Considering:

1) the philosophical activity:
a) Historically the word philosophy has have different notions (from positive ones "the love to wisdom", "mother of sciences", "search of the truth", "revolutionary praxis", "cosmovision ", "guide of behavior" to negative ones "mere speculation", "no sense and ininteligible metaphysics", "Western, Eurocentrical thought and of domination") all valid in certain circumstances from time and place as well as for certain tastes and individual inclinations;
b) Diverse peculiar problems affect (social, economic, educative, political, etc.) to us as members of the Latin American reality, of the underdeveloped South Hemisphere;
c) It is necessary that Philosophy we do to reflect specially on such problems and that analyzes them as well as to propose solutions;
d) In that perspective, we choose a philosophy applied to life, one that is in favor of it, defends it and  does not denigre it nor does not destroy it. This is, we are more inclined to an philosophy interested in subjects of real people before than mere ideas. We are in favor of a present and real utility of philosophy, not like a sophisticated activity of some whichever privileged people but like an expression of the human spirit interested in its fellows and not only in simple abstractions.

2) the Peruvian philosophical bibliography in particular:
a) In our country, Peru, it is very limited the philosophical bibliographical production be books or academic journals, and that not necessarily because of deficiency of authors;
b) Philosophical interest in real or social subjects, matters or problems is exceptional, prevailing a massification of texts of scholastic level that simply repeat ideas of classic authors without relating them to our reality, they are not adecuate to our time and place circumstances, and simply it is following educative guidelines already obsolete in an international level;
c) There is a deficiency of philosophical production that, on one hand, unmasks, questions and criticizes -with argumentes- ideologies defending anti-rationalism, authoritarism, ignorance and oscurantism as well as explotation of good faith and hopelessness of people, and that, on the other hand, educates and promotes alternatives based on high moral values, expressions of human positive and constructive capacities.
d) There is the deficiency of an writing medium where authors of formation or philosophical inclination -within of the mentioned perspective be professionals or self-educated- can express their ideas;
e) Foreign specialized journals and books and still national ones are expensive and they do not reach to an eager ampler public of a present and useful knowledge;

Therefore it is necessary:
a) to promote the application of Philosophy towards the problems before mentioned -specially in our country as well as in this region of the world-.
b) to encourage educative and scientific points of view in favour of overcoming economic delay, separation of Stae and Church, as well those against prejudices and social discriminations that mainly affect to the South Hemisphere of which we are part;
c) to promote notions contrary to denigration of human dignity and intelligence that is based on fear and ignorance, like also those that they are against of the degradation of nature and war conflicts between the nations;
d) to divulge naturalistic, humanist, rationalist, and secular approaches that are in favor of culture of positive expressions of man, that is to say: mutual solidarity, integrity, altruism, respect, love and tolerance, development of knowledge and application of sciences and humanities, their culture and education from childhood;
e) to publish the Peruvian Journal of Applied Philosophy Editions (ERPFA) -books and periodicals- the fundamental writing media for such intentions. Their name speaks to us that they are academic publications, a set of diverse papers and/or essays as well as reviews or investigations;  they are edited and published in Lima, Peru from May of 1994;  word Philosophy means that the journal is a medium of expression, opinion, diffusion and discussion for those authors oriented philosophically -be professionals or not, famous or not, nationals or not-; and it is applied because its interest is not only theoretical but that also it is interested in real and concrete subjects of people (analysis, as well as solution of problems and subjects of practical and public interest originating of such diverse areas as education, health, economy, policy, law, ethics and others). ERPFA are independent publications (they dos not depend intellectually nor economically on any institution in particular strange to itself), pluralist (respects freedom of expression and opinion) and interdisciplinary (not only also philosophers will write for them but as well professional and students of other specialities. In addition, ERPFA have space for classic subjects and thinkers pillars of all Philosophy).
f) to organize conferences, colloquies, courses, seminaries and congresses that promote such projects;
g) to produce recordings in audio and video of philosophical documentary programs, and;
h) to realize other activities related to spreading and debate of the applied philosophy;

Corolary:
Philosophy and the philosophical task can also be seen like something has to do with concrete reality and dialy life of common and current people and not only with ontologic, metaphysicl, gnoseologic, aesthetic or axiologic -although all these are related to those of some form or another on -. Philosophy can serve as excellent compass for individuals and society. It is in the scientific method and outside it when we are not satisfied with prevailing and traditional beliefs, when we want to go beyond established and customary ones. Philosophy will subsist meanwhile the rational activity exists (a characteristic of our human species, at least to where we know).
M.A. Paz y Miño, Founder Director, Peruvian Journal of Applied Philosophy

Adherents signatures and members:
Gustavo Flores Q. (Instituto para la Paz, la Integración y la Cultura en Latinoamérica)
Mario Mejía W. (Universidad Particular Ricardo Palma)
Augusto Ruiz Z. (Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal)
Ladislao Cuéllar, Zenón Depaz, Fidel Gutiérrez, Rolando Mendívil, Eduardo Muratta, Carlos Mora, Octavio Obando,  Miguel Polo, Blas Ríos, José Romero, Julio Sanz y Dora Vidal (Universidad Nacional de San Marcos).

Lima, Summer of 1996.

rpfa@oocities.com

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