Some of the Mexican philosophers more important have been Leopodo Zea Aguilar, Alfonso Méndez Plancarte or Gabino Barreda. Mexico could be considered an important bastion of philosophical thought in Latin America.
For centuries, there have been many and diverse philosophers who have been born in these lands and have dedicated their lives to the search for knowledge and reflection. Those whose contributions have crossed borders can be counted today among the most notable Latin American philosophers .
Even before the twentieth century, in Mexico there were already those who devoted themselves to philosophical reflection. Nowadays Mexican philosophers are very numerous. However, there are a few whose influence has gone much further over time.
List of the main Mexican philosophers and their contributions
Leopoldo Zea Aguilar (1912 - 2004)
Considered one of the Latin American thinkers of greater importance and integrity. He was a disciple of José Gaos, who pushed him to dedicate himself exclusively to philosophical study and research.
His thought focused on Latin America, studying first the Mexican social context and then contributing proposals that would serve Latin American integration as a reality, and not a utopia.
He rejected American imperialist behavior and neocolonialism. A strong historical influence for Zea Aguilar was Simón Bolívar.
One of his greatest pursuits was the consolidation of a Latin American philosophy as the basis of a continental thought. He received the National Prize of Sciences and Arts in 1980.
Alfonso Méndez Plancarte (1909 - 1955)
He studied mainly Mexican culture and arts in his colonial period, and one of his greatest contributions was the study and preservation of the work of Sor Juana de la Cruz, a great Mexican thinker of the colonial era.
Alfonso Méndez Plancarte devoted much of his life to thorough research on previous works, which has allowed Mexican society to have a higher level of access to works and cultural and artistic works much earlier, thanks to the work of this philosopher and philologist .
Gabino Barreda (1818 - 1881)
One of the most outstanding Mexican philosophers of the nineteenth century. Was a positivist philosopher , and in his stage as an educator he was in charge of introducing the positivist method in teaching.
Among its main contributions are the reform of Mexican education and its struggle to maintain it as a fundamental pillar for Mexican social and cultural development.
With the passage of time, later generations of philosophers would reject their positivist positions to promote more humanistic and less scientific perspectives.
José Vasconcelos (1882 - 1959)
Outstanding Mexican philosopher. He was rector of the National University of Mexico, and in parallel with the philosophical thought, he dedicated himself to participate actively in politics.
He supported the Mexican Revolution and during his time as rector, he focused on sensitizing the university community to social action.
Among his main contributions and works are series on the triumph of the Mexican Revolution, the social and political decomposition of previous periods, and the institutional reconstruction after the revolution.
Antonio Caso (1883 - 1946)
He became rector of the National University of Mexico and founder, together with Vasconcelos, of a humanist group opposed to the positivist philosophical positions that dominated the academic and reflection environments at that time.
This group, the Ateneo de la Juventud, promoted the human being as a moral and spiritual individual, rather than coldly rational.
Case would greatly influence subsequent generations of philosophers. His thinking was greatly influenced by his Christian position, giving Jesus Christ a clear moral and spiritual authority over his philosophical reflections.
Caso was in charge of deconstructing human existence by classifying it into several parts: aesthetic, economic, moral, charitable, etc. His work has been considered a"philosophy of the Mexican", and allowed him to propose scenarios that work to improve the future of the national society.
Samuel Ramos (1897 - 1959)
Like many of his colleagues, he was trained at UNAM. His works stand out for philosophically addressing the Mexican identity and its psychological aspects. He was influenced by the work of Ortega y Gasset and Alfred Adler , mainly.
He was a pupil of Caso, from whom he separated after publishing a critique of him to continue developing his own thought. He took the psychological model as the basis of his philosophy.
Among his main recognized works, one that explores a complex of"inferiority"within the Mexican identity and behavior stands out.
Although controversial, his work has allowed us to approach with new eyes the cultural conflicts that afflict Mexican society, and Ramos has proposed that solutions must be adapted to the social and cultural reality.
Luis Villoro (1922 - 2014)
Professor and researcher of the UNAM, disciple of José Gaos and important founder of the Hyperion Group. He became president of the Philosophical Association of Mexico and is considered one of the most important references of the philosophy of this country.
Among his main contributions, he stood out for developing reflective themes around metaphysics; the scope of reason and its limitations; relationships between power and knowledge; reflective approaches to injustice; critical dimensions and practices of philosophy, etc.
His work also stands out for having addressed with great interest the philosophical thinking of Eastern cultures, feeling great respect for the differentiated aspects between these and Western philosophy itself.
Emilio Huranga (1921 - 1988)
Researcher, author and collaborator of multiple specialized publications, Emilio Huranga developed his career at the UNAM, and collaborated with other institutions. It would be influenced by the school of thought spread by José Gaos.
During his career, Huranga developed with special emphasis spaces for reflection on philosophical experiences and the realities on which it is based.
He became a representative of the UNAM in international philosophical congresses and had close contact with renowned humanists and thinkers such as Camus, Heidegger, Sartre, among others.
José Gaos (1900 - 1969)
He was born in Spain, but he went into exile in Mexico during the Spanish Civil War, where he became Mexican national and developed the rest of his career.
It is considered of great importance in the history of Mexican philosophy, since he was the mentor of a whole generation of Mexican philosophers.
Among his greatest contributions to Mexican philosophy are his stages as a professor at UNAM, having great European influences, as well as a whole series of translations (more than 70) of European philosophical works that brought Mexicans closer to a wider spectrum of thought and philosophical reflection.
Many of the philosophers who were his students founded a group of great academic importance and thought: the Hyperion Group.
Mario Magallón (1946 - present)
Formed at the UNAM, invited to the research participation by philosophers like Zea Aguilar. The contributions and the work of Magallón could be considered as circumstantial, since it focuses on giving answers to phenomena of the present, as they arise.
It explores the human being and propensity to injustice, marginalization and exploitation with regard to the problems of current society, both Mexican and international.
His work continues to be carried out, since he is one of the few Mexican philosophers of great importance who are still alive.
References
- Abbagnano, N. (1974). Dictionary of philosophy. Mexico.
- Beuchot, M. (1996). History of Philosophy in Colonial Mexico.
- Medin, T. (1983). Leopoldo Zea: ideology, history and philosophy of Latin America. Mexico: UNAM.
- Onfray, M. (2005). Antimanual of philosophy. Madrid: EDAF.
- Salmerón, F. (1980). The Mexican philosophers of the twentieth century. Studies of Philosophy in Mexico .
- Vera, M. (1979). The philosophical thought of Vasconcelos. Extemporaries