Thinking in Exile. Another History of Spanish Philosophy in the 20th Century

• Applicant: Guillermo Ferrer Ortega, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: History of Philosophy
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 523132116

The investigation of the connection between exile, war experience, and the history of philosophy among Spanish philosophers in american exile represents a desideratum of research. In my project, I place the question of their new perspective on the history of philosophy within the horizon of the war and exile experience as well as the historical crisis of the 20th century. This reunites with traditional approaches to the historiography of philosophy and with questions raised before the Civil War about Spain's role in the history of philosophy. My thesis is that the reflection on war and exile represents a crucial turning point in the way the historiography of philosophy has been understood in Spanish philosophy. Hereby, the relation to historical reality turns out not to be a determinant context, but an object of thinking about history. The historiography of philosophy among the exiled authors adopts the methods of European philosophy and asserts the originality of Latin American culture in order to show philosophy other paths than those that led to the historical catastrophes of the 20th century. With my project, which focuses on the concept of a distinct historiography of philosophy in Spanish exile authors, I would like to expose a little explored area and thereby make a contribution to future discussions on the historiography of philosophy and the emigration research from a global perspective. The main goal of my project is to introduce a significant episode in the history of Spanish and Latin American philosophy to a German-speaking audience. By highlighting the reconsideration of phenomenology and other German philosophical currents in the conception of the history of philosophy by the Spanish authors in exile, I undertake to present it as an intercultural event.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants