Toward a New Humanism

“Written in 1940, and available here for the first time ever in English, Samuel Ramos’ Toward a New Humanism is a prescient discussion of humanism, technology, mortality, and the tensions between the national and the universal. In addition to Sanchez’s thoughtful introduction, his superb translation of Ramos’s text, and the informative editorial notes running throughout, this volume is further enriched by the inclusion of translations of other, earlier, essays—written by Ramos and other influential philosophers from the period–on related topics as well as translations of assessments of Ramos’s ‘new humanism’ by other leading philosophers in mid-century Mexico. More than eighty-five years after its original publication–and in this era of renewed global conflicts—Ramos’s call for a profound rethinking and reshaping of modern culture and society is as timely as when it was written, and Sanchez is to be commended for making this important text available for a new generation of readers.” —Manuel Vargas and Clinton Tolley, Mexican Philosophy Lab, UC San Diego “At a critical moment in World War II, as Western Civilization hung in the balance, Samuel Ramos laid the foundations for a new humanism. . . This timely, fluent, and precise translation of Toward a New Humanism helps us understand how we’ve arrived at the tragic situation of having to defend ourselves against our own creations.” —Guillermo Hurtado, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) “With the publication of Sanchez’s accessible, flawless translation of Toward a New Humanism, there are no longer any valid reasons to deny Ramos’s place in the history of 20th century philosophy; we can now get to work teaching, interpreting, and grappling with the issues and ideas that he sought to clarify; more importantly, we can now get a sense of how Ramos’s ‘new humanism’ lends clarity to problems that for eighty-five years have been getting more and more obscure. And for this we are grateful.” —Carlos Sanchez, San Jose State University “This is a book for our times. Samuel Ramos offered clarity about the crises that enveloped the world in the 1940s, but his insights into the human condition are equally applicable to many threats we face today. The nuanced translation and thorough introduction . . . represent a fruitful move toward bringing Mexican philosophy further into the English-speaking world as a powerful tradition worthy of our best attention.” —Amy A. Oliver, American University