An evaluation of the philosophical foundations of Philippine liberal-democracy

Having been subjected to the powerful forces of tyranny and communism and a long history of oligarchic rule, the Philippines has failed in its constitutional goal of achieving the principles of liberal-democracy. This dissertation looks into the causes of liberal-democracy's failure in the Philippines by analyzing its philosophical foundations, believing that in contrast with the teachings of modern historicism and Marxist materialism, ideas and ideals shape and guide political life.;The reversal of this policy by the Democratic Party through the presidency of Woodrow Wilson in 1913 might have contributed to liberal-democracy's demise in the Philippines, for the policy that was implemented advocated principles of government grounded on historicist and progressive ideas, on evolving, changeable, and unfixed principles of government as determined by historical and cultural circumstances. Following Wilson's doctrine of national self-determination, the Democrats sought to grant an early independence to the Filipinos through the "Filipinization" of the political process. But this created disastrous results because it happened at a time when the local leadership was ill-equipped with the knowledge of their rights and duties and lacking in capacity for self-government. In the absence of universal standards of government, Philippine liberal-democracy fell victim to moral relativism, to standards of government as determined by the local leadership. This had resulted in an oligarchic rule, which, in turn, led to the rise of tyranny, on one side, and communism, on the other, and created a passive populace with little understanding of the meaning and purpose of liberal-democracy.;Applying the natural rights/historicist dichotomy, this dissertation argues that the initial American colonial policy (1901-1912) of the Republican-led colonial administration of launching the American democratic experiment could have provided a more solid foundation for liberal-democracy in the Philippines because the principles of government enunciated, having their origins in the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, would have offered fixed, universal, and moral standards of government based on people's natural rights and genuine republicanism.