Rizal as a Reformist

Teodoro Agoncillo

Stance: He did not support the idea of Claro M. Recto that Reform Movement led to the
Revolution.

Argument/Claim:

"First, the reformists were not for independence but for making the Philippines a
province of Spain. Second, the reformists were not anti-Spaniard or anti-Spain but only
anti-friar and consequently, for the repatriation of the friars to Spain. Third, the
reformists did not believe in armed revolution. This was dramatized by Antonio Luna
who denounced the Katipunan and the Revolution that the Society initiated. Against
these facts, I do not see any validity in the traditional interpretation that Reform
Movement led to the Revolution. If at all, it delayed the coming of Revolution."

Explanation:

We still recognize Jose Rizal as an “Illustrado” and the one who established the Reform
Movement. His declination about Andres Bonifacio’s Revolution was a decision of a
Reformist who was aiming for the recognition of Spain to our country as one of their
provinces. In addition to that, The Reform Movement did not aim for an independence.
Reformists were not anti-Spain nor anti-Spaniards, but rather an anti-Friars particularly,
in their some anomalies inside the church. Teodoro Agoncillo even argued that
“reformists did not believe in armed revolution.” Hence, it is contradicting for what they
were aiming for in the first place.

Cesar Adid Majul

Stance: He believed that Rizal’s decision of declining Andres Bonifacio’s Revolution is

due to the lack of “national sentiment.”

Argument/Claim:

“Rizal’s concept of national sentiment brings to mind Rousseau’s notion and theory of
the general will… Like Rousseau, Rizal presented a deliberate attempt to bring about
social situation where justice and utility would ultimately coincide. In the case of Rizal,
there was national sentiment in objecting to any form of injustice even if it is did not
directly concern the objector.” (1991, 271-273.)

Explanation:
Majul believed that Rizal’s reason of declining the idea of Revolution is because of our
country’s lacked of “national sentiment”. He further argued that the characters in Jose
Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo like Dona Victorina, Basilio, Senor
Pasta and Simoun reflect the people on his time. (Abenes, xx)

Due to the existence of social hierarchy, the Revolution did not succeed easily. And,
some people above the class of “Indios” were just thinking for their self. Hence, aborted
or at least, hindered the “national sentiment.” Having say that Rizal believed that early
Filipinos or “Indios” have their own identity before the Spanish came. And it is essential
to know our “national identity” before we feel the “national sentiment.”

In addition to that, Las Islas Filipinas (commonly known as Philippines) is an

archipelago therefore, the “national sentiment” that the Revolution needed did not
spread easily. However, Rizal founded La Liga Filipina that aimed to make the
archipelago as a country.