On Western Philosophies and Filipino Theology

By Glenn Plastina

Filipino philosophy and mentality may not be as complicated and advance as the established long tradition of Western and European philosophy, but certainly there is a voice in Asian philosophy that has been heard among its counterpart. In a wider scope, some of our Asian neighbors—like China, India, Japan, etc.—have long traditions that are older than the most modern western philosophical quest, but such idea is unpopular. However, these Asian philosophies are, I believe, original and worthy of consideration.

Western philosophies are so popular in that even Asian, especially Filipinos, is acquainted with them. Most of the mainstream western philosophies are being dealt in many of our seminaries, colleges and universities. Most schools offer a good amount of these foreign perspectives. Even in styles of teaching, these philosophies bear some trademarks of western approach in a sense that the medium is basically English, an adopted language for Filipinos. The concepts are also western and the abstractness of ideas resembles to that of the west. There is of course a degree of valuation to the Filipino line of thought and reasoning, but it is not as popular to the western counterpart.

As for me, an aspiring Asian-Filipino theologian, western philosophy is not totally negative and worthless. They have their own weaknesses and strengths especially that their basic ideas are sometimes foreign to me. It is “sometimes” in a sense that I was basically raised, educated, and schooled in the western line of thought, music, and ministry. Nevertheless, my roots are still roots. It is part of my being and humaneness. I can not do away with my Filipino cultural background no matter how westernized my environment is. I am still an advocate of “Filipinizing” Filipino church and theology. I might be in sense nationalistic, but not that narrow. My point is that, western philosophy is necessary especially in methodology and approach and to some extent in essence. But what is more important is that the conceptual essence must be provided by a culturally redeemed and relevant idea that is more understandable to the Filipino people.

Of course, the primacy of written revelation is still an important factor for the ultimate essence of the concept. Yet, there is openness to cultural relevance especially in religious matters since we are dealing with Filipino religiosity. When the relationship of these two factors—revelation and culture—are laid, then there could be a dialogue with western philosophies so as to give a dynamic interaction with intellectual honesty and philosophical growth.

The originality and distinction of Filipino religiosity is positive and potential in that there is a unique blend of many influences that somehow shaped the contemporary understanding of Filipino reasoning. Due to the fact that Filipino religiosity is not at all an original and ancient type of religious understanding, and our line of thought are not that established in comparison to the long tradition of western reasoning, there could be a way of bringing out this unique blend of reasoning that is special and relevant especially to those who understand it well.

For me, doing Filipino theology could have rootedness and relevant reasoning if western (if there is no other available) methodology were utilized. It could have helped in the rise of a Filipino philosophical way of reasoning in theology at least in the beginning. For in due time, when Filipino theology can make a creative methodology of its own, then it would be a rewarding moment.