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How Mexican Philosophy Can Guide Us toward the Good Life
by Carlos Alberto Sánchez
An introduction to major themes in 20th century Mexican philosophy, offering an array of fascinating concepts, from recommending cultivating a rival as a source of motivation to reminding us to respect other people on their own terms.
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? 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 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.
"Sánchez shows how Mexican philosophy inverts traditional assumptions and hierarchies ... and bolsters his analyses through historical context and resonant personal anecdotes ... This captivates." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Blooming in the Ruins is a rare achievement - a genuinely gripping philosophy book. Part introduction to major figures and themes in Mexican Philosophy, part autobiography, and part meditation on what it means to do philosophy while taking one's roots seriously, Sánchez blends accessibility and profundity with confidence and skill. Above all, this book shows how attending to cultural and historical particularity can offer insights and wisdom that speaks to everybody." —Dr. Michael J. Monahan, Professor of Philosophy, University of Memphis
"Self-proclaimed 'accidental' philosopher Carlos Alberto Sánchez blooms again, delving into lived experience, circumstance, empiricism, death, choice, rights, education, and, above all, respect, this time against the backdrop of a pantheon of major Mexican philosophers including Antonio Caso, Samuel Ramos, Leopoldo Zea, Emilio Uranga, Abelardo Villegas, Luis Villoro, and Jorge Portilla, to reveal ultimately, in accessible and entertaining ways, how self knowledge and serious reflection benefit human experience." —Amy A. Oliver, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Spanish & Latin American Studies, American University
"This book is beautiful and wise in equal measure. Only Carlos Sánchez could take us on this exhilarating, kaleidoscopic tour of 20th century Mexican philosophy. He shows how Mexican philosophy provides lessons in transmuting insecurity, violence, liberation, and catastrophe into lessons for living better every day. This is the kind of book that can change people's lives." —Manuel Vargas, University of California San Diego
This information about Blooming in the Ruins was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
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.
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