Explanation:
The Philippines have faced numerous trials and ordeals with regards to its government and the welfare of the people. It has endured the Spanish, American and Japanese governance. It has suffered through Martial Law. It has faced a huge number of coup d’états. And it has gone through a lot of corruption. Aside from the mishaps of governance, the Philippines has also experienced and is still experiencing economic instability. Despite all of these, there may be a solution to the problems currently faced by the Philippines. The solution may be found in a book that dates back as far as the 4th century BCE – The Arthashastra. The Arthashastra is believed to be a manual of how to control a state that is ruled by a king. It contained a variety of topics about management, more specifically, wealth management. Aside from that, the topics covered are somewhat modern and contemporary although it was written in the 4th century BCE. Through the years, it had stood its ground as the oldest book on management. The Arthashastra is then a book that can still be used to address the modern problems faced by the Philippines. This exposition of the knowledge that is known in the 4th century BCE will aid the Philippines in its quest for good governance and economic stability.
Kautilya on Good Governance: Theory and Application
According to the Arthashastra, good governance comes with peace and order which can be achieved through the collaboration of different factors in a community. The first of these factors is the leader. The leader is the one held responsible for everything that is happening in a community. In Indian society, the leader or the king plays a very important role as he is the one leading the nation and thus, must exhibit a lot of virtues. Because the Arthashastra’s main goal is to maintain the welfare of the people, called Yoga-kshema, the leader of the society must work for this goal [1] .This goal must be the most important priority even against the leader’s own needs. This is what true service is all about.