Discourses of the Elders

The Aztec Huehuetlatolli A First English Translation

Sebastian Purcell (SUNY-Cortland)

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English

WW Norton & Co
24 September 2024

History of the Americas; Ancient history: to c 500 CE; Ethics & moral philosophy

Western philosophers have long claimed that God, if such a being exists, is a personal force capable of reason, and that the path to a good human life is also the path to a happy one. But what if these claims prove false, or at least deeply misleading? The Aztecs of central Mexico had a rich philosophical tradition, recorded in Latin script by Spanish clergymen and passed down for centuries in the native Nahuatl language-one of the earliest transcripts being the Huehuetlatolli, or Discourses of the Elders, compiled by Friar Andrés de Olmos circa 1535.

Novel in its form, the Discourses consists of short conversations between elders and young people on how to achieve a meaningful and morally sound life. The Aztecs had a metaphysical tradition but no concept of ""being."" They considered the mind an embodied force, present not just in the brain but throughout the body. Their core values relied on collective responsibility and group wisdom, not individual thought and action, orienting life around one's actions in this realm rather than an afterlife, distinctly opposed to the Christian beliefs that permeate Europe and America.

Sebastian Purcell's fluency in his grandmother's native Nahuatl brings to light the Aztec ethical landscape in brilliant clarity. Never before translated into English in its entirety, and one of the earliest post-contact texts ever recorded, Discourses of the Elders reflects the wisdom communicated by oral tradition and proves that philosophy can be active, communal, and grounded not in a ""pursuit of happiness"" but rather the pursuit of a meaningful life.

Translated by: Sebastian Purcell (SUNY-Cortland)
Imprint: WW Norton & Co
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 211mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 182g
ISBN: 9781324076162
ISBN 10: 132407616X
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 24 September 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Sebastian Purcell is an associate professor of philosophy at SUNY-Cortland, where he researches mathematical logic, ethics, and Latin American philosophy. He lives in Binghamton, New York.