El legado del ignorantismo Conferencia dada el 23 de abril de 1920 ante la Asamblea de Maestros en Baguio

In this startling address, a passionate educator confronts the complacency of teachers who claim mastery of knowledge while refusing to truly engage with it. He traces the emergence of a collective moral consciousness in the Philippines, likening it to the recent awakening to public hygiene that has reshaped daily life in Manila. By questioning whether vice is actually increasing, he argues that the growing outcry itself signals a healthier, more aware citizenry.

The speaker then examines how the new “pro‑hygienic” public opinion has turned scrutiny toward institutions once taken for granted, exposing gaps that were invisible before education broadened people’s understanding. He uses vivid analogies—such as warning signs unread by the illiterate—to illustrate how ignorance can mask danger, and he warns that moral crusades, like the campaign against cockfighting, often arise from a larger pool of informed opposition rather than a rise in the condemned practice itself. The lecture invites listeners to consider how education reshapes both perception and responsibility in a rapidly changing society.