The Need For Epistemological Approach To Revolutions

Written on Saturday, June 28th, 2008 at 7:56 pm | by Patricio Mangubat

In his study on revolutions, Sociologist Walter Goldfrank summed up his observations by listing four prerequisites for revolutions to occur: a favorable world context, an administrative and coercive crisis of the state, widespread rural rebellion and dissident elite movement(s). The first three, says Goldfrank, synthesized to form a revolutionary situation. The fourth, given the near-automatic existence of alternate contenders, emerges to effect political and social transformation after military superiority is proved.

Political scientist James Davies meanwhile said that revolutions occur during a short period of sharp reversals; when people are jolted from their seats and realize the imminent threats to their very lives caused by ineffective governance. Various statistics—as on rural uprisings, industrial strikes, unemployment and cost of living—may serve as crude indexes of popular moods. Yet, these are pre-eminent indications of a rising undercurrent of dissent among affected classes.

However, we find in history that such conditions, though existing, did not necessarily lead to a revolution. In the Philippines, such preconditions only ripen to a full-blown revolt only when led by the intellectual classes. Marx theory of the leadership of the proletariat and Theda Scocpol’s agrarian uprisings do not apply in the Philippine context. Our history is replete with pseudo-revolutions or roughly incomplete revolutions that explain why we are still unable to truly progress towards complete state development.

Less I be accused of distorting history, yes, we do find pockets of agrarian-based revolts in our historical experience; but these are aberrations rather than stages in a continuing revolution. Idealists among us are quick to say that such incidents are interlinked. Close study reveals that causes may be the same, but we find no unified agenda among groups who led these incidents. Our failure to grasp this historical realities is the true cause of our failure to launch genuine revolutions of such magnitude as to cause real change in our society.

Towards an Epistemological approach to revolutions

True revolutions, as Clifford Kroeber wrote, need a comprehensive and general theory or strategy. The lack of such a model causes disruptions and failures in effecting strategy. We may launch thousands of rallies against the state but it will not lead to total change. We may organize the Filipino proletariat, yet, this will not lead to their emancipation nor the establishment of a dictatorship of this class.

Our present situation calls for an epistemological examination of our history through what I call the “synthesis of causes.” We are caught, as Thomas Kuhn described, in our own individualized world views or “paradigms” that reflect on invididual accumulations of social norms and reward processes that hinders us from considering certain actions for change. We are being held back by our very situation to truly push for a liberating strategy against this parasitic state.

A re-examination of what is Filipino and what is his concepts of change may contribute towards an epistemological solution. However, we need to create social cycles that would lead to a psycho-social evolution marked by the dominance of the intellectual entrepreneur. It is this class that would lead a genuine People’s Revolution. A social cycle allows one collective mindset–a class–to emerge, set up and assume a dominant position whenever a former collective mindset or class has been corrupted or has degenerated. The exigency of such a strategy is pre-eminent given the present condition of the Philippine state.

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About The Author: Patricio Mangubat is a pseudonym. It means "country fight". Yet, the one behind this name is real. He can be briefly described as a long-time activist as well as a communication strategist. He blogs at The New Philippine Revolution.

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6 Responses to “The Need For Epistemological Approach To Revolutions”

  1. Ding G. Gagelonia on June 29th, 2008 7:20 am

    Pat,

    Given the situation our society is beset with, would you say we are ripe or at least ‘manibalang’? How is our situation cushioned, if we nay call it that, by the lifeline from Filipinos, 24,000-plus daily, who leave for
    distant shores to work and send back sustenance to their kin resigned to the fact that meaningful governance is absent?

    You also have the thoroughly apolitical among us who rightly, or wrongly just don’t want to waste their time with the acrobatics of our pseudo-intelligent trad-pols and the political elite who have ambush our institutions of governance.

    Quo vadis?

  2. caffeine_sparks on June 29th, 2008 7:22 am

    Do you mind clarifying what you mean by ‘revolution?’

  3. marocharim on June 29th, 2008 11:19 am

    Patricio:

    I see it in terms of paradigms, say, Thomas Kuhn. Revolution is itself a science.

  4. benign0 on June 29th, 2008 7:07 pm

    In other words we shouldn’t look to politics as an ultimate source of change.

    Rather we should examine the nature of the change require at the very fabric of our society - the very DNA of what it means to be Filipino: our culture and belief systems itself.

  5. Patricio Mangubat on June 30th, 2008 9:50 am

    Yes, that’s correct Benigno. Very well said indeed!

  6. benign0 on June 30th, 2008 10:51 am

    Maybe if we do just that, we can finally break free of our endless cycle of mickey mouse politics (and their “genuine”/”united” oppositions), our blame-the-imperialists/elitists/weather hobbies, and our waiting-for-heroes-to-gallop-in-from-the-horizon mentalities.

    Kung baga, it’s time to JUNK our no-results, primitivist belief systems and free the Pinoy mind from imprisonment by dogma, tradition, and false humility.

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