Critical thinking and collective knowledge in response to the systemic crisis of capitalism in Twenty-first-century Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

Latin America and the Caribbean constitute a region with a long history of struggles for justice, sovereignty and dignity. Within this context, critical thinking has played a decisive role, particularly in the systemic critique of capitalism and in resistance to the dynamics of U.S interventionism. The process of constructing a Latin American and Caribbean identity is, therefore, closely linked with the development of concepts and approaches that nurture critical thought, not only expressed in academic and cultural levels but also and with considerable strength, within collective spaces. This essay seeks to contribute to a deeper analysis of the importance of critical thinking in our region within the troubling context of a systemic and socio-ecological collapse.