Mexican Philosophy for the 21st Century - (Bloomsbury Introductions to World Philosophies) by Carlos Alberto Sánchez (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A sustained reflection on distinctly Mexican concepts that reveals the value of applying Mexican thought to everyday life"--

Book Synopsis

Mexican philosophy has been relegated for far too long to the margins of philosophy's global scene. Carlos Alberto Sánchez brings it to the front and centre by demonstrating that its figures, methods, and texts, supplement, enrich, and broaden the scope and depth of both philosophy and our everyday understanding.

Explaining the context and thinkers associated with relajo, zozobra, nepantla, corazonada, tik, and Mexistentialism, Sánchez goes beyond a standard introduction of Mexican philosophy. His sustained analysis of prominent concepts gives us a new vocabulary for understanding ourselves and the world we live in. Based on the concrete experience of Mexican life, we are introduced to influential thinkers and uniquely Mexican themes: the primacy of history and circumstance and the intrinsic value of community.

Powered by a commitment to use Mexican philosophy to navigate the perplexing world we inhabit, Sánchez challenges the blanket application of Eurocentric philosophy to our 21st-century concerns. This is an essential starting point for Latin American philosophy scholars and anyone approaching Mexican philosophy for the very first time.

Review Quotes

Mexican Philosophy for the 21st Century is more than an introduction to Mexican philosophy. It demonstrates how to apply Mexican philosophy to our contemporary lives and world, and makes a compelling case for the specificity and originality of Mexican philosophy, paving the way into what the author calls "post-Western" philosophy in the English-speaking world.
Robert Eli Sanchez, Jr, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Occidental College, USA

This book is an important contribution to demonstrating the relevance and potential of Latin American philosophy in the 21st century. Seven distinctly Mexican concepts used by Mexican philosophers are carefully and clearly translated, explained, and applied to everyday human concerns. After reading it, there should be no doubt that Mexican philosophy has powerful theoretical and conceptual resources to tackle and understand social and concrete problems across the globe.
Gregory Fernando Pappas, Professor of Philosophy, Texas A&M University, USA

This wise and well argued book is a game changer for teaching Mexican philosophy as well as helping contemplate how to live meaningfully. Innovative presentations of key themes in the understudied field of Mexican philosophy allow readers to engage philosophically from the start and wrestle with urgent concerns in their lives.
Amy A. Oliver, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Spanish, and Latin American Studies, American University, USA

About the Author

Carlos Alberto Sánchez is Professor of Philosophy at San José State University, USA. He is of co-editor of OUP's Mexican Philosophy in the 20th Century: Essential Readings (2017) and the translator of Emilio Uranga's Analysis of Mexican Being: Introduction and Translation (Bloomsbury, 2021).