Technology, Modernization, and Religion in Developmental Latin America: Towards an Alternative Modernity

Abstract This article starts with the general question about the role that religion played in Latin American philosophy in understanding technology in light of modernization and accelerated industrialization in the developmental periods of the twentieth century. As a first approach to the subject, the primary reference is José Gaos, one of the most prominent representatives of Mexican philosophy at the time. Gaos’ figure is especially significant for his influence on the configuration of the later Mexican philosophical panorama and his defense of a philosophical reflection in Latin America. Building on Gaos’ insights, this paper aims to demonstrate how religion, far from mere reactionism, emerged in Latin America—starting from the early 1950s—as a critical voice against bourgeois modernity. It also catalyzed the reimagining of an alternative modern culture. Our methodology involves (1) analyzing the historical and social context that Gaos’ work addresses; (2) conducting a conceptual analysis of Gaos’ ideas, with a focus on religion’s role as an explanatory and critical factor; and (3) offering an interpretation of Gaos’ ideas regarding technology and secularization as a situated diagnosis of modernity based on religion.