A Story in the Margins on How Philosophy is Supposed to be Taught
In his “Inaugural Address” at Freiburg, Martin Heidegger writes that “metaphysical inquiry must be posed as a whole and from the essential position of the existence of a man that questions.” This form of questioning goes beyond logic and the objective certainty of the empirical sciences. It is a method of thinking that seeks to overhaul two millennia of philosophical toil and discourse. Yet, Heidegger’s eloquence, while making manifest the grandeur of esoteric thought, actually finds no resonance in the social and political conflict that engulfs the world. Heidegger was politically naïve when it comes to his philosophical theories.
In the same way as history is written by the victors of war, the experience and meaning of human life is also being defined by those who think they are in a position to say things as they please. In fact, the idea is simple. Since we are inclined to believe someone on the basis of his background, we think that this individual has the right to describe for us the meaning of what we do. In terms of philosophy, a clear examination is needed. It cannot be the case that since one comes from a known institution, people should take his word for it. A radical change in political positioning should cascade into academia.
The fact of the matter is that there are real parameters, not just institutional affiliation. In the case of doing indigenous philosophy, Karl Gaspar, a leading scholar in the country, has done an extensive research in terms of how IP communities use their sacred practices to react to the ills of capitalism. In Mindanao, for instance, Fr. Michael Moga, SJ, has actually enriched the tradition and teaching methodologies of college instructors. While it is true that most senior faculty members studied in Manila to enhance their craft, a new generation of thinkers is actually emerging to define for themselves how philosophy is being done.
The trainings provided by some groups in the capital to improve teachers in the provinces are helpful nonetheless, but the problem is the lack of context and perspective. For instance, it makes no sense pursuing the teaching of philosophy using Tagalog as medium. There is something universal when it comes to human wisdom but how translating certain concepts like Kant's Categorical Imperative into Tagalog can help enhance ethical reflection is susceptible at best to the accusation of one linguistic paradigm being imposed upon another culture or a group of people who are otherwise powerless in the hegemonic order of episteme.
Just as society is built by the blood of its martyrs, our personal lives are not exempted from being victims of the prevailing pathologies happening in our time. The problem in this regard is the condescending approach of some people. However, in the last decade or so, what is happening in the Visayas and especially Mindanao in terms of the production of scholars and researchers has not actually been paid much attention. It might help to check the outstanding output of local researchers through Google Scholar. Names like Ryan Urbano, Menelito Mansueto, Ian Clark Parcon, Raymundo Pavo, Renante Pilapil, and Regletto Aldrich Imbong, should prove this point.
The name Romulo Bautista is not known, but he has actually trained more that fifty master's students in philosophy at Ateneo de Davao University. Doing philosophy is not just about the noise and glitz of those who have studied abroad, but more importantly, it is about how what one is teaching has an impact in the lives of thousands of students. During the first decade of the new millennium, Doc Bau, as he is fondly called, has taught graduate students who are now back in campuses such as Mindanao State University, the University of Southern Mindanao, Bukidnon State University, the Notre Dame University in Cotabato, the Notre Dame of Marbel, the University of Mindanao, and Central Mindanao University.
The Commission on Higher Education only prescribes an ethics course for college students today while the Philosophy of the Human Person has been transferred to Senior High School. This has nothing to do with the actual need of students. It can be said that such has come from the advice of a Technical Panel. While consultations have been made, these are usually more formal than a realistic assessment of need or the appreciation of the experience on the ground. Like Philippine democracy, the elitist approach to philosophy in the country has resulted in the forgetfulness of the good that others have done in terms of improving its status. Think, for instance, of the contributions of philosophy teachers in the peripheries.
Right now, the biggest battle ahead out there for a generation of millennials who struggle to find their place in the order of things is not about the great unknown in the universe. It will be against the moral wedge in a society that is so divided not only by class but by its hegemonic culture in academia. High culture elevates the thinker into a self-indulgent automaton, one who has helped define the meaning of social justice but not the value of love. The philosopher is an advocate for change, but he actually does nothing to effect that change. This is something that must be corrected and any rectification must be done by those who possess the understanding of the right context.
The prevailing sentiment is that the estrangement of philosophy from the ordinariness of human life makes it unreachable to the common man. Thinking is viewed as something that is alien to the masses. This is what Romulo Bautista preached. The truth is not just a blue-blooded idea. The important truth that has escaped the self-absorbed ways of the modern day thinker is the reality that the poor are not in need of the beauty and magnificence of abstractive thought, but the pragmatic solutions to the problems that have made human life insufferable. The philosopher who presents his ideal picture of the world is irreparably guilty of an epistemic crime.
The true achievement of a person for that matter does not lie in the power of his thought. It is about his actions. Philosophy is a way of life. The emphasis in curricular development does not tell the whole story. In truth, the character of teachers matter and the environment the students are exposed to influences their behavior and attitude in life. This is not to take anything away from the efforts of those leading in the field for decades now. Rather, it is about recognizing the effort of professionals who have contributed to the ends of a just and equal society by means of spreading practical knowledge.
The kind of philosophy that will work in Mindanao is not something that needs to be imported from London or dictated by Manila. We have profound experiences and a communal sense of understanding the world that can serve as a framework to appreciate the value of the life that we live. Western thought teaches that violence is the collapse of reason. But people must not also forget that reason is the same source of a past colonial rule that oppressed our forefathers and alienated Mindanao. Reason, of course, is not the enemy, but the misuse of it. But if reason is to be of value, then philosophical thought should carry the moral burden of emancipating the powerless from the fetters of oppression and injustice.
- Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD
