The New Realism in Latin American philosophy. Review of ontological and epistemological assumptions in the realism of M. Beuchot: I. The nature-culture dualism.

Abstract

In this paper, within the framework of the emergence of the new realisms of the 21st century and their manifestation in Latin America, the New Analogical Realism of Mauricio Beuchot is addressed in particular. The Mexican philosopher understands that a large part of the philosophical developments of the 20th century have led to relativism, and that, given the socio-political consequences produced, it is necessary to compensate for realism. In this work, the possibility of compensating realism and avoiding relativism is problematized, starting from the same bases as those of the philosophies in question. Our objective is to review one of the ontological and epistemological assumptions that underlie said realism and evaluate its scope, while questioning its declared criticality. This analysis will allow us to sustain, based on the anthropological studies of Philippe Descola, that Beuchot’s realism succumbs to the same relativism that he questions and, consequently, from this perspective, his proposal is insufficient to compensate realism and avoid relativism.