Paolo Freire (1970): "The desire for conquest is at all times present in antidialogical action. To this end the oppressors attempt to destroy in the oppressed their quality as 'considerers' of the world. Since the oppressors cannot totally achieve this destruction, they must mythicize the world."

As far as we know José Rizal (1861-1896) never met Theodor Fontane (1819-1898) during his sojourn in Berlin in the winter of 1886/87, but as the young Asian author moved outwards to embrace European ideas we find a corresponding outward movement to the world, to Asia, in Fontane's late works.

Spheres of influence were no less relevant for Filipino nation builders like José Rizal in the late nineteenth century than they are for us today. Rizal's sketch shows American, British, Dutch, French and Spanish spheres of influence in the Pacific. Image source: Archive.org