APA Committees

LATIN AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY

S. Nuccetelli Spring '04
LATIN AMERICAN PHILOSOPHY
Honors 251
St. Cloud State University

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will offer an overview of the historical contexts in which the major problems of Latin American philosophy have originated, with thematic discussions where some proposed solutions to those problems are evaluated according to their philosophical merits. Although it may appear that the philosophical questions raised by Latin American thinkers are among the perennial problems that have concerned philosophers throughout the Western tradition since antiquity, in fact they are not the same. Rather, the questions have been adapted by Latin American thinkers to capture problems presented by new circumstances, and these philosophers have sought resolutions in ways that are indeed novel. While exploring those thinkers' clear and provocative ideas, we shall ourselves reflect upon issues specific to the diverse experience of Hispanic America.

COURSE MATERIAL

The textbooks for this course (available at the book store) will be:

Susana Nuccetelli, Latin American Thought: Philosophical Problems and Arguments. Boulder (CO): Westview Press, 2002.
(Hereafter, "LAT.")

Latin American Philosophy: An Introduction with Readings.
Co-edited with Gary Seay. Prentice Hall, 2003.
(Hereafter, "RLAT.")

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Evaluation
A student's grade in this course will be determined as follows:
20% Demonstrated regular class participation.
20% A class presentation.
60% Two exams worth 30 credits each.

GETTING IN TOUCH
Regular lectures: TR 8:00-9:15 a.m.
Office hours: T 1:00-5:00. BH 123.
Phone: (320) 654-5372, email: sinuccetelli@stcloudstate.edu

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READINGS
Week 1
Topic
Why Should We Care About Native Cultures? The Epistemic Practices of Latin American Indians: A Puzzle for Philosophers. Prediction Among the Mayans vs. Rational Prediction in the West.
Reading
LAT, Chapter 1.

Week 2
Topic
Mayan Rationality Reconsidered: Could the Natives of Latin America Think? Strong Rationalism. Cognitive Pluralism. Is Rationality Relative? 'True in the Context of Mayan Culture.' The Error Theory.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 2.
RLAT, The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel

Week 3
Topic
Native Folk-Cosmologies vs. Western Philosophy and Science. Did The Native Latin Americans Have Philosophy? What Is Philosophy? Argumentation as a Demarcation Criterion. The Limits of Understanding: George Santayana.
Readings
LAT, Chapters 3 and 4.
RLAT, Miguel León-Portilla, Aztec Thought and Culture
RLAT, Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, General History of the Things of New Spain

Week 4
Topic
The Legacy of 1492: Pluralism, Relativism, and the Clash of Cultures. Columbus' Journals and Other Reports of the Conquest. Francisco Romero: Not All Cultures Are Created Equal. Is There a Natural Selection of Cultures? Pluralism vs. Ethnocentrism. Pluralism and Cultural Relativism. Readings
LAT, Chapter 4.
RLAT, Francisco Romero, "Man and Culture"

Week 5
Topic
Was the Iberian Conquest Morally Justified? Were the Indians 'Natural Slaves'? The Theory of Natural Slaves in Context. Las Casas' Scholastic Defense of the Rights of the Indians. Lascasianism: A Philosophy or a Political Agenda?
Readings
LAT, Chapter 5.
RLAT, Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, "Prologue to the Members of the Congregation"
RLAT, Bartolomé de Las Casas, "The Only Way"

Week 6
Topic
Vitoria: Humanism about International Law and Natural Rights. The "Natural-Slave" Theory Defeated by Non-Scholastic Alternatives: Bacon and Montaigne.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 5
RLAT, Francisco de Vitoria, De Indis et De Ivre Belli Relectiones
RLAT, Michel de Montaigne, "On the Cannibals"
RLAT, Roberto Fernández Retamar, Caliban and Other Essays

Week 7
Topic The Scholastic Paradigm. José de Acosta vs. Aristotelian Science. Acosta's Concerns in Prospective.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 6.
RLAT, José de Acosta, The Natural & Moral History of The Indies
RLAT, Edmundo O'Gorman, The Invention of America

Week 8
Topic
Sor Juana's Reply: Could Women Think in Colonial Mexico? Was Sor Juana A Radical Feminist? Colonial Scholasticism in Context.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 6.
RLAT, Juana Inés de la Cruz, "Reply to Sor Philothea"
RLAT, Enrique D. Dussel, "The Erotic in Latin America"

Week 9
Topic
Simón Bolívar: Independence Leads to Puzzles. Sarmiento's Dilemma. Is There a Connection Between Race and Character? Facundo's Ethnic Stereotypes.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 6.
RLAT, Simón Bolívar, "Jamaica Letter," and "Angostura Address"
RLAT, Domingo F. Sarmiento, Facundo or, Civilization and Barbarism
RLAT, Juan Bautista Alberdi, The Basis and Starting Points of National Organization
RLAT, Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, "Is Latin America Ready for Democracy?"

Week 10
Topic
Autochthonous Positivists. Positivism in Brazil. Latin American Positivists and 'First Philosophy.' Positivism in Mexico and Its Connections with Porfirism.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 7.
RLAT, Arturo Ardao, "Positivism in Latin America"
RLAT, Joâo Cruz Costa, A History of Ideas in Brazil
RLAT, Leopoldo Zea, 1949. "Positivism and Porfirism in Latin American"

Week 11
Topic
Rodó on Hispanic Identity: A True Latin Americanist? Ariel Vindicated: The Latin American Critique of the US. Martí on Social Justice and the Americas.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 7.
RLAT, José E. Rodó, Ariel

Week 12
Topic
Indians, Land, and Race. Mariátegui and The Actual Needs of the Oppressed. Liberation Theologians on Science and Technology

Readings
LAT, Chapter 7.
RLAT, José Martí, "Our America"
RLAT, José C. Mariátegui, "The Problem of the Indian," & "The Religious Factor"
RLAT, Ofelia Schutte, "Mariategui's Indo-Hispanic Socialism"
RLAT, José Comblín, "Science and Technology"
RLAT, Leonardo Boff, "Science, Technology, Power, and Liberation Theology"

Topic
The Collective Identity of Latin Americans: A Puzzle. Describing vs. Evaluating Ethnic Groups. A Latin American Race? Vasconcelos on a 'Cosmic Race.' Latinos in the USA.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 8.
RLAT, José Vasconcelos. The Cosmic Race
RLAT, Carlos Fuentes, The Buried Mirror
RLAT, Octavio Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude

Week 13
Topic
'Hispanics' vs. 'Latinos.' The Critical View Against a Characteristically Latin American Philosophy.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 8.
RLAT, Afranio Coutinho, "Philosophy in Brazil"
RLAT, Augusto Salazar Bondy, "Latin American Philosophy"

Topic
Philosophy in Latin America vs. Latin American Philosophy. How Is Latin American Philosophy Possible? Latin American Thought vs. Latin America Philosophy. Hispanic Philosophers in the USA.
Readings
LAT, Chapter 8.
RLAT, Risieri Frondizi, "Is There an Ibero-American Philosophy?"
RLAT, Leopoldo Zea, "Identity: A Latin American Philosophical Problem"
RLAT, Jorge Gracia, Hispanic-Latino Identity: A Philosophical Perspective

1ST EXAM: MARCH 9
2ND EXAM: APRIL 27

There will be no make-ups for the first exam. Students who miss the second exam will be eligible for a make-up only if the instructor is presented with an official document justifying their absence. All make-ups will take place on April 29, at the place and time of regular lecture periods.

SPRING BREAK: MARCH 15-19

PRESENTATIONS: MARCH 23-APRIL 22 (tentative)