Cultural policy: Blasco Peñaherrera

Abstract

The text, an address by Dr. Blasco Peñaherrera, explores the cultural evolution of Ecuador and Iberoamerica, emphasizing the need to analyze the present and past before formulating a cultural policy. Peñaherrera defines culture broadly as everything resulting from human action, thought, and creation, including the manner in which it's realized and transmitted. He frames his analysis around three "enigmas" of national history:
The "Easy Collapse" of Pre-Hispanic Culture: He argues the indigenous culture was vastly inferior technologically and conceptually to the Spanish, comparing the former to an agrarian-semi-sedentary culture of 3500 B.C.. The Spanish conquest was a clash of differing evolutionary levels, making the collapse inevitable.
The "Long Colonial Night" and Paradox: He notes the surprising cultural and developmental parity between Spain and its colonies by the late 18th century, attributing this to the process of mestizaje (racial mixing), which facilitated cultural assimilation. However, this joint level was far below that of other European and North American nations. This backwardness, particularly in innovation and philosophical thought, is linked to the Church's condemnation of Galileo and the resulting dogmatism and intellectual stagnation in the Mediterranean world.
The "Slow March" of the Republic: The early decades of independence failed to bring significant progress, with some evidence suggesting conditions actually worsened. This is largely blamed on the destructive nature of the independence wars, which eliminated capable leaders and vital social/productive structures, leading to subsequent political chaos and a mere replacement of the colonial regime with a similarly unjust one.