Influx of Liberal ideas in the Philippines

Liberal ideas from French revolution

On November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal was opened to navigation. It made the Philippine
closer to the world trade, communication, and travel. The canal 103 miles long and
connects the red sea and Mediterranean Sea the Philippines was opened by Spain to the
world trade (1834).
The Spanish Revolution of 1868 the triumph of liberalism in Spain against the autocratic
rule of Isabela ll (1833-1869). Resounded across the seas to the shores of her overseas
colonies the Filipinos came to enjoy for the first time the sweet taste of a liberal regime
including
 Freedom of speech
 Freedom of the press
 Freedom of assembly and other human rights

Liberal ideas, contained book newspapers, were ideologies of the American and French
Revolutions and thoughts of different philosophers. Montesquie, Rousseau, Voltaire,
Lock and Jefferson and other political philosophers,
Moret Decree of 1870
Intended to secularize higher education in the Philippines
Governor General Carlos dela Torre y Nacavacerrada (1869-1871)
 Abolished censorship of press
 Abolished whipping as punishment
 Solved the agrarian unrest in Cavite

Liberal ideas from French revolution

Liberty, Equality and Fraternity

 “Equality of political rights” Aristotle

 “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine
 “Two Treatise of Government” by John Locke
 “Social Contract” by Jean Jacques Rousseau
 “Absolute monarchy” Thomas Hobbes
 “Authority of sovereign power” Imanuel Khan

Core liberal values

 Individualism – belief in the importance of the individual over any social group
or collective body.
 Rationalism – exercise of the human reason and critical inquiry.
 Freedom – ability to think or act as one wish.
 Responsibility- being responsible for oneself and one’s own economic and
social circumstances.
 Justice – morally justifiable distribution of reward and punishment.
 Tolerance – willingness to accept views or actions that one disagrees