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Many philosophers have been appointed to top-level political positions during Chile's modern history. What makes Chilean philosophers unique in the context of Latin America and beyond, is that they have developed a sophisticated rationale for both their participation and withdrawal from politics. All along, philosophers have grappled with fundamental problems such as the role of religion and politics in society. They have also played a fundamental role in defining the nature and aims of higher education. The philosophers' production constitutes a substantial, albeit largely unknown, portion of the intellectual history of Chile and Latin America.



This book describes in detail the evolution of philosophical work in Chile, and pays close attention to the relationship between philosophical activity and contemporary social and political events. Various Chilean philosophical sources are discussed for the first time in the literature on Chilean ideas. The work of such intellectuals as Andres Bello, Valentin Letelier, Enrique Molina, Jorge Millas, Juan Rivano, Juan de Dios Vial Larrain, and many others is examined in relation to the principal political and educational issues of their time. The book also develops a distinction between the two main currents of Chilean philosophy, namely, a "professionalist" current that seeks the independence of the field from social and political involvements, and a "critical" current that seeks to relate philosophical activity to national realities.

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CHOICE Review

This is a good book, but many readers will undoubtedly be disappointed that its focus is far more narrow that either the title or subtitle suggests. Jaksic presents a clear, well-organized social history of the academic discipline of philosophy as it has been practiced in Chile; this history is interesting, accurate, and apparently thorough. Six broad periods are treated in chronological sequence, each with a separate theme: secularization and higher education in the wake of independence; positivism (1870-1920); founding of a Chilean philosophy (1920-50); critique of professionalism (1950-68); movement for university reform (1960-73); and adaptation under military rule (since 1973). Important themes recur throughout (such as "the ivory tower" versus social relevance, politics and power, nationalism and universalism, the meaning of the university, etc.), and different attitudes and actions of various philosophers are discussed. However, none of those topics is anywhere dealt with in a unitary manner. The cast of characters includes at least as many stereotypically aloof and apparently detached academics as it does rebels. With detailed endnotes, bibliography, and index, this is a valuable book for those few who care deeply about the subject. D. B. Heath Brown University

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Iván Jaksicå is Program Coordinator and Graduate Advisor at the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of California at Berkeley.