It’s been a while since I posted on here. Both Robert and I have been busy with other projects. In August 2020, I published A Sense of Brutality: Philosophy after Narco-Culture (Amherst College Press), in September, released a co-authored a book with my good friend and colleague Francisco Gallegos, The Disintegration of Community: On Jorge Portilla’s Social and Political Philosophy (State University of New York Press), and in a few days my translation and critical introduction of Emilio Uranga’s Analysis of Mexican Being (Bloomsbury) should hit the shelves. These are my modest contributions to the field of Mexican philosophy.
Some may say that this is enough and I should call it a day—that maybe I should hang it up and stop spreading mis-readings and mis-representations. I could (and I tell myself that I should!). But I have a job to do, and I should do it while I can: I’ve given myself the task of creating “context.”
What do I mean? Recently, I was encouraged to propose a book idea to Cambridge University Press. So I did, knowing fully well what their response would be. The philosophy editor replied: “About your proposed book project…I’m afraid that is not something I could pursue for Cambridge. We really wouldn’t have a context for it…” I understand what this means: a book on Mexican philosophy would not “fit” in their established catalogue of mind-numbing works on Eurocentric philosophy, it wouldn’t be profitable, and they just can’t judge how a book like this would do because they’ve never published a book like this. I am not upset by the rejection; I expected it, and I expected it on the reasons given. But she drove home one point: context. We cannot wait for presses to create contexts (apparently out of nowhere) where our work would fit; we must create our own context. For those of us interested in Mexican philosophy, we must create the conditions for the possibility of our own publishing success.
Which brings me to this: Robert and I are ready to launch The Journal of Mexican Philosophy. It will be a platform for scholars of Mexican philosophy to publish original essays, translations, interviews, book reviews, and so on, and in the process create context.
We encourage you to start working on, or put the finishing touches on, that paper, or translation, or interview, or book review. Mid-way through this year, The Journal of Mexican Philosophy should make its debut and our context-creating mission will be in full swing.
Stay safe and we hope to see you all soon enough.
Carlos
20th Century Mexican Philosophy 