San Jose State University philosophy professor Carlos Alberto Sanchez presented his research on the philosophy of brutality in narco culture, as part of the SJSU’s University Scholar Series in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library on Wednesday.
Narco culture, according to Sanchez, is “a socio-political and historical-cultural phenomenon that challenges the very conception of violence, personhood, and culture itself.”
Sanchez is currently working on a book addressing the issue, titled, “A Sense of Brutality: Philosophy after Narco Culture.”
He began studying narco culture from a philosophical approach because there wasn’t any published work on the subject.
“Philosophers are usually quick to respond to the moral problems of society, but they haven’t responded to this, which is very problematic,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez highlighted the excessive violence within narco culture through various headlines from newspapers, some of which included “Five Decapitated: Hearts left in mouths of severed heads,” and “The DEA warns of a circle of hell in Mexico.”
He believes the amount of violence has become so commonplace, that it has led to the desensitization of to the desensitization of humanity.
Individuals from the narco community are no longer seen as humans, but as “narcos,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez stated that because of this reason, “brutality” is a better description for what goes on in the narco world.
According to Dictionary.com, brutality is defined as “the quality of being brutal, cruelty, savagery.”
Sanchez said brutality requires the task of turning people into objects, which is done in narco culture when people are regularly killed.
He stated narco culture cannot be called a subculture because there is no overarching culture that one can tie it to.
Photographs of the extravagant tombs of major figures involved in narco culture were shown while Sanchez spoke.
The tombs, one of which Sanchez visited in Mexico, are large with towering columns and contain amenities, such as air conditioning and bulletproof glass windows inside.
He believes these death customs authenticate narco culture to be a real culture.
Attendees gasped at the intricacy of the tombs and how these individuals were immortalized in such lavish ways.
“I didn’t know about the tombs. There were houses built for these people that no one lives in,” radio, television and film senior Luis Moreno said.
Moreno said he had heard stories of narco culture and drug cartels, but didn’t expect to hear people discussing it in the United States.
Philosophy graduate student Baltazar Lopez said he came to learn about the political science behind narco culture. He said he found it shocking how narco culture operates as an independent nation.
“By coming to a lecture similar to this one, you can learn more about a situation and make an opinion for yourself,” Lopez said.
Lopez believes it’s important for students to come to speaking events like this in order for them to gain their own opinions on different issues.
“With [President Donald] Trump, there has been questions on identity. There’s lack of truth from democrats and republicans. There’s issues with fake news. People try to control the narrative,” Lopez said.
Sanchez hopes his work on the subject sparks a debate and others can also study narco culture from a philosophical perspective.
