Proceedings of the XXIII World Congress of Philosophy

Volume 35, 2018

Philosophical Traditions in Latin America

Philosophical Traditions in Mexico
The Epistemological Pluralism as Understanding of Knowledge in Multicultural Societies

This paper discusses the characterization of a pluralistic theory about science developed by the Mexican philosopher Leon Olivé. This theory allows explaining the diversity of philosophical positions about science and knowledge. In this aspect, pluralism lies on the basis of the recognition of otherness and difference, which enables it to be the foundation of a multicultural society with a diversity of knowledge (traditional and local knowledge) and cosmovisions in a country like Mexico. At this point, epistemological pluralism as a philosophical position cannot take place without any limit or halt construction insulation or extreme skepticism, which may fall if excessive relativism holds. Therefore, the possibility of dialogic interaction represents, in this sense, the brake to extreme relativism, for the exchange of cultures, and different forms of knowledge lay a wealth of construction and reconstruction fruitful criticism of an independent reality, yet dependent on our conceptual schema.