Philosophy and Pedagogy in Félix Varela, José de la Luz y Caballero, and Enrique José Varona

doi:10.1017/9781009168359.005

4 - Philosophy and Pedagogy in Félix Varela, José de la Luz y Caballero, and Enrique José Varona

from Part II - Cuban Literature’s Long Nineteenth Century

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 August 2024

Vicente Medina

Edited by

Vicky Unruh and

Jacqueline Loss

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Vicky Unruh: Affiliation:
University of Kansas
Jacqueline Loss: Affiliation:
University of Connecticut

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Summary

This chapter traces the rigorous intellectual work of philosopher-pedagogues José de la Luz y Caballero, Félix Varela y Morales, and Enrique José Varona, demonstrating their shared anti-authoritarian pedagogy, exemplified not only in how they transformed the teaching of philosophy and science at the University of Havana, but also in their liberal and republican views of politics and their model roles as public intellectuals engaged in the righting of social ills. The analysis demonstrates that the three men’s philosophical and pedagogical arguments were modernizing and progressive for their time and might therefore appear to challenge the class and racial interests supporting the tyrannical regime imposed by Spain on the island. At the same time, the chapter complicates this view of their contributions to education and philosophy with examples of their periodic blind spots with regard to authoritarian abuses around them or their failures to speak out against such abuses.

Keywords

José de la Luz y Caballero (1800–1862)Félix Varela y Morales (1788–1853)Enrique José Varona (1849–1933)modernizing Cuban philosophy and science anti-authoritarian pedagogies liberal politics public intellectuals

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge History of Cuban Literature , pp. 82 - 96

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009168359.005 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2024

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References

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