Fr. Leonardo Mercado is one of
the Filipino scholars who pioneered in tackling the question, “Is there any
Filipino philosophy?” In asking the
question, two important implications are in mind: (1) that philosophy does not
originate in Philippine culture, and (2) that philosophy refers to any system
of thought established by rational demonstration.
Etymologically, philosophy is
derived from two Greek words, philo and sophia, meaning love of wisdom. Clearly, philosophy is something foreign to
Filipinos. Yet, the love of wisdom is
universally true –that is, one is capable to “lovingly search” for wisdom,
whether he/she is a Greek, or a Japanese, or a Filipino. No one is deprived of doing philosophy (as love
of wisdom) regardless of race or the color of one’s skin. Thus, it seems that Filipino culture is not
devoid of any philosophical venture or aspiration. Every Filipino is a philosopher in his own
right.
However, in the history of the
Philippines, it’s difficult to point out who among the Filipino thinkers are
philosophers –philosophers in Western standard.
Of course, we cannot discredit Rizal’s genius and his two major
novels. Yet, to claim that Rizal is a
philosopher is still a matter of long debate.
What is really distinct among
Western philosophers is that many of them are able to build elaborate systems
of thought. Plato, for example, is able
to build a tower of philosophical ideas by single-handedly laying its
foundation in his theory of ideal form. With his theory of ideal form, Plato is able
to differentiate knowledge from opinion.
He is able to distinguish the real world and the fake one. He is able to identify the source of true knowledge
and the fountain of what is considered good.
He is able to understand the nature of man, his origin and purpose. He is able to define the ideal society and
its ideal leader. All in all, it’s a
Platonic system of thought. It’s one of
a kind.
