Trayectorias y desafíos en la historiografía de la ciencia y de la medicina en América Latina

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the historiography of science and medicine in Latin America by analyzing four perspectives used by researchers since the mid-20th century to the early 21st century. The first perspective was strongly influenced by an eurocentric assumption according to which science was a modern intelectual product, a higher form of rational knowledge and an aspiration of all cultures. The second and third perspectives consider science as a social and cultural venture that had a unique dynamic in Latin American countries. These two perspectives gave much importance to the notions of reception, negotiation and interaction. In addition, they highlighted the proactive capacity of local and national actors. The fourth perspective—associated to broader perspective known as Global History—emphasizes the transnational circulation of knowledge among cultures and goes beyond the Latinamerican region, challenging some of the basis of previous perspectives such as the centrality of the Nation State.