I first became familiar with Reynaldo Ileto's Pasyon and Revolution as a freshman UP student taking up Kasaysayan I under Atoy Navarro, a brilliant young professor who smoked in front of class, spewed provocative thoughts with every puff, and was apparently denied tenure because his view of history was outside the mainstream. Ileto's book, as with many other readings in that class, gave me a much richer understanding of history, one that went beyond the stories of the elite, powerful, ilustrados of Manila.
Ileto succeeds brilliantly in his attempt to write a "history from below." Hermanong Pule hardly merits a paragraph in conventional history books, but Ileto makes him a central figure in Philippine history, demonstrating how his mastery of the Pasyon form allowed him to speak the language of the masses and lead them in a struggle that was both religious and political since no such artifical distinction existed in their minds. The Confradia de San Jose was only the first of a succession of movements that allowed the masses to shape Philippine history, the Katipunan being one of them. I used to think of Banahaw and Cristobal as the sanctuary of cults; I now realize they are holy places of Philippine history, consecrated by the prayers and the blood of heroes.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Virtue of Selfishness
I began reading Ayn Rand's Virtue of Selfishness skeptically yet I finished it thinking how many of my values were consistent with Rand's. I thought the book was going to be a defense of narcissistic moral relativism; it turned out to be one of the clearest articulation of the best of American values: respect for the individual, self-responsibility, the free market, and rewards based on merit.
Rand argues that rational self-interest should be the aim of ethics. She claims this to be an objective truth, based on the premise that acts that affirm life are good, and those that destroy life are bad, and the way to discern this distinction is through the use of reason. Her radical claim is that this form of ethics is to be contrasted against altruism, which is the more commonly held ideal of morality. It is good to be selfish; it is bad to be selfless.
A lot of this philosophy was written to condemn the totalitarian system of the former Soviet Union, where the self was not an end in itself, but a means subordinate to the ends of the state. This emphasis on the individual would appear excessive in the 21st century where individual freedoms are more taken for granted. And while I cannot argue against the virtues of fairness, responsibility, and reason, one cannot help but feel a sense of emptiness where family, community, tradition, and spirituality would normally be.
Rand argues that rational self-interest should be the aim of ethics. She claims this to be an objective truth, based on the premise that acts that affirm life are good, and those that destroy life are bad, and the way to discern this distinction is through the use of reason. Her radical claim is that this form of ethics is to be contrasted against altruism, which is the more commonly held ideal of morality. It is good to be selfish; it is bad to be selfless.
A lot of this philosophy was written to condemn the totalitarian system of the former Soviet Union, where the self was not an end in itself, but a means subordinate to the ends of the state. This emphasis on the individual would appear excessive in the 21st century where individual freedoms are more taken for granted. And while I cannot argue against the virtues of fairness, responsibility, and reason, one cannot help but feel a sense of emptiness where family, community, tradition, and spirituality would normally be.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Socrates for Kids
We received Socrates for Kids by Sage Essman as a Christmas gift for my son two years ago. It is a collection of stories designed to teach a lesson in philosophy. I did not find it remarkable. It certainly was no Sophie's World, which is still what I would recommend for anyone who wants to begin learning about philosophy.
I leave it to my wife to teach my kids philosophy. She is, after all, a philosophy major. As a political science major, however, I did read a lot about political philosophy and continue to be fascinated by that subject.
Plato and Machiavelli remain by favorite philosophers. The idealism of the former and the realism of the latter describe most of what happens in the world. History is an ongoing struggle between the fight for ideals and the pursuit of raw power.
Everyone should read more philosophy. It is a useful antidote to the monotony, even inanity, of business writing.
I leave it to my wife to teach my kids philosophy. She is, after all, a philosophy major. As a political science major, however, I did read a lot about political philosophy and continue to be fascinated by that subject.
Plato and Machiavelli remain by favorite philosophers. The idealism of the former and the realism of the latter describe most of what happens in the world. History is an ongoing struggle between the fight for ideals and the pursuit of raw power.
Everyone should read more philosophy. It is a useful antidote to the monotony, even inanity, of business writing.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Eleven Minutes
I once dismissed Paolo Coelho's writing as self-help exhortations thinly disguised as literature. The Alchemist was too much like The Little Prince, but longer and less endearing. But Veronika Decides to Die, at the time I read it as a college student, was a good corrective to the self-centered depression and vitriol that sets in at that time of life. Last month, I read Eleven Minutes, ostensibly an exploration of sex, but really more about love.
Coelho writes about Maria, a prostitute who finds love in an occupation where people go through the motions of, but almost never succeed at making love. She learns that love is about giving unselfishly. Coelho reminds readers true love is given by one whose cup is overflowing, not one whose personal shortcomings need to be compensated by someone else. He writes about the reunion of two beings that were once together as one body as Plato described it in the Symposium - as people talk today of soul mates.
So if Coelho manages to convey eternal truths garbed in feel good novels millions have already bought, what good is there in being a literary snob about it?
Coelho writes about Maria, a prostitute who finds love in an occupation where people go through the motions of, but almost never succeed at making love. She learns that love is about giving unselfishly. Coelho reminds readers true love is given by one whose cup is overflowing, not one whose personal shortcomings need to be compensated by someone else. He writes about the reunion of two beings that were once together as one body as Plato described it in the Symposium - as people talk today of soul mates.
So if Coelho manages to convey eternal truths garbed in feel good novels millions have already bought, what good is there in being a literary snob about it?
Great Speeches
My favorite personal success story is how I overcame shyness to become a champion debater and public speaker. I was reminded of this while I read Great Speeches for the Young Orator, one of the books my wife brought from their house when she moved in, which I again read just because it was on my bookshelf.
I recall back in high school when Mrs Cervantes, my social studies teacher who never hid from the class that I was her favorite, once told me that even though I was intelligent, I was never going to be successful unless I learned to express myself confidently - "makapal ang mukha" was how she put it. I never spoke unless it was to offer an answer to questions no one else could answer. I had read a history of the world in 3rd grade and even encylopedias, but what good was all of that knowledge if I did not know how communicate well?
It was not easy, but as I recounted in the post prior to this, I began this journey of self-mastery by enrolling in a Dale Carnegie course. Then when I entered UP, I signed up for the UP Debate Society even though I had never seen a debate before. I went through the application process and I passed. The first year was frustrating because those with high school debate experience did better during the tryouts to represent UP in debate tournaments, but I learned quickly and soon began topping the tryouts. I broke into the semifinals and finals of national and international tournaments. Finally, I became national champion in my third year. Then I made it to the top 16 teams of the world championship. I ended my fourth year with another national championship.
I am proud of my debate achievements, but I still see myself as a beginner in the lifelong study of rhetoric and oratory. I will continue to study Lincoln and Churchill, and observe Obama. More importantly, I will live my life and learn from it to earn the right to speak about it.
I recall back in high school when Mrs Cervantes, my social studies teacher who never hid from the class that I was her favorite, once told me that even though I was intelligent, I was never going to be successful unless I learned to express myself confidently - "makapal ang mukha" was how she put it. I never spoke unless it was to offer an answer to questions no one else could answer. I had read a history of the world in 3rd grade and even encylopedias, but what good was all of that knowledge if I did not know how communicate well?
It was not easy, but as I recounted in the post prior to this, I began this journey of self-mastery by enrolling in a Dale Carnegie course. Then when I entered UP, I signed up for the UP Debate Society even though I had never seen a debate before. I went through the application process and I passed. The first year was frustrating because those with high school debate experience did better during the tryouts to represent UP in debate tournaments, but I learned quickly and soon began topping the tryouts. I broke into the semifinals and finals of national and international tournaments. Finally, I became national champion in my third year. Then I made it to the top 16 teams of the world championship. I ended my fourth year with another national championship.
I am proud of my debate achievements, but I still see myself as a beginner in the lifelong study of rhetoric and oratory. I will continue to study Lincoln and Churchill, and observe Obama. More importantly, I will live my life and learn from it to earn the right to speak about it.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Maxwell's Laws
If I pursued my dream of becoming an astrophysicist, I would now be writing about James Maxwell and his equations. But life really is, as Forrest Gump said, like a box of chocolates, and I never thought I would end up a leader in a technology services company, rather than a theorist in a university. That is why I read the works of John, not James, Maxwell, and his 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.
I never saw myself as a leader. I wanted to be, as I told other people, a sexy, public intellectual. I dreamed of becoming a scholar writing papers, teaching classes, and expressing views on the issues of the day. But when the opportunity for a promotion presented itself, I simply grabbed it because my gut told me it was my moment. That was when I decided I would learn about leadership because I was going to get paid to be one.
Having been a leader for more than two years and of one hundred people, I now realize that leading is part of my life mission. Maxwell's Law of Process tells me that, even so, I am still a beginner, and there is a lifetime of learning ahead of me. I used to think only natural science had universal laws, but Covey and Maxwell have convinced me that life and leadership, too, have irrefutable laws.
I never saw myself as a leader. I wanted to be, as I told other people, a sexy, public intellectual. I dreamed of becoming a scholar writing papers, teaching classes, and expressing views on the issues of the day. But when the opportunity for a promotion presented itself, I simply grabbed it because my gut told me it was my moment. That was when I decided I would learn about leadership because I was going to get paid to be one.
Having been a leader for more than two years and of one hundred people, I now realize that leading is part of my life mission. Maxwell's Law of Process tells me that, even so, I am still a beginner, and there is a lifetime of learning ahead of me. I used to think only natural science had universal laws, but Covey and Maxwell have convinced me that life and leadership, too, have irrefutable laws.
Principle Centered Leadership or How Self-Help Helped Me
I first learned about the Seven Habits when I won a book of daily reflections by Sean Covey, Stephen's son, as a prize for one of the sessions of the Dale Carnegie course I was attending.
Back in high school, my close friend Hans invited me to go to Cebu for free. We went to SM Cebu and I browsed books at the National Bookstore. I had been looking at Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People on prior visits to bookstores because I was painfully aware of how shy I was, and that I needed to improve in the area of interpersonal relations. I only had a thousand pesos as pocket money for the trip, but I felt particularly rich that day because we were staying at Shangri-la Mactan so I decided to buy the book.
It was a real eye-opener. It was one of the few books that really got me excited because it addressed a pain point with specific action steps rather than vague exhortations to think positively or to pray for divine intervention. I did not become an extrovert overnight, and I remain introspective by nature, but it put me on the path of continuously challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone.
The summer before college, I convinced my dad to shell out six thousand pesos so I can enroll in a Dale Carnegie course. I went all the way to Makati twice a week for five days to attend a course that forced me to speak, think on my feet, and even make a complete fool out of myself. It made me realize there was a lot more I could do if only I had the confidence to express myself and reach out to people. I felt a sense of possibility and power. It helped me conquer myself.
I have not really discussed Principle Center Leadership, but there will be more opportunities to write about the Seven Habits and how Covey profoundly affected me as a person, and as a leader.
Back in high school, my close friend Hans invited me to go to Cebu for free. We went to SM Cebu and I browsed books at the National Bookstore. I had been looking at Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People on prior visits to bookstores because I was painfully aware of how shy I was, and that I needed to improve in the area of interpersonal relations. I only had a thousand pesos as pocket money for the trip, but I felt particularly rich that day because we were staying at Shangri-la Mactan so I decided to buy the book.
It was a real eye-opener. It was one of the few books that really got me excited because it addressed a pain point with specific action steps rather than vague exhortations to think positively or to pray for divine intervention. I did not become an extrovert overnight, and I remain introspective by nature, but it put me on the path of continuously challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone.
The summer before college, I convinced my dad to shell out six thousand pesos so I can enroll in a Dale Carnegie course. I went all the way to Makati twice a week for five days to attend a course that forced me to speak, think on my feet, and even make a complete fool out of myself. It made me realize there was a lot more I could do if only I had the confidence to express myself and reach out to people. I felt a sense of possibility and power. It helped me conquer myself.
I have not really discussed Principle Center Leadership, but there will be more opportunities to write about the Seven Habits and how Covey profoundly affected me as a person, and as a leader.
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