Confrontación cultural

Abstract

The basic idea is to avoid the trap into which we can be led by the displacement of the meaning of certain words. In this case, we deal with confrontation, which originally means just comparison but, through its root verb, confront –that, in English though not in the Romance languages, besides that of comparing bears also the sense of standingagainst- has seen its meaning reduced almost exclusively to the latter. The risk with this is that we are thus pushed to infer that difference equals opposition and hostility. It is therefore important to rescue the idea of comparison and the fact of constating differences not as sources of conflict but as ways to comprehension and understanding in an atmosphere of mutual respect. The intertwining of diverse cultures throughout human history, though not always peaceful, has nevertheless enriched one another andopened to humanity –as a whole- possibilities for a better life.