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Blooming in the Ruins: How Mexican Philosophy Can Guide Us toward the Good Life
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.
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.
- GenresPhilosophy
328 pages, Hardcover
Published September 3, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 2, 2025
This is part of the Guides to the Good Life series. I was initially drawn to this book because of a ghost story. Now, don’t get the wrong idea. This is a serious book, but it looks at philosophy from the Mexican school. Mexican philosophy, as opposed to European (or continental) philosophy, takes an individual’s social location and life experience into account. That makes it different from the abstraction of the traditional European philosophers.
There’s a little bio of autobiography here. Carlos Alberto Sánchez grew up poor, and in Mexico. He moved with his family to the United States and, as the son of a laborer, put himself through college and on through a doctorate in philosophy. I found it quite refreshing to read about a more quotidian type of deep thinking. I learned quite a lot from this book.
Sánchez draws lessons from incidents in his life and in the lives of some of his family members. He doesn’t degrade the uneducated—this resonated with my experience as a janitor. Some of my fellow maintenance men (they were all men) were quite deep thinkers. Nobody ever called them philosophers, but I have a feeling that if Sánchez had met them, he would have. I wrote more about this wonderful book here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
There’s a little bio of autobiography here. Carlos Alberto Sánchez grew up poor, and in Mexico. He moved with his family to the United States and, as the son of a laborer, put himself through college and on through a doctorate in philosophy. I found it quite refreshing to read about a more quotidian type of deep thinking. I learned quite a lot from this book.
Sánchez draws lessons from incidents in his life and in the lives of some of his family members. He doesn’t degrade the uneducated—this resonated with my experience as a janitor. Some of my fellow maintenance men (they were all men) were quite deep thinkers. Nobody ever called them philosophers, but I have a feeling that if Sánchez had met them, he would have. I wrote more about this wonderful book here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
May 2, 2025
"Your individuality matters, your circumstance matters, your trauma matters!"
Wonderfully written, inspiring work. I will share this with everyone I know and read it again and again in the years to come.
Wonderfully written, inspiring work. I will share this with everyone I know and read it again and again in the years to come.
January 4, 2025
Not really what I expected. Eventually I kinda skipped the philosophy parts and found myself enjoying his life story wat more. I would read his biography actually.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews