The Philosophy of Filipino Culture
Philosophy of Filipino Culture
May 20, 2010
Crossing Cultures: A Philosophical Reflection on Filipino Culture and Cultural Transition Experienced by Third Culture Kids
Oh it's a mystery to me.
We have a greed, with which we have agreed... and you think you have to want more than you need... until you have it all, you won't be free.
Society, you're a crazy breed.
I hope you're not lonely, without me.
- Eddie Vedder (Society)
In a world that is becoming increasingly smaller as globalization takes its universal toll on countries and cultures, the sentiments expressed in the lyrics of this song often resonate with the individual trying to find a sense of identity through society and feeling overwhelmed by it. As we have learned in class, an individual tries to concretize him/herself by acting in the world as a “dynamic X.” This characteristic, as explained by Max Scheller, is a universal factor inherent in everyone that drives us as humans to try to find our identity in a world that is constantly changing around us. Being a “Dynamic X” we ourselves are constantly changing, and we triangulate our sense of identity by comparing ourselves to the society around us to try and develop a sense of who we are through achievement, careers, personal preference of music, movies, literature and – most importantly – our name. It is through our name that we present ourselves and our capacity for historicity to the world. It is also through our name that we are known and recognized as part of a society. Considering the inherent characteristic of being a “Dynamic X” and how we use it to derive a sense of identity, the most influential factor which we use as a reference to triangulate our identity is culture. Culture, as we have learned in class, tells us how to be a person amongst others. The culture to which we are born into is something that we are affected by without having a conscious choice in how it affects us. As we develop into adults, we
May 20, 2010
Crossing Cultures: A Philosophical Reflection on Filipino Culture and Cultural Transition Experienced by Third Culture Kids
Oh it's a mystery to me.
We have a greed, with which we have agreed... and you think you have to want more than you need... until you have it all, you won't be free.
Society, you're a crazy breed.
I hope you're not lonely, without me.
- Eddie Vedder (Society)
In a world that is becoming increasingly smaller as globalization takes its universal toll on countries and cultures, the sentiments expressed in the lyrics of this song often resonate with the individual trying to find a sense of identity through society and feeling overwhelmed by it. As we have learned in class, an individual tries to concretize him/herself by acting in the world as a “dynamic X.” This characteristic, as explained by Max Scheller, is a universal factor inherent in everyone that drives us as humans to try to find our identity in a world that is constantly changing around us. Being a “Dynamic X” we ourselves are constantly changing, and we triangulate our sense of identity by comparing ourselves to the society around us to try and develop a sense of who we are through achievement, careers, personal preference of music, movies, literature and – most importantly – our name. It is through our name that we present ourselves and our capacity for historicity to the world. It is also through our name that we are known and recognized as part of a society. Considering the inherent characteristic of being a “Dynamic X” and how we use it to derive a sense of identity, the most influential factor which we use as a reference to triangulate our identity is culture. Culture, as we have learned in class, tells us how to be a person amongst others. The culture to which we are born into is something that we are affected by without having a conscious choice in how it affects us. As we develop into adults, we