Ideas And Ideals (Essays in Filipino Cognitive History)

So dramatic (and traumatic) was the Philippine Revolution against Spain...that it has been an obsession of Philippine historiography for over a century now. This is the impression...from...Philippine historical literature, especially (but not only) by Filipinos. This seems to have had the effect of defining Filipinism topically and effectively. As topical agendum, it focused on narrative of events within the confines of the national territory; and as affective rhetoric it legitimizes the violence with which it was undertaken and continues to inculcate an "imperative" of resistance and oppositionality...to define patriotism as opposition to power-any power. It has tended to define "heroism" as bravado. It has not fostered a truly satisfactory national notion of statemanship in the general population. It has produced a democracy of mere numbers not genuinely enriched with political discernment and statesmanly horizon. While it is rooted in a narrative of events, it appears deficient in an understanding of cognitive unfolding...that is the result of native consciousness in dialogue with the influx of ideas and ideals from outside. In light of this, a cognitive history becomes significant.