Jody P.

Barcelo July 12, 2019

POSITION PAPER
(RIZAL’S CONCEPT OF NATIONALISM)

Nationalism and patriotism are sometimes interchanged since they both show their love
to their nation. According to Hans Kohn, Nationalism is an ideology based on the premise that
the individual’s loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group
interests. Nationalism desires unity by their way of a cultural background, including language
and heritage. Patriotism shows love country and willingness to sacrifice for it by their values and
beliefs. According to George Orwell, Nationalism is more on that one’s country is superior to
another, while patriotism is simply a feeling of admiration for a way of life. Dr. Jose Rizal is
both a Nationalist and a Patriot. Why? He is an advocate for great reforms during Spanish era
that shows his love for our country, the Philippines. He is an author of books that has shown his
principles that up to day, people are still learning from it. It shows love for our country because
he desires unity for his country without any violent actions or any revolution act towards people
who are making themselves as a superior to Filipinos but uses his knowledge and virtues by
writing novels.
Rizal was idealistic, who wants to free his countrymen from ignorance, exploitation and
discrimination. With the use of his works and writings especially his novels – Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo, he reveals to his people their experiences and sufferings, sufferings which
he brought to light in an effort to awaken his countrymen to the truths that had long remained
unspoken, although not totally unheard of. He showed to his people their sufferings friars and
civil authorities, how the friars whom were guilty of bribery and corruption had made of the
Catholic religion an instrument of domination and had prostituted it with exterior practices which
foster the appearance of worship. As a citizen of this country, I do agree of Rizal’s concept of
nationalism. Since Rizal wanted to justify his race from the insults and prejudices upon the
Filipinos. Many Filipinos are persecuted in false conspiracies or exiled from their towns for
standing up for their rights. We wanted to bring back the pride in Filipino ancestors, a necessary
component in the formation of national consciousness, and answer criticisms against Filipinos
and culture. Also violence is not the preferred and sensibly and that one great solution is
education according to Rizal. Many Filipinos also had become victims of human indignities.
They were deprived of their right. They had no right to question authority- they were born only
to serve.
Jose Rizal is the symbol of a person who has loyalty and devotion to the nation-state.
Rizal’s shows the true essence of nationalism to the Filipinos. As a Filipino, nationalism is a
word that can be interpreted as loving our country but Rizal is the one who waken us on how to
acquire such nationalism. Dr. Rizal just wants our country to be one and to let us be proud of
being Filipinos because we will be proud as Filipinos.