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Neocolonial identity and counter-consciousness: Essays on cultural decolonisation

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This title was first published in 1978. This book offers examples of the writings of Renato Constantino, one of the Philippines' most prolific essayists. Editor Meszaros summarizes their unifying theme: 'The colonial strangehold on consciousness is the crucial factor through which the whole society is dominated... The subversion of colonial consciousness through the development of a 'counter-consciousness' inevitably means also the end of colonial domination at all levels and in all spheres'. This collection includes thirteen essays , the earliest written in 1958 and the latest in 1976.

307 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1978

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Renato Constantino

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Profile Image for Karlo Mikhail.
401 reviews128 followers
May 4, 2020
Gathered in this volume edited and introduced by Hungarian Marxist Istvan Meszaros are essays on Philippine history, neocolonial dependency, and prospects of people-oriented development.

The first article, "Identity and Consciousness", is an essay-length summary of Constantino's two-volume magnus opus The Philippines A Past Revisited and A Continuing Past which rehearses his main thesis on Filipino nationalism as a product of the Filipino people's resistance to colonialism. The next few articles look at different aspects of mendicant state tied to foreign powers ("The Filipino elite", "The corrupt society", "The Filipino politician", "Diplomacy without policy", etc.). The last set of articles meanwhile highlight the need for autocentric national development that deals with foreign states and corporations on our own terms and the need for a partisan scholarship, the intellectualization of activist praxis, and a nationalist ethical practice to help sustain the Filipino people's struggle.

The urgency, simplicity, yet intellectual incisiveness with which Constantino presents his case makes it no surprise why his works helped inspire a generation of Filipino activists and intellectuals who came of age in the 60s and 70s problematize and confront imperialist domination over the country - a continuing reality up to this day. Indeed, Constantino's call for national liberation continues to be compelling as the slowdown brought on by the Coronavirus outbreak brings out the worst of an import-dependent and export-oriented economy. As we see the total sellout of the country to Chinese and American imperialists and the responding intensification of the anti-imperialist, anti-fascist, and anti-feudal struggles and movements of the Filipino people, the vision of national liberation forwarded by Constantino in his time will only gain more relevance.
Profile Image for Michael David.
Author 3 books90 followers
October 10, 2018
There are some things that I essentially disagree with Constantino, particularly his radical, Marxist-Leninist desire to forge a new identity devoid of all colonial influences, because except from the Moslems, we had no unified identity to speak of prior to the arrival of the Spanish. I also can't agree to the notion that the Americans had done little for us, and merely wanted to use the Philippines. To me, had we leaders who wished for the progress of the whole country and not for their own edification, we probably would be in a much better place had we become an American state. Hawaii achieved their statehood 13 years after we obtained our "independence."

As it stands, they're in a much better position than we are right now. Magsaysay wasn't the American dog that Constantino wrote: in fact, he obtained praise from Lederer and Burdick for bringing forward Filipino interests in spite of the fact that he recognized that we were also being used by the Americans. He is a great Filipino president because he was able to tiptoe through that tenuous balance between an abortive independence and a thorough neocolonial identity.

Nevertheless, Constantino made highly insightful observations regarding Philippine politics, and little has really changed. As much as we'd like to have a radical policy change, it still boils down to discipline, which a lot of Filipinos have a dearth of.

Hindsight is always 20/20, though.
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