In 1974 our first book on Filipino thought, Elements of Filipino Philosophy, was published. Other books and articles of a similar nature have followed. The present volume on Filipino philosophy commemorates the twentieth anniversary of that first work.

Many of the ideas in this book were clarified through constant dialogue in the classroom, in public lectures, in small groups, in private conversations, or through correspondence. In the first place my heartfelt thanks to my peers and students for their questions, answers, and comments. My deepest thanks go to the countless average Filipinos who have shared with me their world view.

Because of its similarity to Filipino thought, we included "Melanesian Philosophy" in the appendix of this volume. For this work we employed our usual methodologies during a stay in Papua, New Guinea (1985-1988).

Leonardo N. Mercado, SVD