Luis Villoro: universal Mexican philosopher

Abstract

We present a succinct exposition of Luis Villoro’s contributions to philosophical thought that we consider most relevant and that we believe have a universal scope. We start precisely from a reflection on the relations between the universal and the particular in the philosophical act (as an act that has to synthesize both poles), and from there, in the ethical experience and in the concept of culture. Afterwards, we expose the three areas in which Villoro’s philosophy made significant contributions: 1) the epistemological contribution, centered on the epistemic concepts of “knowing” and “cognizing”, and “wisdom”; 2) the ethical contribution, centered on the concept of community life, inspired by an understanding of Mexican indigenous cultures; and 3) the metaphysical contribution, related to the villorian reflections on the “sacred” and its implications for an ontological perspective and a concept of reason that is not merely skeptical and relativistic.