What José Rizal thinks about government
Filipino writer and nationalist (1861 to 1896); ophthalmologist and a key member of the Propaganda Movement for political reform under Spanish rule.
José Rizal did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
3 dated positions, 1889 to 1890, in their own words. Our reading of what José Rizal has said — not written or endorsed by them.
The line under a date shows how recently it was said: empty within a month, full after three years.
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Their wordsTherefore, we repeat, and we will ever repeat, while there is time, that it is better to keep pace with the desires of a people than to give way before them: the former begets sympathy and love, the latter contempt and anger.
↗The Philippines a Century Hence (tr. Charles Derbyshire, ed. Austin Craig, 1912)gutenberg.org 6th of 7 in this piece
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Their wordsSince it is necessary to grant six million Filipinos their rights, so that they may be in fact Spaniards, let the government grant these rights freely and spontaneously, without damaging reservations, without irritating mistrust.
↗The Philippines a Century Hence (tr. Charles Derbyshire, ed. Austin Craig, 1912)gutenberg.org 7th of 7 in this piece
- 7 weeks earlier
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Their wordsWe said, and once more we repeat, and will ever assert, that reforms which have a palliative character are not only ineffectual but even prejudicial, when the government is confronted with evils that must be cured radically.
↗The Philippines a Century Hence (tr. Charles Derbyshire, ed. Austin Craig, 1912)gutenberg.org 1st of 7 in this piece
The line under a date fills as the words age, a quarter at a time: past a month, six months, a year, and three years. Empty means said within the last month; full, more than three years ago. It says when, not whether it still holds — a change of mind is marked on the claim itself.
Dashed means we only know the words existed by that date; they may be older.