Philippine E-Journals

Towards an Open-ended Understanding of Nationhood: The Discordant Imaginings of Rizal, Bonifacio, and (Isabelo) de los Reyes

Clement C. Camposano

 

Abstract:

By exploring the different ways by which Rizal, Bonifacio, and de los Reyes conceived of the national community, the paper argues for an understanding of the nation as an artifact of history, imbued not with necessity and a fixed essence, but with contingency, diversity, and positionality. It will also discuss how this non-essentialist and open-ended understanding of nationhood might pave the way for a more inclusive understanding of Filipino-ness, one more in keeping not only with the evolving multi-ethnic character of Philippine society but also with an increasingly plural world of transgressions and cross-border movements