Other Voices – Readings in Spanish Philosophy

English-speaking philosophers are generally attuned to the German and French philosophical traditions but not to the Spanish. Why, for example, does someone with the vivid appeal of Bartolome de Las Casas remain almost completely unknown in North America? The purpose of this anthology is to introduce the Spanish philosophical tradition to English-speaking readers.
Other Voices: Readings in Spanish Philosophy represents high points of nearly two millennia of Spanish philosophy, from first-century thinkers in Roman Hispania to those of the twentieth century. John R. Welch has selected, and in several cases translated excerpts from the works of thirteen philosophers: Seneca, Quintilian, Isidore of Seville, Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Moses Maimonides, Ramon Llull, Juan Luis Vives, Francisco de Vitoria, Bartolome de Las Casas, Francisco Suarez, Benito Jeronimo Feijoo, Miguel de Unamuno, and Jose Ortega y Gasset. Welch provides for the reader a brief introduction to each historical period or philosophical movement represented and a biographical introduction to each philosopher. Of special interest are the selection from Feijoo's "A Defense of Women" (an attack on misogyny), which has not been translated into English since the eighteenth century; the arguments on the justification of war by Vitoria and Las Casas (in the context of the Spanish conquest); and Unamuno's celebration of the concrete over the abstract, desire over reason.
"For the past few decades there has been a growing interest in Latin American philosophy, Hispanic/Latino philosophical issues, and Hispanic/Latino studies throughout North American universities. Because a significant part of the foundations of Latin American philosophy can be traced to Spanish philosophy, the increased interest in the former has naturally spilled over into the latter. This book, therefore, will be an essential resource not only for those interested in the history of philosophy but also for those engaged in the growing fields of Latin American philosophy and Hispanic/Latino studies." --Benardo J. Cantens, Moravian College
"A long overdue resource for scholars and for instructors in courses in the history of philosophy, this anthology makes available to English-speakers a concise collection of some monumental works of Spanish philosophical thought. It deserves a wide readership." --Gary Seay, City University of New York
"This collection is a welcome addition to the almost nonexistent number of collections of philosophy texts in English from Spain. It should be of use to students of philosophy and Spanish literature and intellectual history, and also to scholars from other disciplines who specialize in these areas of the world." --Jorge J. E. Gracia, State University of New York, University at Buffalo