Blackwell Reference Online

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José Rizal, Filipino thinker and activist, may be considered the first systematic social thinker in Southeast Asia. While the bulk of his writings were not in the social sciences, it is possible to extract a sociological theory from his works. This would be a theory that explains the nature and conditions of Filipino colonial society, and the requirements for emancipation. José Protasio Rizal y Alonso was born in Calamba, Laguna, the Philippines on June 19, 1861 to a wealthy family. His father ran a sugar plantation on land leased from the Dominican Order, while his mother was a highly educated woman. Rizal was educated at home till he was 11 years of age, after which he attended the best schools in Manila. He went on to study at the Ateneo de Manila University and then the University of Santo Thomas. He was known to be a well-rounded student, having studied medicine and the humanities simultaneously. In addition to being a qualified ophthalmic doctor, Rizal was also a writer, poet, ethnologist, sculptor, cartoonist, fencer, sharpshooter, and linguist ( Coates 1978 : 1905–6). In 1882 Rizal left for Spain where he continued his studies in medicine and the humanities at the Universidad Central in Madrid. At the same time, he became familiar with liberal movements and modern constitutions and began to draw lessons for the analysis of Spanish rule in the Philippines. Within a few years, ... log in or subscribe to read full text