Philosophy in Latin America was influenced by an amalgamation of native and European cultures. Cultures such as the Aztecs, Mayas, Incas, Tupi-Guarani, Carib and other native cultures had a decidedly different philosophy than the predominately Spanish and Portuguese Europeans that came to dominate society after their discovery of the New World. The initial influence came from the Catholic Church and the colonial governments established by the European nations. As society developed these governments were supplanted by the control taken by the Caudillos.
The Caudillos wielded a personal power grounded in local militia, landholdings and the local lower classes dependant on them for employment and protection. This established a patron-client relationship between the Caudillos and the local folk that affected the development of the earlier Catholic/Native schools of philosophy. . As a result, Latin American philosophy retained more of an autocratic and medieval tone than that of the more independent societies and thinkers to their north.
At the outset, the Europeans largely sought to eradicate all traces of the earlier civilizations in order to establish their own values. These reflected the views of the Catholic Church and a system of governance more closely aligned with the European Medieval system. At this time, the philosophic outlook was congruent with the rest of Europe, which developed from its Greco/Roman roots under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church. The original societies believed in supernatural phenomena grounded in the natural world. Their philosophies reflected these beliefs. Some individuals, such as the Dominican friar Bartolome de las Casas, who defended the rights of native and African people during the Sixteenth century, had a mitigating effect in creating a more blended legal and cultural basis. With improved worldwide communications networks philosophy in general is adopting a more global prospective. Latin American philosophy today is a blend of these influences.
References
Luhnow, D., De Cordoba, J., & Casey, N. (2009, 7 9). The Cult of the Caudillo. Retrieved 4 5, 2012, from The Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203547904574280023928652200.html
Philosophy in Latin America. (1998). Retrieved 4 5, 2012, from Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://www.rep.routledge.com/article/ZA009
Philosophy in Latin America. (2012). Retrieved 4 5, 2012, from Associacion di Filosofia y Liberacion: http://www.afyl.org/dussel1.pdf
The O'Grady Collection. (2002). Rise of the Caudillos. Retrieved 4 5, 2012, from University of Notre Dame: http://www.library.nd.edu/rarebooks/exhibits/riverplate/04-rise/index.shtml
