By Menelito Mansueto (MSU-IIT)
Christopher Ryan Maboloc is a Davao-based Filipino scholar known for his work in Bioethics, Social and Political philosophy, Philippine Democracy, and the Philosophy of Technology. He is an Associate Professor at Ateneo de Davao University and a Visiting Professor at Silliman University. His body of work often engages with topics of social justice, structural inequality, and political ethics, particularly in the context of the Philippines. An Erasmus Mundus scholar, the author was trained in political party building and democratic governance at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Bonn and Berlin, Germany.
A recipient of the Public Intellectual Prize from the Philosophical Association of the Philippines in 2020 and the founding President of the Social Ethics Society (SES), his noteworthy contribution is the use of philosophical theories to understand different social-political issues and problems. Maboloc explores the juxtapositions between moral theory and real-world problems, grounding ethics in a more dynamic context. He is critical of the dominant liberal tradition in the analysis of Philippine politics and society espoused by many Manila-based scholars.
The author of more than a hundred articles and chapters and five textbooks, Maboloc has published papers on the Rawlsian theory of justice, the topic of his doctoral dissertation under the guidance of Dr. Charito Pizarro. His work also tackles the ethics of care and communitarianism, emphasizing the role of love and identity, community, and group solidarity in ethical reasoning. In his research on the politics of exclusion, he addresses the marginalization of people with disabilities, questioning traditional ideas of autonomy and advocating for what he calls systems modeling.
With almost 30 years of teaching experience, he has presented important papers in conferences here and abroad, including the 2023 Asian Bioethics Conference in Malaysia and the 2024 World Congress of Philosophy in Rome. He has delivered more than a hundred papers in lectures, conferences, and talks. Maboloc is a well-cited author having been ranked number 1 for the subfield Philosophy in the Philippines in the Alper-Doger World Scientific Index. He has published papers in Springer, Sage, Oxford University Press, Columbia University Press, and Cambridge University Press.
A fellow of ASAP Yale University Global Justice Program where he was mentored by the renowned philosopher Thomas Pogge, his body of work is significant for providing a voice to underrepresented voices and for being critical of dominant Western paradigms in ethics and philosophy. He has engaged with leading scholars, including Darryl Macer, Wataru Kusaka, and Nima Rezaei. He has also done research on Peace and Conflict Studies with Juichiro Tanabe of Waseda University and has written on the current war between Russia and Ukraine.
Radical Democracy in the Time of Duterte
Maboloc's most prominent and controversial work is the book Radical Democracy in the Time of Duterte. Critics have written papers against the conclusion of the philosopher from Davao City. The book clinically examined the political situation in the Philippines under the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte through the perspective of Chantal Mouffe’s radical democracy. Maboloc analyzed how Duterte's leadership character and policies disrupted "traditional liberal democratic values, such as human rights and freedom of speech, while gaining significant public support."
In fact, a review of this work by a University of the Philippines Diliman professor suggests that it "delves into the contradictions and complexities of Duterte's populist approach, arguing that his administration's methods embody elements of radical democracy. This perspective is rooted in the inclusion of marginalized voices, albeit in a controversial and often coercive manner." The book also deals with Foucault's concept of power, modern liberalism, and social justice "to provide a nuanced understanding of how Duterte's governance resonated with a large segment of the Filipino populace."
Maboloc has done a careful reading of Philippine history, analyzing the seminal works of Patricio Abinales, Reynaldo Ileto, and Renato Constantino to understand the parallelisms between Duterte and past revolutionary leaders who exhibit a communitarian style of leadership. Fundamentally, Maboloc shows Duterte's approach as a reflection of the deep moral divide in the Philippines, emphasizing the need for understanding the communitarian roots of Duterte's legacy.
Philosophy of Technology
Maboloc, who studied political theory under Professor Goran Collste of Linköping University in Sweden, has done some work in the Philosophy of Technology, particularly in the context of a post-human world. His papers examine the influence of technology in shaping human consciousness, with a focus on how technological advances impact or affect everyday life. He focuses on the political dimension of technology and how it has reshaped modern day culture.
Using Andrew Feenberg and Herbert Marcuse's dialectical approach, Maboloc situates his conclusions within the ethical discourse on technology, emphasizing the power dynamics involved in technological applications. He questions the assumption that technology is inherently neutral, saying that the same can perpetuate social and economic divisions, especially when utilized in societies with existing socio-economic inequalities. Recently, his articles dealt with Artificial Intelligence and Nanotechnology.
One of his notable contributions in the field is his critique of the utopian tendencies that characterize much of the discourse on modern technology. Maboloc emphasizes that modernity, while unstoppable, often fails to consider deep-seated structural issues and problems. This point is critical in understanding how modern technology affects poor societies. His work challenges the lack of nuancing in understanding the influence of technology in contemporary human society and indigenous culture.
In essence, Maboloc’s work in the Philosophy of Technology reflects a critical analysis of how modern technology intersects with ethics, society, and politics using the context of the critical theory of technology. Maboloc has studied Heidegger's reflections on technology and the deterministic influences of modern day devices in shaping the lives of people in the world. He has written op-eds pertaining to digital ethics. He proposed the establishment of local policy making bodies to address the impact of AI and ChatGPT.
Philosophy of Education
Maboloc's philosophy of education is rooted in the distinction between the pragmatic and critical principles of learning. He advocates for an educational perspective that empowers students to critically question existing uneven structures and social realities in order to address systemic issues while also acknowledging the role of education in nation-building. Maboloc emphasizes that education is not just about the transfer of knowledge but the awareness of one's duties in the pursuit of the common good.
Following Paolo Freire, Maboloc challenges the traditional approach to education, arguing that the same is symptomatic of the unfair practices in society and its existing power structures that impede the development of creative and independent thought. Instead, he advocates the critical method which uses real life examples in the analysis of ethical issues and problems. This style encourages students to question social norms, think critically about political issues, and in the process, recognize their role in changing human society.
Bioethics
Using philosophical lenses, Maboloc wrote several papers on the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on its social, economic, and political implications, touching on the impact of globalization, consumerism, and the nature of power in biopolitics. Maboloc explores how globalization and consumerism have influenced human society. He analyzed the political and moral implications of the public health crisis, arguing that "consumer culture has exacerbated inequality and impacted access to healthcare."
In pursuing the concept of biopower, he explains how the pandemic has put to task democratic values and challenged the balance between public safety and human rights. He also draws on philosophical insights to emphasize the concept of decency while highlighting the deficiencies of modern society. Some of his works on the pandemic have been published as book chapters. He is part of the WeCope Committee established by Dr. Darry Macer during the Covid-19 Pandemic to help provide expert advice on public health.
Beyond Academia
Maboloc remains engaged in societal and political issues, having been a consultant to politicians and other political organizations. Through the years, Maboloc has continued to influence the philosophical landscape by writing op-eds on social and political issues in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He was a Scholarum Awards nominee for Best Newspaper Column, a recognition given by De La Salle University. The scholar is also credited as instrumental in the advancement of philosophy in Mindanao. As early as year 2008 while taking his masters in Europe, he started a blog that featured his short essays. Two years later, he will co-found the Social Ethics Society (SES) with Dr. Romulo Bautista.
The SES is the first professional organization for philosophy in Mindanao, which has grown from a membership of 15 to more than a hundred nationwide. The SES gave important exposure to young scholars in the national and international philosophical community. Like myself, the influence has been enriching, enabling many to develop and establish one's niche in the discipline. The scholar, however, has not only used the might of the pen. He is also active outside academia, having co-founded a technical-vocational school in his community that gave free training and benefitted more than 2,000 people.
As a consultant to the City Government of Davao, he worked with the Department of Education in the city to design the module for the Dabawenyo DCPlinado Curriculum Integration Program, which is implemented in the City of Davao. He has also advocated for the establishment of a local Artificial Intelligence policy body and has advised the local government on how the City College can expand and adapt to the emerging methods of learning given the advent of ChatGPT and other LLM platforms.
The author is active in social media and is a noted commentator on pressing political and social issues. He gives interviews to local radio stations and continues to write columns in local dailies like Edge Davao and the Mindanao Journal. Maboloc is also a global opinion columnist for South Korea's Cheonji Daily News. He has written on the US Elections, Climate Change, and Global Poverty. He is of course also known as the author of the famous short read, The Harshest Things You'll Ever Learn about Love.