Man as a Historical Being

TIME & HISTORICITY

Filipino

Philosophy

of Time

Filipino

Philosophy

of Time

Filipino time in the popular usage issynonymous with unpunctuality. Butbeing unpunctual or being too earlyin some instances shows that Filipinohas a different time orientation

The Filipino wants to be in harmonywith nature through equilibrium-maintenance (pagkakapantay, di pagkakatao). If this balance is upset, the Filipino expects suffering and other forms of misfortune

The insistence on equilibrium (or balance) in human activities is derived from the concept thatnature is essentially based on a binary system ofrelationships: health and illness, hot and cold, male and female, fertile and infertile, and so on. All of these points of reference require a balanceof functions or nature falls apart. Harmony is the theme of the universe. Even contradictions—aslong as they remain within the pull of theirinfluence—help nature achieve harmony.

An example of this harmony with nature from the viewpoint of health has been the hot and cold syndromes. For the Filipinopeasant "health is perceived as a goodrelationship between man and the surrounding world—in other words, between himself, the people around him, and the natural and supernaturalenvironment."

Westerner has a mastery-over-nature

orientation. Nature-for him is a tool which is

to be exploited. He therefore tries to make

nature serve him by altering the flow of a

river, by changing the weather and his

genes. He tampers with the balance of

nature to the extent that nature rebels in the

form of ecological revenge such as polluted

rivers, smog, extinction of certain biological

species.

In the practical sense, the

Westerner—with his mastery-over-

nature orientation also wants to be

master of time. He can make the night

his day. He makes time and not time

makes him. But the Filipino

instinctively knows that Nature is wiser

so that he does not tamper with the ways of nature.

Time may bedivided intocosmic time

and human time.

Western time in relation to the cosmos isdifferent for the Filipino. For the Westerner cosmic time is linear asrevealed in language. The Indo-Europeanlanguages are characterized by the stress they put on the past, present, and future tenses.

COSMIC TIME

Cosmic time is linear because of the Western preoccupation with tense. Time is compared to a river whichflows to the sea of eternity. The philosophy of Aristotle on timereflects the linear orientation

COSMIC TIME

Time is defined as the "number ofmovement in respect of 'before' and `after.' " Motion is an attribute of motion. Time isnot motion, but the number or measure ofmotion. Motion is potentially time and becomes such in actuality only when itstemporal succession is noted and measuredby some sentient creature.

COSMIC TIME

Thus time is not a substantial entity whichis capable of existing separately fromother things: it has no reality independently of the changes thatsubstances undergo. It has being only asan attribute of an attribute of substance.

COSMIC TIME

The Western concept of linear timeis necessarily associated with space. In other words, time is conditionedby the spaced linearity of past, present, and future.

COSMIC TIME

Cosmic time for the Filipino is cyclic, or rather, spiral and dynamic. While the Westernerlobks on time in its lineal progress, the Filipino looks at it in its spiral movement. A coil never returns to the same point. There isprogress in spiral motion for the new cycle isnot the old cycle.

COSMIC TIME

For the Westerner time wasted is goneforever. But for the Filipino there is alwaystomorrow, a philosophy which is reflected in his maxims. For instance, "Paglipas ng dilimmay araw pang darating" (When darknesspasses there is still another day) or "May araw pa bukas" (There is still tomorrow).

COSMIC TIME

Although time is cyclic for the averageFilipino, he also knows its value. Thusthe farmer knows that if he does notplant or harvest at a specific time, hewill lose his chance for a living. Fishermen know the chances of night fishing.

COSMIC TIME

While cosmic time can mathematically

be calculated by the earth's movement

around the sun, human time is not

subject to mathematical calculations.

Human time is not oriented to space

but to man's consciousness.

Human Time

Human Time

While the Westerner marks time with a

calendar or a watch, the orient marks time

in his consciousness. Filipino concept of

human time can also be seen as maturation

or evolutionary. Thus time is compared to

the ripening of a fruit in the expressions,

"the fullness of time," "the time is ripe," and

so on.

Human Time

The Filipino remembers the past in

terms of consciousness and not in

terms of linear time. One understands

why Western-oriented field researchers

are puzzled by the answers they get

from rural Filipinos about time.

Human Time

What time do you turn on your radio in the morning?

When the cocks crow for the second time at dawn.

How far is the Center from your house?

One cigarette. (Meaning one can reach the Center after he has smoked

one cigarette).

When did you last see a movie in town?

That time when the eldest daughter of the barrio captain got married.

Can you recall when this barrio was split into two barrios?

That was the time when the price of rice went down to 75 centavos a

ganta.

If the Western concept of time is linear, thenhistory will also be linear. If time and reality for the Filipino are non-linear or spiral, then history willalso be non-linear. Now the non-linear philosophyof history has three explanations or categories: (1)recurrent cosmic cycles, (2)one-grand-cycle patterns of cosmic and human

history, and (3)culture cycles as found in twentieth century

views

HistoricityMan and Historical Action

Human person is a “cross-

point”; a point of interaction

of various certain lines of

events of various levels:

physical, interpersonal, social

and historical lines of events.

Human person is a point of intersection of natural

(physical) events.

Principle of conservation of mass and energy - the totality of

energy in the world is constant, energy goes from one form

to another. The atoms in our body right now date back to

the very first origin of our universe.

Earth = 50 billion years old

Life = 2.5 billion

Chordates = 700 million

Vertebrates = 500 million

Human Being = 250,000 years

This cross-point is of certain quality. Each of

us finds himself or herself as a certain gift of

nature. You did not design yourself. At certain

point of our lives we discover ourselves as of

a certain quality, a certain type of cross-point.

Your body is a product of nature and it is a

particular product of nature.

This cross-point is a conscious cross-point.

Man is a cross-point of physical events, and

he is conscious of himself as a cross-point.

He is conscious of the natural environment

that brought him about as a point of

intersection of these thread-lines of the world.

Since he is conscious, he is also conscious of

his limitations and the possibilities that is

open for him.

This cross-point is capable of activity. Insofar

as you are cross-point of physical events

with a certain consciousness of your

limitations and possibilities, you are a source

of creativity. You are a source whereby from

now on future physical lines of events can

come together or separate because of you.

Human person is a cross-point of interpersonal events.You and I emerged one day as the fruit of intersection ofyour father’s and mother’s personal lines of events. Ourpersonalities are shaped to a great extent by theinterpersonal lines of events we have before us until now.Again, we are not simply a product of interpersonal lines ofevent but we are also conscious of it. We are conscious ofourselves as an interpersonal cross-point with certainlimitations and possibilities. And since we are conscious, weare therefore a source of activity. We can cause theinteraction or separation of future personal lines of events.

Human person is a cross-point of social events. Wefind ourselves as a social product, a product of manysocial events in the past that are beyond our control.Whether we like it or not, we can do nothing of whatour past has made us. We are already here (French= deje la). And as conscious of our being a social-cross point, we are also conscious of the limitationsand possibilities. And hence, we are a source ofactivities, we have the power to create or break thefuture social lines of events.

Human person is a point of intersection of historicalevents. We are a historical product, whether we like it ornot; we are born or a certain age, of a certain period ofhistory, not earlier not later. We find ourselves as a fruit ofhistorical lines of events. Because of history, we emerge at acertain period, a certain point and it is not within ourcontrol. We realize that as cross-points, we would be otherthan what we are if history had been different. As webecome conscious of ourselves as historical products, wealso become aware of the historical possibilities of historythat are in us. We become a source of historical creativity.

Human person as a cross-point of himself and his

ultimate goal. There is an ultimate element which

constitute the human personality, and that the humanperson’s relation to a certain existential framework

whereby he is able to see himself included in some

kind of permanent whole, of permanent totality. It can

be a form of religion or a cause greater than himself.

Human person is a point of intersection between

himself and an ultimate framework of meaning. This

point of intersection determines the final meaning ofhuman person’s life.

Insofar as we are a point of intersection of all these

various kinds of events in all these various levels, you

and I can be characterized in one sense in what we might

call destiny or fate; on the other hand you and I are also

characterized by a certain creativity and, therefore, a

certain task or responsibility. Seen as destiny, I am a set

of limitations. Seen as a task, I am a set of possibilities.

We are products of the past, creators of the future, and

the ones who live in the present.