Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences
1
Indigenizing the Social Sciences
Indigenizing the Social Sciences
The following are the objectives for this module:
1. Examine the social ideas of Filipino thinkers starting from Isabelo de los
Reyes, Jose Rizal, and other Filipino intellectuals
2. Value the role of interpersonal relations in Philippine culture
Filipino Social Thinkers
Introduction
The Filipino people have also produced a number of individuals that have
extensively studied the different traditions and attitudes of society,
particularly that of Philippine society itself. This new series of lessons will
deal with the state of the social sciences within the Philippine setting, and
will tackle different social factors such as Filipino social thinkers, key values,
Philippine psychology, and the over-all intellectual and cultural atmosphere
the Filipino has in his/her own society.
Social Thinker: Jose Rizal
Perhaps one of the most renowned social thinkers is the national hero, Jose
Rizal. Rizal is not only known for his dedicated life and the works Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, but also for the social teachings found in his
writings as well as in his testimonies.
According to Rolando Gripaldo’s work Filipino Philosophy, Rizal envisioned a
utopian society. It must be pointed out, however, that Rizal never wrote a
book dedicated to this utopian society similar to other social thinkers like
Plato and The Republic or Aristotle and The Politics. But, according to
Gripaldo, we can highlight six major characteristics of this utopian society
that can be seen in Rizal’s teachings:
1. The Philippine archipelago must be united as a Filipino nation:
compact, vigorous, and homogeneous
2. The people must be educated in civic virtues and enlightened in all
possible senses to be able to struggle for their rights
3. Schools of sufficient quality and quantity must be established
throughout the archipelago primarily for enlightenment and
secondarily, livelihood
4. There must be a common language for the people and it must be a
native language, for instance, Tagalog
5. The people must have freedom in speech, assembly, press, redress
and enjoyment of other human rights
6. Filipinos must not only have the sentiment of nationalism, but must
be able to manifest it. This is the dignity of a people.
Course Module
Rizal envisioned a Philippine society that had racial pride, and the desire to
serve one’s country wholeheartedly and without reservation. This includes
addressing social issues through educated means, and never through
violence or the use of rebellion. Rizal as a social thinker leans more towards
an educated and patriotic society.
Social Thinker: Isabelo de los Reyes
Another prominent social thinker that was a staunch critic of the Spanish
rule in the Philippines as well as the incoming American invaders was Isabelo
de los Reyes, a former journalist, writer and senator of the Philippines. He
wrote a number of novels and essays, including Ang Singsing ng Dalagang
Marmol and Genesis Cientifico y Moderno. A journalist by profession, de los
Reyes wrote a number of works that attacked the corruption of the Spanish
friars that led to imprisonment by the Spanish officials.
Isabelo de los Reyes is also credited to be the first Filipino socialist. Upon his
return from imprisonment in Spain, de los Reyes brought with him several
works by socialists, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, among others. This led to
an empowered de los Reyes that campaigned for workers’ rights that
eventually landed him government positions and even a senate seat. His view
for Philippine society was a socialist one, that leaned more towards the
teachings of Karl Marx and the pursuit of a communist Philippine state. He
died on October 10, 1938.
Social Thinker: Leonardo Nieva Mercado
One of the more recent Filipino social thinkers is the missionary-philosopher
Leonardo Mercado. He has pioneered the study of Filipino philosophy and
theology as well as the unique characteristics of a rising Filipino society.
Mercado wrote extensively on the Filipino society, ranging from a variety of
topics such as religion, ethics, social involvement, politics, and many others.
His style of writing and analysis of Philippine society and culture is meta-
linguistic, meaning that for him, language is an important facet in
understanding Filipino society as a whole.
One of the major themes of Mercado’s writings is the unique Filipino trait of
inculturation. Filipinos can adapt to a number of things, primarily because of
their previous colonizers who have also brought their own cultures which
the Filipinos have eventually accepted as part of their own. An important one
is inculturation and the Filipino view of God, which remains one of the
foundations of Philippine society. His work Inculturation and Filipino
Theology talks about the fundamental trait of Filipinos to incorporate the
religious into their social lives, and how Philippine society is shaped by the
values and teachings of a belief in a Supreme Being or God.
Philippine Values
The Uniqueness of the Philippine Value System
Each culture has an array of unique characteristics that make it different
from other cultures. The Filipino culture is no different. Filipinos value other
things than most when it comes to values within their society. Values guide
behaviors, which can gauge cultural distinctions among groups of people,
nations, or individuals. (Capuno et al., 2013) Because of this impact that
Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences
3
Indigenizing the Social Sciences
values have on Filipinos as a society, it is important that one knows the
significance of each one, and how every core Filipino value is inter-connected
and works together to build a functioning Filipino society. Here are a number
of unique Philippine values that one should know:
1. The Importance of Family – The Filipino family is not simply the sum
of its members since distinctive associations and nuances in various
relational phenomena in the society contribute to its fuller picture.
Still, how these common views or characteristics of Filipinos are
shared among family members and with the society at large weighs
great relevance. (Capuno et al., 2013) Society at large is affected by
the relationship of the family. Filipinos place a great amount of
importance on close family ties that it is arguably the most practiced
Filipino value at present.
2. Participation in Religion – Mercado notes in his work Inculturation
and Filipino Theology that Filipinos have three favorite images of
Christ: Hesus Nazareno, Santo Niño, and the Crucified Christ. Mercado
also points out that in the Filipino adaptation and participation in
religion, “the interpretation, however, will be colored by culture.”
(Mercado, 2011) Filipinos are a very religious people not only within
the Catholic faith, but also with the different religious followings that
they are a part of.
3. Pakikisama: Filipino Solidarity – Manuel Dy, Jr. mentions in his book
Contemporary Social Philosophy that “a Filipino ethics must value
solidarity.” (Dy, 2013) Filipinos are known not only for their strong
family ties, but also with a spirit of kapit-bisig or solidarity. Filipinos
can go beyond the divisions of race or location to unite and fight for
what they believe in. Such a spirit manifested itself in the People
Power Revolutions. And, as Dy notes, “Pakikipagkapwa springs from
an inner conviction that the other, though belonging to a different
region or faction, is a fellowman, like me a human being who deserves
to be respected, attended to, loved.”
References
Capuno, J.J. et al. (2013) “Views and Values on Family among Filipinos: An
Empirical Exploration” in Asian Journal of Social Science 41: 5-28.
Dy, M. (2013) Contemporary Social Philosophy. Makati: Katha Publishing Co.,
Inc.
Gripaldo, R. (2000) Filipino Philosophy: Traditional Approach. Manila: De La
Salle University Press.
Mercado, L. (2011) Inculturation and Filipino Theology. Manila: Divine Word
Publications.
(1988) Applied Filipino Philosophy. Tacloban: Divine Word
University Publications.
Course Module
Navarro, A. and Lagbao-Bolante F., eds. (2007) Mga Babasahin sa Agham
Panlipunang Pilipino: Sikolohiyang Pilipino, Pilipinolohiya, at
Pantayong Pananaw. Quezon City: C&E Publishing.
“Isabelo de los Reyes.” National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
Posted 6 September 2012. Accessed on 17 October 2016.
http://nhcp.gov.ph/isabelo-de-los-reyes/
