Ignacio Ellacuría, filósofo mártir de la realidad histórica, discípulo de Xavier Zubiri

Abstract

Father Ignacio Ellacuría (1930-1989) was a Spanish Jesuit philosopher and the most important disciple of another great Spanish philosopher, Xavier Zubiri (1898-1983). Ellacuría was sent to El Salvador (Central America) in 1949 at eighteen, and after degrees in humanities, philosophy, and theology in Ecuador and Austria (where he was disciple of Karl Rahner), he travelled to Spain in 1962 for doctoral studies with Zubiri. There he became perhaps the leading specialist on Zubiri’s philosophy, which first analyzes reality as a dynamically structured epigenetic system tracing its emergence from material through organic to historical reality (open to transcendence), and second, which postulates the concept of sentient intelligence through which we are able to apprehend reality as reality. Upon returning to El Salvador in 1967, Ellacuría used Zubiri’s philosophical system to develop a powerful analysis of Latin America’s complicated historical reality during the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Ellacuría’s extraordinary output touched many different fields: philosophy, theology, political analysis, and his role as President of the UCA (Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas) in defense of the poor, and as peacemaker during the Civil War in El Salvador (1980-1991). He was assassinated with five other Jesuits and two women housekeepers by Salvadoran soldiers on November 16th 1989.