most of all the Death of Jose Rizal
 RIZAL CONCEPT OF FILIPINO NATIONALISM

• Nationalism as a concept was still vague from its

humble beginning in 1872, particularly for the poor
people in the Philippines, Jose Rizal and other
reformers at the time had a scant idea of what is all
about.
Rizal said:
• The reasons that originate in the lack of national sentiment
are still more lamentable and more transcendental. The
lack of national sentiment brings another evil, moreover,
which is the absence of all opposition to measures
prejudicial to the people and the absence of any initiative in
whatever may redound to its good. A man in the Philippines
is only an individual, he is not a member of a nation. He is
forbidden and denied the right of association.
 HANS KOHN CONCEPT OF NATIONALISM
• Nationalism is first and foremost a state of mind,
an act of consciousness. It is a group consciousness
that strives toward achieving homogeinity within
the group, comformity, and like-mindedness which
lead and facilitate common action
 WHAT PRECISELY THE NATIONAL
SENTIMENT?
• "National" is contrasted with "Individual"

• "Refers to the "common good"

• "Inflamed by an awareness of the evil of
colonial system"
 FIVE DETERMING FACTORS IN THE EARLY
DEVELOPMENT OF RIZAL'S NATIONALISM.

• 1. He emphasized the importance of the

Tagalog language and its impact upon the
Philippines.
• 2. He was openly critical of the friars.
• 3. He defeated Filipino civil rights.

• 4. He discovered the power of the pen.

• 5. He conceived a form of gradual nationalism.

 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• The Philippine experience in the formation of consciousness
of a national identity had its roots in the pre-Hispanic period
and developed through 2 difficult but significant periods of
Western colonization, culminating in the eventual
inauguration of the Philippine Republic in 1946
 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• According the archeologist and historians, the origin of our
culture was hypothesized based on the following:
a) Our indigenous culture began to develop in the prehistoric and pre-
Christian eras
b) These early cultures range from the crude Old Stone age to the Metal
Age with organized community life
c) The early settlers came from Borneo, Indo-China, South China and other
parts of Southeast Asia.
 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• It is believed that 2,500 years ago, the Negritos arrived in the
Philippines and were considered the first people who arrived
here
• The early occupants of the Philippines islands were believed
to have reached the areas through a land bridge connecting
Malaysia and China
• Studies show that the Malays, one of the early settlers in the
country, migrated around 300 to 200 B.C.
 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• They brought with them their skills in mining and smelting
agriculture; cultivated fruit trees, spices, fiber, ornamental
plants, and some other agricultural products; used of
carabaos and horses as working animals; and used technology
in the manufacture of ornamented pottery and glass beads
and in the art of weaving
• They started the development of our indigenous culture
 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• The second wave of Malay immigrants brought with them the
system of writing called the syllabaries system
• They arrived around 13th century, the beginning of the
Christian era
• In the latter half of the 14th and through the 15th century, the
Muslim Malays, the last group of Malays to migrate to the
Philippines came, and it marked the foundation and
development of Islam in Mindanao and Sulu
 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• As time passed by, numerous bloodlines coming from Asian migrants
assimilated so well to produce the Filipino people and our indigenous
culture
• Until the Spaniards came, the settlers in the Philippines has established a
certain culture and agricultural technology of their own
• They had their own traditions, developed religious and social norms of their
own
• The settlers already had a shared language, system of writing, literature, and
political and judicial systems based on the accepted standards of the period
 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• Despite of countless similarities of the early Filipino tribes and
inhabitants, unity was hard to attain in the country as a whole
• Regardless of the shared territory, racial characteristics and
beliefs, the Filipinos remained disunited and were broken into
different political factions during the precolonial era
• Their lack of unity and identity made it easier for the
colonizers to conquer the Philippines.
 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• The country was divided into small independent political
groups called barangay, which were constantly fighting for
survival
• However, it is firmly established that these groups of people
molded our identity as a people and gave us a heritage that
Western colonization could not uproot in four centuries
 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• Filipinos, belong to a mixture of races. Centuries of contact
with the Western and Asian countries through of trade and
colonization made the Filipino race very complex. A Filipino is
a combination of the East and West, so the character exhibits
curious contradictions that foreigners find hard to understand
 RIZAL’S NATIONALISM AS TRACED BY ITS
CULTURAL ROOTS
• Common Traits:
 Hospitable
 Respectful
 Strong family Ties and Religous
 Generous and Helpful
 Hardworking
 Loyal
 Sense of “Pakikisama”
 Fatalism
 NATIONALIST IDEAS OF JOSE RIZAL
• Faith in God
• Love of Country • Education of the masses
• Preservation of Asian Heritage • Republican form of
• Adoption of Native language government
• Dignity of an individual • Rule of Law
• Equality of the races • Enlightened citizenship for
• Inviolability of human rights good government
• Rights of women • World unity and brotherhood
of nations