A ∩ A^c = ∅

Where did history start – with an idea or with a material? This question seems to be the stepping stone from which Friedrich Hegel’s Dialectical Idealism stems from. This thought is said to come from Plato’s earlier Dialectics. At the heart of Hegel’s Dialectics lies the core proposition that time started with an idea; an idea that exists solely for its existence and has a separate existence from that of the path of the time-space continuum. The question of how an individual becomes conscious of his faculty for consciousness was the starting point of Hegel’s Idealism. All conscious beings would inevitably create a relation consisting of an object and a subject.  The discussion of how an individual becomes a subject followed suit. Hegel postulates that in the realm of thought there exists a master – slave relationship wherein an individual can only be of two states; first is being the subject and thus, the master in that relationship and second is being the object which the master-subject subjugates over. As Professor Fernandez puts it neatly, In the realm of knowing, one becomes a master if information is tested against rationality.

Only now that I look back into last meeting’s discussion that I fully appreciate the full spectrum of the possible applications of Hegel’s Dialectical Idealism and the theory of the construction of the subject. If one would look closely at the master-slave relationship that exists between the object-subject link, one would notice the most fundamental drive of all human existence. All human beings live to win and have the propensity to objectify. Delving deeper into this discussion, one would see its dire implication on the Spanish colonization of the Philippine archipelago. The Filipinos, at the time, greatly outnumber their colonizers and still kept allowed themselves to be subjugated under the Spanish rule. This historical tragedy of Filipino desistance greatly concerned and angered Rizal during his time. Indeed, the three century Spanish rule of the archipelago capitalized on this fact. Knowledge will make you free and ignorance is the greatest enslaver.

Hegel’s Idealism would eventually take us with the three laws of logic: the law of identity, the law of contradiction, and the law of extended middle. The law of identity was the focal point of discussion for the rest of the class. Hegel again states that the first law of logic (law of identity) was grossly unacceptable since it does not justly represent the true nature of reality. Hegel argues that the law of identity should be that of Statistics’ own law of complement which neatly gives this identity:  or simply, A and Not A is equal to null. This was rather different than what was earlier proposed that A is just equal to A. An object would inevitably undergo change and would not be the same object after that change. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus puts it, You cannot step twice into the same river.

Hegel’s Dialectical Idealism plays an important role in Rizal’s understanding of history. In Hegel’s Idealism, there is a thesis, an anti-thesis, and a synthesis where the last reconciles the contradiction of the first two. A being becomes conscious of his consciousness only through material consciousness where the Idea becomes the conscious of the self. In order for man to attain his rationality, one should be conscious of his consciousness. Rizal’s criticism of the Filipinos during the Spanish occupation is that Filipinos lacked the capacity to fully synthesize all the contradictions offered by the church and the real state of being. The Filipinos’ inability to reconcile all these contradictions became his own enslavement and their own downfall. (11/23/2010)

History is the becoming.

History can be also be defined as the compilation of “relevant” events wherein the said events provided the tipping point for one era to shift to the next. As for whose relevance history serves its purpose was previously discussed in earlier articles. Moving on, history is said to highlight all the “important” events that caused a disturbance in the space & time continuum. Scholastic philosophy provided the theory of history with its earliest material. St. Augustine of Hippo who lived in 354 AD called history as the unfolding of the grand plan of God for the human species and for all Creation. Not until the Industrial Revolution would this philosophy weaken and be replaced with another theory.

Flash-forward to the 18^th century, the people of Europe has now shifted their focus from a spiritual stance to a more materialistic culture. With the Industrial Revolution, the people of Europe preoccupied themselves with the rigorous building of canals, roads, and railways as well as the mechanization of the previous labour-intensive industries. For the first time, buildings, factories, and machines were being built instead of churches. Coupled with these drastic changes of time, the question of primacy was born. Questions such as Where did history start from?, Did the universe start from an materialistic beginning?, and If not, is it possible that a supreme being did indeed create the universe that we know? brewed in the imaginations of philosophers of that era. One such philosopher was Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel who theorized the Dialectical Idealism. Dialectical Idealism simply states that there is a universal history and that the consciousness of human beings reigned supreme. His Idealism is a reiteration of the Greek’s dialectics.

The overlying theme for this discussion can be summed into this simple question. Which of the two best represents the true state of being, Rationality or Religion? This question has long been a source of arguments and countless wars. Indeed, this conflict would lead us to a number of practical realizations. First, the monarchic system has always been beset with the irrationality that is associated with the transfer of administrative power from one generation to the next with the illogical explanation hinged supposedly on divine providence. Even at the dawn of mankind (as in the version of the Creation story), rationality is at war with religion. The concept of original sin is the epitome of this conflict. At its most basic idea, knowledge or possession thereof is not necessarily wrong, but as the creation story would later point out, it is indeed a sin to bear knowledge and a virtue to be ignorant. Scholastic philosophy is best characterized by its simplistic and most often, belittling attitude towards the truth. The church, in its search for its own truth, puts so much virtue in moral obedience and completely neglects man’s liberty.

Rationality is the best answer to the supposed lies of religion. If history is indeed the becoming, then it should move past the imperfections of scholastic philosophy and evolve, much like it did with the advent of Hegel’s Dialectical Idealism. Though still rough around the edges, Hegel’s Idealism should become a crucial stepping stone for future theories. History is the becoming, a slice in the time and space continuum. It should not be laced with bias based on hokum and religious fanaticism, but rather with an open mind and a critical thought. History is the becoming since it is the progressive movement of people towards their historic goal of freedom and a better form of life. So much for St. Augustine and his City of God. (11/18/2010)

Oblation: Mi Ultimo Adios

The Oblation monument has always been the symbol associated with University of the Philippines system. Now, in my fourth and last year as an undergraduate student in the university I have never bothered to examine closely this iconic symbol and what it truly represents. As for this paper’s primary focus, Professor Fernandez asked the class to visit the Oblation and see for ourselves the inscriptions made on the monument. Only now that I’ve seen for my own eyes the inscriptions that I realize its utmost importance to last meeting’s discussion. Inscribed on the four sides of the Oblation is the second stanza of Jose Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios.

The nature of history as being a continuum composed of events across time & space and the recording of these specific slices of time was first discussed. Conventional history typically concerned itself with the latter and, as such, it busied itself with what’s, who’s, where’s, and when’s of an event. This formal and rigid perspective of history limits the viewers with only the most pertinent details and does not necessarily show the interplay of the string of past events leading to a significant episode and all the other implications it may have in future periods. Questions on who makes history as well to whose perspective history is deemed important were also discussed. It turns out that recorded history always does follow a similar pattern that patronizes the victors as well as the elites. Vilfredo Pareto aptly compared the process wherein the elite class greatly influences history-making to a primeval scene of lions being surrounded by foxes. Only the strong & influential (at that time) gets to decide how history should be written and most often, it is often written in their favor. Indeed, relying on hard facts & dates of a particular event robs the viewer the insatiable pleasure of realizing the interplay of the past to the present and the repercussions of the present to the future. To “educate” and “awaken” the socially conscious Filipino, history should definitely be seen as a continuum of events that are interconnected and intertwined with each other. The importance of seeing history as a continuum of events rather than just snippets of separate occurrences with the particular focus on their details are appropriately captured with the old Tagalog saying: Ang hindi (marunong) lumingon sa pinanggalingan, di makararatíng sa paroroonan. By seeing the connections and interplay of all these events, should lead all socially conscious Filipinos to recognize their place and role in history.

Perhaps, the greatest realization I have made with all these discussions is that of the reason behind the inscription of Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios on the four bases of the Oblation. It all makes sense. The Oblation was made by Guillermo E. Tolentino to depict the ultimate gesture of sacrificial offering of service to the country and its people. Mi Ultimo Adios was written by Rizal before delivering his greatest service to the country. Together, they fit perfectly to represent what all Filipinos should aspire to become: socially conscious and responsible individuals that are ultimately geared toward the promulgation of nationalism, liberty, and democracy. (11/12/2010)

Si Rizal at ang Kasaysayan (Filipino entry)

Bakit nga ba higit na mahalagang pag aralan ang pambansang bayani ng bansa? Ito ang unang tanong na humarap sa klase sa unang pagkikita ng Philippine Institutions 100 (PI 100). Diretso at makabuluhang siyasatin ang dahilan kung bakit kinakailangang magbalik-tanaw sa buhay at sa mga aral mula sa mga isinulat ni Dr. Jose Rizal. Ngunit bago pa natin simulan ang paghanap ng kasagutan nito, napakahalagang tingnan muna ang batas na nagtataguyod ng Rizal Law sa saligang batas ng Pilipinas. Naisabatas ang RA 1425 o maskilala bilang Batas Rizal na naglalayong pagaralan ng mga estudyanteng kolehiyo ang buhay at nilathalang gawain sa konteksto ng kapanahunan ni Rizal. Nilalayon din ng Batas Rizal na ipaunawa sa mga magaaral ang kanilang mga sarili bilang isang prospektibong nasiyonalista, liberalista, at democratiko sa konteksto ng kasalukuyang panahon.

Tunay ngang napakahalagang pagaralan ang kasaysayan sapagkat sa pamamagitan ng disiplinang ito nagbibigyan ang madla ng lens o salamin na maaaring magamit sa pagtingin sa tunay na estado ng isang lipunan. Gamit ang lens ng kasaysayan, nagbibigyan ng pagkakataon ang lahat na maging kritikal at mapanuri sa mga bagay-bagay na nagaganap sa kani-kanilang mga bayan. Ang kasaysayan ay mas angkop tingnan bilang isang lipo ng mga pangyayari na resulta ng nakaraan at siya na mang magiging dahilan ng pangyayari sa kinakaharap. Kung ganito lamang ang paiiraling pagtingin sa kasaysayan ay marahil mas mauunawan ng mga Filipino ang kani-kanilang lugar at papel na dapat gagampanan sa kasaysayang atin namang isinusulat. Sang-ayon ako na mas makakabuti sa kinabukasan ng ating bayan kung wasto ang ating pagtingin sa ating kasaysayan.

Ano nga ba ang isang bayani? Nasa parehong antas ba ng kabayihan sina Rizal, Dolphy’t Manny Pacquiao? Ano ba ang pinagkaiba ng mga taong nabanggit? At huli’t marahil ang pinakaimportanteng katanungan, sino nga ba ang isang Filipinong bayani sa ating panahon ngayon? Buhat ng mga katanungang ito, mainam na lalabas ang tunay na pagtingin ng mga Filipino sa nasyonalismo’t kabayanihan. Sa panahong ini-idolo at higit na hinahangaan ng nakakaraming Filipino ang isang boksingerong nakasalalay ang dangal sa lakas ng kamao at dahas ng pagsuntok, tila’y nabaon na sa limot ang kagalingan at sakripisiyo ng ating mahal na si Jose Rizal. Malamang ay gumugulong na sa kaniyang kabaong si Jose Rizal kung makikita lamang niya ang kahibangan sa pagsamba ng mga Filipino sa naturang pambansang kamao. Maihahalintulad din sa parehong pagtingin ang pagpaparangal kay Dolphy ng Malacañang. Wala namang masama sa pagbibigay parangal sa isang artista ngunit marami itong nabubuksang iba pang mga mahahalagang katanungan. Ganoon na lang ba makakalimutin ang mga Filipino sa kanyang nakaraan na hinde na niya napaparangalan ang kaniyang mahuhusay na manunulat, mga iskulptor at iba pang alagad ng sining? Marahil ay dapat pag-aralan ng bawat Filipino ang PI 100 nang maliwanagan nang husto sa mga usaping tutukoy kung sino nga ba ang isang bayaning Filipino. (11/09/2010)

Change of topic, change of scenery.

For the next few months, I will be posting some of my articles in my Philippine Institutions 100 (PI 100) class in this blog. I hope it would enlighten you as much as I was while working on them. Much thanks to my professor, Prof. Albina Peczon Fernandez for poisoning our most treasured beliefs with the raw and unexpurgated truth. This is also for you, ma'am.