What is Political Philosophy?

The advent of the Second World War has not only destroyed the social, economic, and moral fabric of human society, the global conflict also erased humankind’s faith in reason itself. The rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe meant that men and women no longer believed in reason. After the end of the war, political philosophy became an abstraction of society's aspirations. Human civilization lost its passion in pursuing the moral good. Echoing Machiavelli, people point to the distinction between the real and the ideal in politics. Even philosophy itself turned to language. Politics meant nothing to scholars who would rather do linguistic analysis.

A Multicultural Approach to Practical Ethics

(Public Lecture, Applied Ethics Seminar, Silliman University, 2018)

Practical issues are often discussed or resolved using Western values, perspectives, and principles. This is not necessarily wrong, but it narrowly sees things and is somewhat dismissive of communal values. A plurality of values, in this way, is preferred, given the multicultural nature of society. Generally, ethics is not the catalog of right and wrong, or a set of moral prescriptions. Rather, it is a discipline that concerns with the rules and principles that determine some standard of moral reasoning. Moral reasoning, however, must go beyond theories. Larry May and Jill Delston suggest that people can begin with what is concrete – rules, codes, and social rules.

Social Justice and the Politics of Difference

(Public Lecture, 5th Philosophers' Rally, Ateneo de Davao University, 2017)

The philosophical itinerary of this inquiry will not seek to offer an alternative theory of justice to that of Rawls. But instead, it will attempt to rework the requirements[1] in the Rawlsian starting point and reconstruct its normative content in order to include situated and historical contexts. It will revise the ahistorical nature of the Rawlsian ‘original position’, using the context of a ‘politics of difference’, taking into account the reality of unfair ‘positional differences’ in society.[2]

Analysis: Social Justice, CCT Program and the Dignity of the Poor

In The Filipino Search for Meaning (1974), Fr. Vitaliano Gorospe, S.J., poses this fundamental point of inquiry: "How many Filipinos are really free to take into their own hands their own development and destiny and achieve by their own efforts the full human life to which they aspire?" (p.427) This question above is crucial in the issue of social justice. The ideal of social justice, as a matter of principle, is "based on the dignity of the human person", and incontrovertibly, includes "the relationship of the person to the material world and to the socio-economic structures of society." (p.438)

What is Human Development?

(Conference Paper, PHAVISMINDA Conference, Ilo-ilo City, 2011)

In this paper, I will argue that while the democratic rights and entitlements of people are important, it matters how people are really able to fully use them, and how they use them depends on their sense of self-worth. The basic point is that to make democracy work, it must be stressed that democratic procedures alone do not guarantee the creation of a just or well-ordered society. In this sense, I will explain the important distinction between procedural and substantive democracy. If democracy is meant to serve the moral ends of society, then it must benefit ordinary people. Human development begins with the kind of choices people make and these choices are a reflection of the substantive freedoms people have and enjoy. Democratic institutions need to be repaired and strengthened, but this requires more than the improvement of constitutional provisions. The value of true democracy then depends on how people value their dignity as human beings.

What is Liberal Equality?

(Public Lecture, Philosophy Day, Notre Dame University, Cotabato City, 2010)

Classical utilitarianism argues that the basic moral value is utility or welfare. The basic moral good in this sense is that which is most beneficial. As such, the moral act is one that is aimed at the achievement of material satisfaction or gain. The human person, in this regard, is only secondary. The right act is always the achievement of the optimum benefit. This undermines the moral worth of the person, for ultimately, the person can be used in order to achieve maximum utility.