"In a post-Trump world, the fight for truth is also a fight against universality." Professor of Philosophy, Carlos Alberto Sanchez argues Mexican philosophy challenges Western universalism, offering a perspectival approach to truth rooted in lived experience, an antidote to the divisive narratives of our times.

I was privileged to speak with Professor Carlos Alberto Sanchez. His latest work, Blooming in the Ruins: How Mexican Philosophy Can Guide Us Towards a Good Life, offers a deeply provocative exploration of Mexico's rich and often overlooked philosophical tradition. Professor Sanchez, it’s a pleasure to have you with us.

To start, can you share a bit about the background of this book? What inspired you to write it, and what should people know before diving into its pages?

Well, before diving into the specifics, it’s important to understand the significance of the book itself. Mexican philosophy hasn’t been a subject widely discussed or studied, particularly in English. Until recently, say, around 2012 to 2016, there wasn’t much promotion or translation of Mexican philosophical texts. This book reflects a larger movement to bring Mexican philosophy into broader conversations.

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At its heart, Mexican philosophy is circumstantial. It’s rooted in the lived history and experiences of the Mexican people, unlike the universal ambitions of Western philosophy.

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What exactly is Mexican philosophy? How would you define it for someone new to the concept?

Mexican philosophy is, at its core, an attempt by Mexican philosophers to have a conversation with philosophy, especially European philosophy, but in doing so, they recognize their difference. They’re bringing something to the table that hasn’t been said before.

At its heart, Mexican philosophy is circumstantial. It’s rooted in the lived history and experiences of the Mexican people, unlike the universal ambitions of Western philosophy. This doesn’t mean it’s exclusively for Mexicans. Rather, it’s a grounded philosophy that speaks from a specific context but resonates universally because of its authenticity and depth.

How does Mexican philosophy approach truth differently from the Western tradition?

Western philosophy often sees truth as universal, abstract, and detached. Think of philosophers like Plato or Kant striving for timeless, objective truths. But Mexican philosophy takes a perspectival approach, it sees truth as grounded in lived experience, shaped by history, culture, and circumstances.

Mexican philosophers argue that universal truths often serve to erase or dominate other perspectives, particularly those of colonized or marginalized people. Instead, they propose that truth is always perspectival, always tied to who you are and where you’re speaking from. This is a liberating idea because it allows for multiple truths to coexist, reflecting the richness of human experience.

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Why do Mexican philosophers reject universal truths, and how does this impact their view of what it means to be human?

One of those things that Mexican philosophers react to is this idea that the West has a monopoly on what counts as a human being, for example, right? What counts as human dignity. And this is a universal idea. So when it gets to people in Mexico that are trying to think about their own history, right? Their own colonized history, they want to reject those universal ideas because they're part of the colonizing project.

They want to talk about what it means to be human from their own experience and not accept these universal concepts right off the bat.

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In a world shaped by Trump-era politics, fake news, and polarized narratives, a perspectival approach to truth is crucial.

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