If the philosophers of our Canon are really the best of the best, then why are they all European men?
In this vibrant conversation, Overthink production assistants Aaron and Emilio talk with Dr. Robert Eli Sanchez, Jr. He is associate Professor of Philosophy at Occidental College, as well as Managing Editor of the Journal of Mexican Philosophy, and has edited anthologies on Latin American, Latinx, and Mexican Philosophy.
Throughout the interview, Dr. Sanchez details the problems with the traditional philosophical canon, and offers a fascinating solution. He focuses on pluralized histories of philosophy that go beyond old textbooks into the perilous act of truly thinking for oneself. Plus, he shares his insight into the sparkling existentialism of Mexican philosopher Emilio Uranga, using lively examples that turn to everything from Pixar’s Coco to John Donne’s poetry.
Watch the summary companion video to this interview here: https://youtu.be/2lDYNZTzgxw
We're immensely grateful to Dr. Sanchez for this interview, and for allowing us to explore his ideas and work through the Overthink platform. Discover more of his work on Mexican philosophy, Existentialism and more on his website: https://resjr.com
Find Emilio Uranga’s classic essay, with commentary from Dr. Sanchez, here:
https://aeon.co/classics/to-be-accidental-is-to-be-human-on-the-philosophy-of-mexicanness
Read Dr. Sanchez’s piece on diversifying the Canon at the APA Blog:
https://blog.apaonline.org/2018/04/23/diversifying-the-canon-interview-with-robert-sanchez/
Check out the Mexican Philosophy Blog that is co-run by Dr. Sanchez:
http://mexicanphilosophy.com
This video is part of a new Overthink interview series, History and Memory in the Americas. Check out the full series on the Overthink channel:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2VCCjshTuUNzgye8QpdAn4IzTDd2GbPa
Luis Villoro’s essay, Philosophy and Domination:
https://ijp.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Villoro-Translation.pdf
Listen to PhilosophyTalk’s episode on Mexican Philosophy!
https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/mexican-philosophy
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https://www.patreon.com/overthinkpodcast
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