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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Rizal: Cutting History Off the Pass--A Public Lecture by Benedict Anderson

(Please click this link to view the lecture.)

LECTURE ABSTRACT
The nineteenth century marks the period in which “homogenous empty time” was globalized, signalled by the arrival and rapid spread of the world-telegraph system. One effect was the repositioning of geographically “nearby strangers” as historically “backward” fellow-nationals. Another was to conceptually reorganize the world in terms of an unstable competition along the highway of progress. For the colonial world, this opened the way for shame at being backward, but also the hope of catching up and surpassing. This change made it possible for intellectuals in the peripheries to think about the future in interesting new ways. Rizal is the outstanding example for the Philippines: If imperial Spain is “backward,” what will the Philippines be like in 100 years time? The lecture will concentrate on Rizal’s El Filibusterismo in this general context, focusing especially on his unique “time-machine” methods. The Fili is an outstanding example of manipulations of time across vast geographical spaces which has no parallel in core European literature. Is it/was it possible to write a novel in the future tense? With what consequences?


SPONSORS
UP Third World Studies Center, UP College of Arts and Letters, and the Office of the Chancellor, University of the Philippines- Diliman

DATE
November 19, 2008 (Wednesday), 2:30 - 4:30 PM

VENUE
Pulungang Claro M. Recto
Bulwagang Rizal (Faculty Center)
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City

PROGRAM

2:00-2:30
Registration

2:30-2:35
Welcome Remarks
Jose Wendell P. Capili, PhD
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
College of Arts and Letters

2:35-2:40
Introduction of the Speaker

2:40-3:40
Lecture

BENEDICT ANDERSON, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Department of Government
Cornell University

3:40-4:25
Open Forum

4:25-4:30
Concluding Comments from the Speaker


Moderator

Maria Ela L. Atienza, PhD
Deputy Director
Third World Studies Center