The Essays

Sobre la Indolencia de los Filipinos

In this essay, Rizal cited the following as the causes of

the indolence of the Filipinos during the Spanish period:

The foreign wars and sporadic insurrections provoked by

Spanish imperialism and oppression, which paralyzed the
work in the farms and the wheels of industry;
The wars waged by the Spaniards against the Moros when
the former invaded Mindanao and Sulu, which led to the
burning of Christian towns, the depletion of the Moro
population, and the destruction of the fields and
industries;
The uncertainty of enjoying the fruits of ones toil due to
Spanish rapacity (Man works for an object, said Rizal,
remove that object and man is reduced to inaction. How
can the Filipino then go on with his work when he knows
that his work will be the very cause of his misfortune,
perhaps even his imprisonment or death?... Could
anybody blame him if he stops working altogether?);and
The Spanish masters regard for labor as undignified and
degrading (No wonder the Filipinos came to look on