CHAPTER II

RIZAL AND THE THEORY OF NATIONALISM

LESSON 1: IMAGINED COMMUNITIES: REFLECTIONS ON THE ORIGINS AND SPREAD OF NATIONALISM

INTRODUCTION

Jose Rizal’s literary works led to the awakening of the Filipinos’ sense of nationalism thus, the
Philippines’ achievement of its independence was greatly attributed to him, and therefore, he was
acclaimed as the Father of Nationalism.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Understand the idea of nationalism, familiarize, internalize how nationalism came into being in
the Philippines
2. Explain the concept of imagined communities
3. Learn Chinese mestizos role in Philippine society
4. Comprehend the vital role of Awit in revolution(s)
5. Know and comprehend the extent of Rizal’s contribution
6. Develop critical thinking

A. IMAGINED COMMUNITIES: REFLECTIONS ON THE ORIGINS AND SPREAD OF NATIONALISM

SUMMARY OF LESSON

Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism is a book written
by Benedict Anderson and published in 1991.

In the book, Anderson stated that “to understand nationalism one must look at the manner in
which national identities have formed over time which can account for why they are so meaningful
today”.

The author depicts a nation as a socially constructed community, imagined by the people who
perceive themselves as part of that group. That formation of nations or the imagined communities are
encouraged by the development of printing press. Books, newspapers and pamphlets were printed in a
commonly spoken language giving rise to the people’s (who read said materials) perception that they
have something in common.

In part, the book gives testimonial to Rizal’s role in manifesting aspects of a nation identity. It
acknowledges that Rizal, through his literary works, became an instrument in facilitating a person’s
internal allegiance to the nation, in awakening awareness of citizenship, the creation of a sense of
national kinship and conceptualization of Filipino as a “people” or “the people” – an element of the
‘imagined community’ that constitutes nationalism.

Specifically, Anderson cited, as an example, the opening passage of the novel Noli Me Tangere
(José Rizal, 1887, written in Spanish (the colonial language), in which anonymous people around the
capital Manila (an imagined community) share gossip and the narrator directly addresses future
Filipinos.

The anonymous collective of Manila residents in Rizal’s novel represents a miniature copy of the
Philippine nation—despite never having met one another, they clearly have common interests and are
even imagined as creating a new generation that will share those interests.

By highlighting these aspects of the novel form, Anderson shows that the novel contains the
ingredients of the imagined community, which is likely what makes it such a powerful vehicle for the
formation of nationalist movements.

READINGS

Anderson, Benedict. 1991. Introduction: Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread
of Nationalism, 1-7. Revised Ed. London and New York: Verso. Pasig City: Anvil 2003 PH Edition.