Strong Family, Weak State

If the Outsiders eyes are sympathetic, we discover a dimension of our society that we ignore because we are used to it. Lukas Kaelin, a Swiss philosopher, taught at the philosophy department of the Ateneo de Manila University in 20062008. Interested in the affairs of his host country, he decided to write his observations on the relationship between the family, civil society and the state. . . . Kaelins framework is relatively new in the Philippines: Hegelian thought. Misinterpreted in the past as too abstract, Hegels thought is now enjoying a significant rediscovery worldwide for its profound analysis of still relevant themes, such as the relationship between the family and the state, or the distinction between the private and the public spheres.Fernando N. Zialcita, Ateneo de Manila University