Liberalism and the Postcolony: Thinking the State in 20th-Century Philippines(Kyoto-CSEAS Series on Asian Studies)

Extricating liberalism from the haze of anti-modernist and anti-European caricature, this book traces the role of liberal philosophy in the building of a new nation. It examines the role of toleration, rights, and mediation in the postcolony. Through the biographies of four Filipino scholar-bureaucrats—Camilo Osias, Salvador Araneta, Carlos P. Romulo, and Salvador P. Lopez—Lisandro E. Claudio argues that liberal thought served as the grammar of Filipino democracy in the 20th century. By looking at various articulations of liberalism in pedagogy, international affairs, economics, and literature, Claudio not only narrates an obscured history of the Philippine state, he also argues for a new liberalism rooted in the postcolonial experience, a timely intervention considering current developments in politics in Southeast Asia.

About the Author :
Lisandro E. Claudio is currently assistant professor at the Development Studies Program, Ateneo de Manila University. By May 2017, he will be associate professor at the Department of History, De La Salle University, Manila.

Review :
"It is a thoughtful and concise volume that channels the ideas of well-known but understudied Filipino liberal intellectuals from the past to enlighten us in our current epoch of creeping authoritarianism and growing insular nationalism.... This book was delightful to read."--Philip B. Guingona "Journal of Southeast Asian Studies (JSEAS)" "The book is clear in its approach and nuanced in its analysis. Through an intellectual biography of four Filipino liberals who served in government, Claudio demonstrates the deep tradition of liberalism in the Philippines. The power of the book lies in its vivid portrayals of Camilo Osias, Salvador Araneta, Carlos P. Romulo, and Salvador P. Lopez, with each personality representing liberal ideas in the fields of education, economics, foreign policy, and administration, respectively. What emerges from these narratives is an inductive description of liberalism in twentieth-century Philippines. The book's analytical style is both particular and outward-looking. It is cognizant of the peculiarities of the Philippines' postcolonial contexts while also portraying Filipino liberals not as vessels of Western thought but as active agents who have shaped the global conversations on human rights, democracy, economic redistribution, and freedom."-- "Pacific Affairs" "In this compelling and important book, Claudio documents the influence of liberal intellectuals in imagining--and building--the Filipino nation. . . . This is a timely book as illiberalism and populism are on the rise worldwide. Will liberal democracy survive the current challenges? We don't know, but Claudio makes us better equipped to grapple with this important question." --Sheila S. Coronel, dean of academic affairs, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism