Philosophers of  the Arabs

Non-Arabs and Multi-culturalist Thinkers

عربي

Raúl Fornet-Betancourt: Architect of Intercultural Philosophy

Raúl Fornet-Betancourt (b. 1946), a Cuban philosopher living in Germany, one of the founders of the ‘intercultural philosophy’ movement which aims to Promote dialogue between cultures and recognize indigenous knowledge systems as equal partners in philosophical reflection

Early Life and Education

Raúl Fornet-Betancourt was born in 1946 in Holguín, Cuba. At the age of fifteen, he left Cuba following the Cuban Revolution and completed his secondary education in Puerto Rico. His academic journey took him to Spain, where he earned a Doctorate in Philosophy and Letters from the University of Salamanca, and later to Germany, where he obtained a Doctorate in Linguistic Philosophy from the Technical University of Aachen.

Since 1972, Fornet-Betancourt has lived in Germany, where he has served as Director of the Latin America Department at the Catholic Institute Missio in Aachen and taught philosophy at the Universities of Aachen and Bremen2.

Intellectual Trajectory

Fornet-Betancourt’s work is deeply rooted in Latin American Philosophy of Liberation, a movement that emerged in the 1970s alongside Liberation Theology. Early in his career, he engaged with leading thinkers such as Enrique Dussel, Leopoldo Zea, Rodolfo Kusch, and Arturo Andrés Roig.

However, he soon recognized a limitation: much of the philosophy of liberation primarily addressed the urban, mestizo, and Eurocentric cultural sphere of Latin America, neglecting indigenous and Afro-descendant traditions. This realization led him to propose a shift from “inculturated” philosophy to “intercultural” philosophy—a framework that fosters dialogue between diverse cultural traditions on equal footing.

Core Contributions

1. Intercultural Philosophy

Fornet-Betancourt’s hallmark idea is the “giro intercultural” (intercultural turn) in philosophy. This approach seeks to:

• Challenge Eurocentrism in philosophical discourse.
• Promote dialogue between cultures as a means of mutual enrichment.
• Recognize indigenous and Afro-Latin American knowledge systems as equal partners in philosophical reflection.

2. Philosophy and Globalization

In works like Transformación intercultural de la filosofía (2001) and Interculturalidad y globalización (2000), he examines how globalization impacts cultural identities and philosophical traditions, advocating for resistance to cultural homogenization.

3. Philosophy of Religion

Fornet-Betancourt has also explored the intercultural reading of Christianity’s current crisis, emphasizing the need for religious traditions to engage in genuine intercultural dialogue.

Academic and Editorial Work

• Founder of Concordia. Revista Internacional de Filosofía, launched in 1982, which serves as a platform for intercultural philosophical exchange.
• Organizer of major international congresses on philosophy of liberation in Mexico (1995), Brazil (1997), and Aachen (1999).
• Prolific Author with over 90 scholarly works, including essays, books, and interviews with prominent philosophers such as Michel Foucault.

Selected Works

Legacy and Influence

Raúl Fornet-Betancourt’s thought has reshaped the way philosophy is practiced in Latin America and beyond. By insisting on pluralism, dialogue, and cultural reciprocity, he has provided a framework for confronting the challenges of globalization while honoring the richness of diverse traditions. His work continues to inspire scholars, activists, and educators committed to building a more equitable and culturally inclusive world.

Readings