Social Justice in the armed conflicts

The University of the Philippines Los Baños Philosophy program distinguishes itself through its specialization in applied philosophy and cultivation of critical, creative, caring, and collaborative thinking among its students. As a consequence, the discussion and application of philosophical theories, concepts, and methods inevitably lead to reflection on social issues confronting the world today. Philosophical discussions and reflections in classrooms often foreground the reality of the oppression of marginalized identities.

The members of the UPLB Sophia Circle, the premier philosophical organization at UPLB, have always been committed to bringing philosophical theories into practice through a philosophical education that emphasizes application. In a time when global powers exhibit renewed forms of colonialism, sexist conservative rhetoric justifying the subjugation of women is increasingly deployed on social media, and corruption prevails as a sign of indifference to the impoverished, the organization believes that looking into the conditions of peripheral identities becomes paramount. Thus, on the UPLB Sophia Circle’s 25th  anniversary, the organization aims to provide an avenue for discourse on the conditions and liberation of marginalized communities. 

Throughout the years, there have been many works by Filipino thinkers about philosophy at the margins. Many of these works reflect on the realities Filipino philosophers experience or observe because of their identities (as Filipinos, indigenous peoples, women, or queer people) or the communities in which they are immersed (such as indigenous and urban poor communities, and the male-dominated academe, among others). Hence, the conference aims to broaden the discourse, as there have been very few conferences in recent years that provide space dedicated to engagement and reflection on oppression and marginalization. In doing so, the organization hopes that the conference inspires undergraduate students to continue writing on philosophies at the margins, amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized identities.