A Companion to Public Philosophy

8Philosophy in Public Life in the Latin American and Latinx Traditions: Mexico and Argentina

SERGIO A. GALLEGOS‐ORDORICA

1 Introduction

Latin American and Latinx philosophers¹ have a long and rich history of deep engagement in public life through a variety of different projects and venues.² Indeed, although philosophy has been viewed by a portion of the Anglo‐Saxon world as a discipline that belongs primarily within the boundaries of academia, and whose practitioners should refrain from public debate and political activism (van de Vossen, 2014), Latin American and Latinx philosophers view the practice of philosophy in public life as an organic and normal activity. This chapter offers a brief survey of the historical development and practice of philosophy in public life in Latin American and Latinx traditions. Given the multiplicity of Latin American nations as well as their long histories, which include both colonial and independent periods, I cannot cover all of the different modes of public philosophy that have flourished across Latin America. Thus, I focus on Mexico and Argentina,³ two major Spanish‐speaking countries that, in virtue of their history and geography, progressively emerged as major economic and cultural hubs where important philosophical figures and traditions developed and made their mark through various platforms and projects in public life.

Since these two nations have long histories, I focus primarily in this survey on figures and traditions that emerged ...