Current Perspectives of critical theory in Mexico and Germany

In this essay we compare Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition\ua0to Bolívar Echeverría’s theory of the four historical\ua0ethe of capitalist modernity. The theory of recognition\ua0may be considered, since its introduction by G. W.\ua0F. Hegel, as a clear expression, and at the same time as a\ua0description, of that ethos that Echeverría calls “realistic\ua0ethos” (and —at least in Hegel— it is also somewhat related\ua0with the one called by Echeverría as “classical ethos”\ua0and “romantic ethos”). This theory’s shortcoming lies in\ua0the fact that it naively starts from the idea that within the\ua0social formation currently existing, that is, the bourgeoisie\ua0/capitalist one, it is possible to achieve recognition of all the members of society, including minorities and those groups that are perceived and treated as minorities, even if they objectively are not. Echeverría’s theory of the four historical ethe of modernity (which analyzes, in addition to those already mentioned the baroque ethos) tries to overcome this limitation, upon considering modern forms of coexistence, developed outside Europe and the US