This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Latin American Indigenous Philosophy — most prominently associated with Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions — to re-read the Taiwan IGF 2021 Taipei conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
Buen Vivir, rooted in Latin American indigenous thought and inscribed in Bolivian-Ecuadorian constitutions, names a concept of "good living." Debates on AI規制 at Taiwan IGF can be reinterrogated from this lens.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of Taiwan IGF becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
Alternative to developmentalism
Against Taiwan's development model, Buen Vivir centers harmony with community and nature rather than "more and faster" development. Digital infrastructure investment can be reviewed from this lens.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions-type problematic.
The national-level IGF (Taiwan IGF) is an attempt to redefine the modern category of the nation-state in the digital era.
Digital good living
Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2021 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "AI規制"
Discussion of "AI規制" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a central problematic. In Taiwan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around AI規制 are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "半導体"
Discussion of "半導体" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a derivative problematic. In Taiwan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 半導体 are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "デジタル外交"
Discussion of "デジタル外交" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Taiwan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around デジタル外交 are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "国内法整備"
Discussion of "国内法整備" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Taiwan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 国内法整備 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "政府＋民間協働"
Discussion of "政府＋民間協働" can be positioned, from the perspective of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In Taiwan's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 政府＋民間協働 are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in Taiwan.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.
Academic Positioning and Future Research
The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.
- Verification of the applicability of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Latin American Indigenous Philosophy and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of Taiwan
In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.
Primary Sources
- IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of Taiwan IGF.
- Taiwan IGF 2021 Taipei Conference Materials.
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Alberto Acosta / Bolivian-Ecuadorian Constitutions (representative texts of Latin American Indigenous Philosophy)
*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*
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第1稿投稿 2026年7月14日 10時04分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
