Wisik: A Splash of Reality

     ILETO AND THE SEARCH FOR FILIPINO PHILOSOPHY      As an academic discipline, philosophy in the Philippines was initially influenced by its colonial past, with scholastic and Thomistic traditions prevailing in institutions such as the University of Santo Tomas, and the University of the Philippines adopting the analytic tradition from the United States. As a Filipino reflecting on Ileto’s lens, it is evident that the quest for a distinct philosophical tradition is an essential part of our struggle for self-determination and the articulation of our unique identity as a people. The efforts of various Filipino philosophers to promote and develop a distinctly Filipino philosophical discourse are commendable as they have contributed to a more inclusive and contextually relevant understanding of philosophy in the country.      As a philosophy student, the article emphasizes the significance of Filipino Philosophy in the context of national iden...

   GRIPALDO:  THE NATIONAL CATEGORY      According to Gripaldo, any philosophical opinion taken by a Filipino falls within the "National" category. His philosophical contributions can already be seen as integral to the Filipino Philosophy because he is a Filipino citizen. The primary concern is not whether the proposed perspective accurately represents the culture or way of life of Filipinos. Although it’s possible that their positions will someday make the lives of particular groups’ more transparent, it’s not a top priority. As a result, this category tends to strengthen each Filipino’s ability to add to the history of a Filipino philosophy. This is so that any interested Filipino can ponder philosophically on the distinctiveness of their own ways of thinking, which they are empowered to do.             However, as we reflect on the nature of the aforementioned category, we are prompted to dispute and...

  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 Intell...

  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 Tra...

  Choose Thy Battles Wisely (photo from:  https://www.teahub.io/down/TTwmoJ_thor-ragnarok-hela-mural/) “A wise king never seeks out war,  but he must always be ready for it.”      Odin, the father of Thor, uttered these wise words in the Marvel film Thor (2011). War indeed must never be the first recourse of a leader. She or he must first exhaust the available peaceful means (e.g., dialogue, peace talks) before resorting to the use of force. Unnecessary violence which leads to the destruction of lives and property may be avoided with such means. However, as Odin puts it, the leader must always be ready for it since peace may not always be the enduring status quo. Someone might choose violence.       In the unlikely event of war, it is better for us to be the party who is prepared. I am not only talking about the common notion of war (i.e., the violent conflict between nations), but also about the various battles one fights in life. The q...

BUILDING BRIDGES, NOT WALLS:  Constructing the Proper Attitude  Towards the Mysterious   (photo from: https://www.pexels.com/search/sky/)      The search for transcendence has led humanity to many distinct paths. The Western tradition, with their intense rational and logical explications, found a Transcendent that is interpreted differently by those in the religious spheres and by those in the academe. On the other hand, the Eastern tradition, with their mysticism and spiritual explications, has a distinct notion of Transcendence which blurs or even disintegrates the line between religion and philosophy. Despite these differences, one thing seems certain: the Transcendent is a mystery. Its vastness and inexhaustibility make it so mysterious that even the word mysterious falls short to describe it.        With the Mysterious before us, we cannot seem to reconcile our finitude with it. Limited as we are, our grasp of the Mysterious is...

      THE SEARCH OF TRANSCENDENCE     (photo from:  https://imgflip.com/memetemplate/200626627/IGHT-IMMA-TRANSCEND)                     “Are we capable of transcending?”             This was one of the many questions pondered in the discussion on the article “Beyond Ricci and Longobardi: Exploring a Dialogue Between East-West Transcendence.” As we surveyed the Western and Eastern perspectives on the search of transcendence, we are first confronted with the question on our capability to transcend. Well, the answer of course is we can. We are capable of such feat. This is evident by the fact that man is able to think of things or even entertain ideas that are beyond him. If we are not able to do so, how, then, could the greatest theories and discoveries especially about the outer space been put forth? Also, how would religions in the world ...

  EXAMEN: Examination of Consciousness         (photo from:  https://www.additudemag.com/self-compassion-practice-adhd-shame/)          There are many “lutang” moments in our lives. “Lutang” could also mean “sabaw”, “bangag”, and most especially, “tanga.” These Filipino terms all point to ‘stupidity’ – a state where consciousness seems to dissipate. In moments where stupidity is evident, we seem to do things without proper reflection or without being conscious. Consciousness, in this reflection, is taken as the state or power of the mind to be rational in saying or doing things. Hence for this matter, being stupid is opposite to being conscious.          Consciousness is one of the notions being discussed in Nishida Kitaro’s philosophy. We ponder on what consciousness is all about given the fact that the I/self and the world/reality is internally related in all aspects. In tackling such questi...

 (photo from: https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1094858-problematic-fave-laughing-chris-evans) LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE     A famous dictum says, "Laughter is the best medicine." I do not think this applies to all sickness. I have tried it with my migraine; it did not work. It made the pain worse. Instead of physical sickness, I think the dictum applies to the sickness we experience of reality, or of existence.            In studying Philosophy, we have come to know that reality is so vast and rich-- it is a mystery. Philosophers have also dabbled with the mystery of our existence. Until now, there is no one answer to the question/s on existence. As we face these mysteries, we are overwhelmed by our lack of understanding and of answers to the big questions. This lack give anxiety, despair, or even depression. To address this, I turn to Zhuang Zhi's cynico-practical laughter.           As one reads the pec...

CONSCIOUSNESS PURIFICATION            It is evident that Philippine Culture has been influenced deeply by the colonizers. A whopping 90% of Filipinos adhere to Christianity (albeit the various denominations), a ‘gift’ from our Spaniard colonizers. The American colonizers, on the other hand, has given us the public school system. These are just some of their influences; many of our practices (and even our lexicon) have been imbedded with foreign influences. With all these, I sometimes ask: “Do we really have that unique identity?”             From the various foreign influences, we could surmise that our identity is like our famous delicacy—“Halo-Halo” –a mixture of different ingredients formed as one product. This kind of identity, I believe, has made the Filipino consciousness ‘unstable’ in a sense that our uncertainty has led to some complications. For example, a lot of us do not really have that good sense of hist...

  Knowing and Acting in the Season of Creation     The pursuit for knowledge and for truth is an arduous yet imperative venture. This task is what animates philosophy (and all the other disciplines). But, is it enough to just know?     "Knowledge is power," the popular dictum says. Well, this kind of power is unrealized; it is just a potentiality. Its actuality is realized by means of applying such knowledge to reality. Hence, I would say that applying what is known to our actions is the actualization of our rationality.     On the notion of knowing and acting, Wangming has also contributed to this issue. What I like about his idea is that he presupposes a connection or unity with knowledge and action: in their original state, "knowledge automatically/necessarily leads to action (Kim, n.d.)." Knowing, for Wangming, is not about learning concepts. Instead, it is about knowing how to act in a certain situation. What guarantees that knowledge is applied ...

  TRAVELING AND PHILOSOPHIZING (photo from: https://www.shareexit.com/sustainable-travel/)               Traveling to various places is more than fun. I always see it as a learning experience. Every new terrain that I am able to explore evokes in me a sense of wonder.               Wonder – what an interesting word. It is after all what prompts philosophy. I say that it is interesting since wondering is such a ‘basic’ thing to do given our rational and inquisitive nature, and that even the most random and mundane things trigger it – even traveling.               It is exhilarating to note that the greatest ideas from the wisest thinkers of history were born from unique landscapes – the Greeks at the agora, Indian sages in the wilderness, and Chinese sage masters across the warring states.               The common denominator among their an...

  INFECTIOUSNESS OF ARIANA GRANDE'S pov (2020)          It seems to me that music is the most 'infectious' art form. I am carried away when listening to music; certain emotions are evoked in my soul that even those things that I have not even experienced in my 21 years of existence come to light.      Recently, I encountered the song ' pov'  by Ariana Grande. When I heard it, certain emotions were evoked in me, and I was immediately reminded of Tolstoy's aesthetic notion of infectiousness. According to Leo Tolstoy, an artwork is valuable when it is able to infect its audience with feelings and emotions lived/experienced or imagined by the artist. Applying this to Grande's song, I am able to testify that pov  is a valuable artwork.     According to Elle.com, the song talks about Grande's experience with her husband (her boyfriend during the time of the song's release). The chorus tells the listener that her lover sees her f...

    CAPITALIST AESTHETICS AND THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (photo from: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/614037730426591184/?amp_client_id=CLIENT_ID(_)&mweb_unauth_id=%7B%7Bdefault.session%7D%7D&simplified=true)           Movies (especially those from franchises) are currently seen by many not as beautiful artworks but as mere products and commodities. The future of a movie (i.e., its sequel, prequel, or spin-offs) now depends on its income and on its box-office performance. The epitome of this phenomenon is the franchise of Marvel Studios, a.k.a. the "Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)." Sequels after sequels (and numerous spin-offs) have already been planned even if some films had a negative reception from critics and audiences. Although there are many good Marvel films, I still get the feeling that some of their stories are just done for milking profit.      Turning to what the figures say, we find that the MCU already has a $22.93 ...

  (photo from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2020/may/18/why-is-elon-musk-telling-us-to-take-the-red-pill) A COMFORTING LIE OR THE HARSH TRUTH? (A reflection on the film The Matrix – 1999) “Welcome to the desert of the real.”                                                  - Morpheus     Blue pill or red pill?        One pill comforts you with ignorance; the other slaps you with the cruel truth.        The Matrix (1999) is filled with philosophical insights which inquires on different topics like Metaphysics, Epistemology, and more importantly, with Existentialism. Metaphysical inquiry was evident as the film posed questions about reality. The protagonists, after all, were running from a dream world (i.e. ‘the Matrix’) which distorts the very idea of reality...

  (photo from: https://www.healthline.com/health/touch-starved) TOUCH BY TOUCH: A TACTILE PHILOSOPHY (A reflection on Richard Kearney's Touch: Recovering Our Most Vital Sense, Chapter II)      The human person’s sense of touch is his/her way of being in intimate contact with the world. Perception by means of ‘touch’ might sound like an argument or belief of an empiricist, but, it is actually a known fact in real life that even the ‘ common tao’ knows. We see that people have a longing for human contact: wanting to play with friends, missing the hug of a loved one, or longing to fulfill their carnal desires/needs with their significant other. Moreover, touching as means for human contact has also become a symbolism for agreement. The simple handshake between conflicting parties could mean that they have reached a compromise; the handshake between two opposing teams in a sport event after the game could mean thar they accept the game’s decision and result; and ...