Abstract

This paper traces the conceptual resources of Philippine ilustrado nationalism in the specific concept of Filipino identity given by Father Jose Burgos in his acclaimed Manifiesto. It argues that the racial and social exclusivism essential to ilustrado nationalist ideology can be traced to the essentially religious character of Burgos' anti-friar polemic. By tracing this essential connection between Filipino identity and Catholicity, we are reminded of the dangers connected with the emancipatory promises ushered by nativist and ethnocentric thinking.