The Philosophical Thoughts of Vajiravudh: A Dialogical Analysis from the Perspective of Critical Filipino Philosophy

Abstract

Vajiravudh (1881-1925), or King Rama VI of Siam, son of Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) and brother of Prajadhipok (King Rama VII), was a writer, nationalist, reformist, known as the Maha Thiraraja (philosopher king), and a creative genius among the Thai people. His context of a semi-colonial country that was pressured to embrace globalization and modernization still resonates with the
conditions of some parts of Southeast Asia, such as the Philippines. This paper explored his philosophical ideas from the point of view of critical Filipino philosophy, a family of discourses that can be traced back to the musings of the late 19th century Filipino propagandists, with the intention of gleaning meaningful lessons for the contemporary Filipino people. Specifically, this paper looked into Vajiravudh’s thoughts on nationalism and identity, the Chinese and Muslim minorities, modernization and international relations, politics, gender, and family, as well as on his use of literature in philosophizing. This paper is significant in building up the literature on comparative Southeast Asian philosophy.