Echoes of Formosa Speaks : Joshua Wen‐kwei Liao and Taiwan Independence

The philosopher Joshua Wen‐kwei Liao is known as a founding theorist of the Taiwan independence movement. My aim is to engage with his Formosa Speaks (1950) as a primary text of postcolonial political philosophy, and trace its influence on the ongoing Taiwan independence movement. I start with two of its lessons that have resonated: (1) the international legal status of Taiwan remains undetermined; and (2) a distinctive Taiwan identity has been formed by a history of colonization. I then turn to three of its lessons that have not, at least not fully: (3) Taiwan independence need not be racialist; (4) Taiwan independence need not be merely a remedial response; and (5) Taiwan independence need not go by the official name of “Taiwan”.