Wisik: A Splash of Reality

  Thomism – To Surpass or not to Surpass?   (photo from:  https://www.thecollector.com/st-thomas-aquinas-philosophy-thomism/)      Dr. Emerita Quito had a big impact on Filipino Philosophy. In her book “The State of Philosophy in the Philippines” (1983), she investigated the growth and the condition of Philosophy in the country. Dr. Quito found out that, because of the Spanish colonizers time in the Philippines, Thomism is predominantly the superior trend in most of the schools (since others are also venturing to other trends). With this, she contends that for Philosophy to flourish in our country, we should surpass Thomistic Philosophy. This conviction of hers is reflected in her decision of transferring to De La Salle University from University of Santo Tomas. Now, as a seminarian in the Discipleship Stage where studying Philosophy is at the heart of the Intellectual Formation, I think I must not subscribe to her contention.      The Intellectual Formation in the Discipleship Stage o

  Beyond the Colonial Grip   (photo from:  https://janfaelagmao0021.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/summary-of-spanish-colonization-in-the-philippines/)      The grip of the colonizers on the Filipino mentality is very evident. It is noticeable with how we live—with the products we patronize, the artists we idolize, and the hobbies we do. Despite the many ‘enculturated’ practices that we have, we still cannot deny the fact that the foreigners have strong influence over us. The phenomenon such as this may spark questions on our identity as Filipinos. How, then, could we find our unique identity even with the seeming amalgamation of different identities due to years of colonization? Is it even possible to find that ‘pure’ identity? In answering such query, we may find some valuable insights from a Filipino thinker in the name of Dr. Rolando Gripaldo.           In his paper entitled “Filipino Philosophy: A Western Tradition in an Eastern Setting” (2013), he accepts the fact that the colonial pas