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Mexican philosophy, which came into focus in the last century, following the Mexican Revolution, is a rich and wide-ranging tradition with much to offer readers today. Emerging in defiance of the Western philosophy bound up with colonial power, it boasts a range of powerful ideas and advice for modern-day life. A tradition deeply tied to Mexico's history of colonization, revolution, resistance, and persistence through hardship, this philosophy has much to teach us. Incorporating stories from his family's and his ancestors' Mexican and Mexican-American experiences, Carlos Alberto Sánchez provides an intriguing guide for readers of all backgrounds, including those who will be learning about philosophy (or Mexico) for the first time.
List of contents
- PREFACE
- Mexican Philosophy as a Guide to Life
- PART I
- TWO VERY SHORT INTRODUCTIONS TO MEXICAN PHILOSOPHY
- Chapter 1: In the Beginning. . .Philosophy in Mexico
- Chapter 2: In the 20th Century. . . Mexican Philosophy
- PART II
- 4 IMPORTANT THEMES
- Chapter 3: You are Always on the Way (On Nepantla)
- Chapter 4: You are Where You Are(On Circumstantialism)
- Chapter 5: (Un)Fortunate Destinies(On Accidentality)
- Chapter 6: About My Mother's Mole(On Anti-Essentialism)
- PART III
- INSTRUCTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, ORIENTATIONS
- Chapter 7: Listen In on Yourself
- Chapter 8: Be Charitable
- Chapter 9: Be Late to Parties
- Chapter 10: Don't Fear Ghosts
- Chapter 11: Be Originary
- Chapter 12: Embrace Zozobra
- Chapter 13: Don't Be a Relajiento
- Chapter 14: Don't be an Apretado
- Chapter 15: The Uses (and Abuses) of Socratic Irony
- Chapter 16: Model Personalities
- Chapter 17: Be a Dignified Cynic
- Chapter 18: Don't Be a Troll
- Chapter 19: Insert Yourself in the Narrative
- Chapter 20: A Lesson from the Invention of America
- Chapter 21: Love Without Violence
- Chapter 22: Value Other Perspectives
- Chapter 23: Be Like the Rabbit
- Chapter 24: When to Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth
- Chapter 25: Love What You Do
- Chapter 26: Avoid Cults
- Chapter 27: Enjoy an Occasional Rivalry
- PART IV
- DICHOS
- Chapter 28: My Abuelo's Favorite Dicho
- Chapter 29: My Abuela's Favorite Dicho
- PART V
- MORE ON MEXICAN PHILOSOPHY
- Chapter 30: Doing Philosophy Mexican Style!
- Bibliography and Further Reading
About the author
Carlos Alberto Sánchez is Professor of Philosophy at San José State University, where he teaches and publishes on Mexican philosophy and its history. He grew up in Michoacán, Mexico and King City, California. He is the co-founder and executive editor of the
Journal of Mexican Philosophy.
Summary
When we think of philosophy that can guide us in our everyday lives, we are more likely to think of Ancient Greece or Rome than we are 20th-century Mexico. But Mexican philosophy, which came into focus in the last century, following the Mexican Revolution, is a rich and wide-ranging tradition with much to offer readers today. Emerging in defiance of the Western philosophy bound up with colonial power--first brought to Mexico with the Augustinians in the 16th century, and, like so much else, imposed on Mexicans for centuries after that--it boasts a range of powerful ideas and advice for modern-day life. A tradition deeply tied to Mexico's history of colonization, revolution, resistance, and persistence through hardship, this philosophy has much to teach us.
Mexican philosophers had to grapple with questions particular to Mexico that have implications that anyone can and should learn from. Given the way we all must contend with life's unexpected twists and turns, how can we preserve a sense of ourselves, and a coherent way of thinking about the world? If history is really a sequence of accidents, each affecting the next, how can we think about what we should be doing in our lives? How can we understand who we are, if we are the product of such accidents of history? How can we deal with emotions that conflict with one another? How can we keep our spirits up when we feel like we are always on our way to a far-off goal? Mexican philosophy offers a specific, historically- and culturally-rooted way to think about these universal questions. We can appreciate the way its ideas followed from the accidents of history that created modern-day Mexico, while also appreciating that they are as universally profound as those passed down in the Western tradition. Mexican philosophy also offers an array of fascinating concepts and directives, from recommending cultivating a rival as a source of motivation to teaching how to deal with trouble-makers and reminding us to respect other people on their own terms.
Mexican philosophy is a varied, dynamic, and deeply modern resource for meaningful, distinctive wisdom to guide us through our lives. Incorporating stories from his family's and his ancestors' Mexican and Mexican-American experiences, Carlos Alberto Sánchez provides an intriguing guide for readers of all backgrounds, including those who will be learning about philosophy (or Mexico) for the first time.
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Surprisingly breezy to read, this book, subtitled "How Mexican Philosophy Can Guide Us Toward the Good Life," revealed mind-blowing concepts from a field I didn't know existed.
