Oral Presentation by Stefan Gandler¹
¹ Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico
TIME: Wednesday, 15 July, 14:30 – 16:00
Location: Room 1
Session: 13
Abstract
In order to overcome the intrinsic “philosophical Eurocentrism”, I have carefully analyzed the works of Bolívar Echeverría (UNAM) and his concepts of cultural mestizaje and baroque ethos. Cultural mestizaje refers to the melding of European with pre-Hispanic traditions – particularly important to Mexican culture. Examining the foundations of the cultural mestizaje, Echeverría develops the concept of historical ethos. This concept is based on the subsumption of the production of use-values through the production of value – and it is analyzed in its relationship to the production of signs. He distinguishes between four “historical ethe”, different ways of living within the “unlivable” capitalist reality: the “realistic,” “romantic,” “classical” and “baroque” ethos. They result from the potential combinations of recognition and denial of the contradiction between the logic of value and the logic of use-values, on the one hand, and the importance given to the value and/or the use-value, on the other. The realistic ethos denies this contradiction while attributing greater importance to value. The romantic ethos also denies this contradiction, but leans more toward use-value. The classical ethos acknowledges the existence of this contradiction and submits to the logic of value, while the baroque also recognizes this contradiction, but attempts to preserve the dynamics of the use-value. The baroque and realistic ethe coexist in Latin America, particularly in Mexico, it is a paradoxical combination of soberness and rebelling. The today dominating realistic ethos, based on the principle of non-ambiguity, is unable to attain the highest ideal of Enlightenment – the recognition of the other as conditio sine qua non for the constitution of subjectivity of the self. The baroque ethos, on the other hand, borrows its name from the baroque art movement, with its capacity to combine and mix diverse elements and styles which, seen form a “serious” point of view can not be combined or mixed. It was the only art form in Nueva España capable of integrating elements of indigenous art. A mutual lack of “comprehension” exists on both sides of this ethos; the elements do not “understand” one another but have agreed to peacefully coexist by turning a blind eye and a deaf ear when necessary. They do not comprehend or recognize one another; yet, neither seeks to destroy or aggressively exclude the other. It is this incongruous attitude, garmented in ambiguous speech, that enables the