Vicente Fatone and his appropriations of the East: initiation, exploration and moments in his philosophical production

Abstract

In this article we address the appropriations of the East made by the Argentine philosopher Vicente Fatone (1903-1962). In his philosophical production, interest in mysticism and particular elaborations regarding Eastern thought appeared early. His singular approach to the philosophical culture of the East implies different levels of explanation and argumentation in his writings. Therefore, we propose to investigate the initiation, exploration and moments in his philosophical production to trace diverse paths in his approach to that thought, especially to the philosophy of India. We will focus on two instances, in our opinion, relevant in Fatone's production of the 20th century regarding the theme of the East: the first covers his writings from the 1920s until his first trip to India in 1937, in which we notes the mediation of Western sources; the second, from his study trip to India until the years close to his death, in which his work on Indian philosophy acquired degrees of depth and systematicity. In this way, we will be able to show the nuances and conceptual and thematic shifts present in different Argentine texts.