Blooming in the Ruins: How Mexican Philosophy Can Guide Us towards the Good Life (Guides to the Good Life)

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? If history is really a sequence of accidents, each affecting the next, how can we think about what we should be doing in our lives? How can we understand who we are, if we are the product of such accidents of history? 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 also offers an array of fascinating concepts and directives, from recommending cultivating a rival as a source of motivation to teaching how to deal with trouble-makers and reminding us to respect other people on their own terms. 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. Cover Table of Contents Series Editor Foreword Preface: How Can Mexican Philosophy Guide My Life? Acknowledgments PART I: TWO VERY SHORT INTRODUCTIONS TO MEXICAN PHILOSOPHY 1. “In the Beginning . . .”: Philosophy in Mexico 2. Mexican Philosophy in the Twentieth Century PART II: FOUR THEMES IN MEXICAN PHILOSOPHY 3. You Are Nepantla 4. You Are Your Circumstance 5. You Are Accidental 6. You Are a Singularity PART III: MEXICAN PHILOSOPHY AS A GUIDE TO LIFE 7. Listening as a Form of Excavation 8. Be Charitable 9. Be Late to Parties 10. Don’t Fear Ghosts . . . or Death 11. Strive for Originality 12. There Is Hope in Zozobra 13. Engage in a Bit of Relajo 14. Are You an Apretado or Apretada? 15. Practice Irony, But Be Socratic about It 16. Set Yourself Apart 17. The Way of Dignified Cynicism 18. Don’t Be a Troll 19. Tell Your Own Story 20. Love without Violence 21. Don’t Be Too Judgy 22. Be Like the Rabbit 23. It’s Okay to Be Choosy about Your Inheritance 24. Love What You Do 25. You Really Don’t Have to Join a Cult PART IV: DICHOS 26. My Abuelo’s Favorite Dicho 27. My Abuela’s Favorite Dicho PART V: MORE ON MEXICAN PHILOSOPHY 28. Blooming in the Ruins: Mexican Philosophy as Your Guide to Life Notes Bibliography and Further Reading Index