Paulette Dieterlen (1947–2025) was a prominent Mexican philosopher and researcher affiliated with the Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), where she focused on political philosophy, social justice, distributive justice, poverty, human rights, and economic social rights.
Her work critically examined the intersections of poverty with public policy, ethics, and exclusion, treating poverty as both a political issue involving disenfranchisement and an ethical one tied to loss of dignity, autonomy, and self-respect. She contributed to discussions on social programs like Mexico’s PROGRESA (1997–2002) and advocated for taking economic and social rights seriously as tools to combat inequality.
Dieterlen authored several influential books and essays, including Poverty: A Philosophical Approach (2005, Rodopi/Brill; originally La pobreza: un estudio filosófico, 2003), which analyzes philosophical dimensions of poverty and policy; Justicia distributiva y salud (on distributive justice and health); Ensayos sobre justicia distributiva (Essays on Distributive Justice); and co-edited volumes such as works on rationality and social sciences. Her articles appeared in journals including the Inter-American Journal of Philosophy (e.g., “Taking Economic Social Rights Seriously: A Way to Fight Poverty,” 2013).
Her scholarship bridged analytical philosophy, Marxism, and Latin American perspectives, influencing contemporary debates on justice, bioethics, and anti-poverty strategies in the region. She is remembered as a key figure in Mexican political philosophy.
Articles and papers published in the Journal include:
- “Taking Economic Social Rights Seriously: A Way to Fight Poverty” (Volume 4, Issue 1 – Spring, 2013)