Equality, Ethnic Homogeneity, and Political Democracy: The Fundamental Axes of Costa Rican Democratic Romanticism

The social cornerstone of Costa Rican identity focuses on three main elements, as highlighted by Costa Rican sociologist Carlos Sojo (2013) and analyzed by other intellectuals in the country. These elements can be summarized as equality, ethnic homogeneity, and democracy. However, from a philosophical perspective, particularly in the development of ideas in the late XIX century and early XX century, these elements have been little explored. Delving into the historical and philosophical influences of ethnic homogeneity will be the starting point, as equality and democracy will be explained as being formed based on such ethnic homogeneity. The notion of "blanquitud" (whiteness) that developed in the Costa Rican territory in the late 19th Century was primarily propelled by a generation of intellectuals known as the "Generación del Olimpo," which had most of its roots in the academic formation of young Costa Ricans sent to Europe to study, particularly in England and France. This idea of whiteness championed by a generation of Costa Rican politicians and intellectuals was associated with speeches related to the color of the skin being the basis for the possibility of a successful democracy. Mostly, such an idea of whiteness is anchored in the rational capacity of individuals close to the phenotypic European ideal, built around a philosophical and historical configuration that considers Costa Ricans to be a "Spanish race." This, in turn, affects, as will be shown, other developments like science, education, culture, and economics. This analysis will explore the basics of Latin American philosophy and its actual importance to the global philosophical discussion.