Diciendo Las Verdades Al Poder: El/La Intelectual Y Sus Dilemas En El Enfoque Crítico De Edward Said. (Speaking Truth to Power: The Intellectual and His/Her Dilemmas in Edward Said's Critical Approach)

Alpha, 45, pp. 291-306. ISSN 0718-2201. doi/10.4067/S0718-22012017000200291

16 Pages Posted: 19 Mar 2018

Date Written: December 2017

Abstract

Spanish Abstract: El presente trabajo intenta analizar los elementos críticos a la base de aquella suerte de prescripción que Edward Said formulara a los intelectuales bajo la célebre consigna de ―decir las verdades al poder‖, esto es, de interpelar públicamente al poder –político, económico, religioso, militar– frente a toda evidencia de injusticia, inconsistencia o turbia manipulación en su operar. En tanto tal, y a partir de nuestra lectura de Said, delimitamos cinco dilemas que el intelectual ha de resolver, en tanto requisitos para decir las verdades al poder: orientación intramundana versus extramundana, rol profético versus sacerdotal, libertad universalista versus organicidad, racionalidad sustantiva versus instrumental y arrojo versus temor. Se comentan las implicaciones de estos dilemas a la luz de los desafíos y oportunidades que las sociedades contemporáneas –en particular, las latinoamericanas– presentan para el rol del intelectual.

English Abstract: This work analyzes the critical foundations of that quasi-rule posed by Edward Said to intellectuals through the famous motto – speaking truth to power‖, that is, of publicly interpellating to power – political, economic, religious, military – whenever its exercise may involve injustice, inconsistency or underhanded manipulation. So, according to our interpretation of Said‘s work, we identify five dilemmas the intellectual should resolve in order to be able to speak truth to power: a worldliness orientation versus an otherworldliness one, a prophetic role versus a priestly one, universalist freedom versus organic compromise, a substantive rationality versus an instrumental one, and courage versus fear. Involvements of these dilemmas are discussed according to the challenges and opportunities posed by current societies – in particular, the Latin American ones – to the intellectual‘s role.

Note: Downloadable document is in Spanish.

Keywords: intelectuales, poder, dilemas, Edward Said. intellectuals, power, dilemmas, Edward Said.

Suggested Citation

Donoso-Maluf, Francisco, Diciendo Las Verdades Al Poder: El/La Intelectual Y Sus Dilemas En El Enfoque Crítico De Edward Said. (Speaking Truth to Power: The Intellectual and His/Her Dilemmas in Edward Said's Critical Approach) (December 2017). Alpha, 45, pp. 291-306. ISSN 0718-2201. doi/10.4067/S0718-22012017000200291, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3140711

Francisco Donoso-Maluf (Contact Author)

University of La Serena ( email )

Av. Raul Bitran Nachary
Coquimbo
Chile

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