Philosophy of Knowledge about Latin America 4206-AK11

Range of topics (lectures):
1. Introduction. Arranging terms. Details of the course. Suggested literature.
2. Perception of Latin America and possible reasons of taking interest in it.
- Latin America: possible interpretations of the notion.
- Rational reasons of taking interest in Latin America.
- Direct cognitive and Indirect cognitive
3. Beginnings of Research on the Americas - period of domination of Spain
- Discoveries:
- Discovering the New World
- Contemporary interpretations of 'inventing' and 'taming' America
- Initial phase of populating America vs. studies on the Americas as sources of later Latin American studies
a) Role of early chroniclers
b) Spanish philosophical dispute over America and Americans
c) First 'American' Americanists
4. America stops being exclusively Spanish: participation of other European countries in early getting to know and describing the Americas
- Towards the final colonial division
- The British, French, Dutch and Portuguese in getting to know the Americas
5. International philosophical debate over the Americas: 16th - 19th century (Montaigne, De Pauw, Buffone, Voltaire, Montesquieu and others)
6. Second, scientific discovering of the Americas
- Enlightenment: intelectual and cognitive premises
- Coming to independence: political premises on prospecting the resources
- 'To govern is to populate': mass immigration and its significance in getting to know Latin America and disseminating knowledge about it
7. Modern Latin American studies
- Disciplinary Latin American studies (anthropology, archaeology, history, geography, linguistics)
- International scientific movement: its role in the development of Latin American studies
- Evolution of Latin American studies since the end of the 19th century to mid 20th century
- Latin American studies in the years 1950-2000. Dillemas of contemporary Latin American studies. Is the current model of Latin American studies getting exhausted?
8. Latin American studies in Poland
A Participation ot the Poles in getting to know Latin America in the 19th and 20th century
B Role of mass emigration to Latin America
C Intensive development in the years 1960-2000
D Current institutions, research topics, results of research
E Latin American education
9. Contemporary image of Latin American studies in the world
A International organisations
B Prestigious international Latin American congresses and conferences
C Overview of the most important institutions of Latin American studies in the world
10. Information, documentation and publications on Latin America