Analysis of the primarization of the economy in Latin America from the material basis of the dialectical method

Abstract

In recent years, Latin America has not only experienced economic growth, but has also had to face a trend toward primarization of the economy, deindustrialization, and the increase in assembly plants and assembly plants. A classic geopolitical analysis would reveal that the problem lies in the inability of their rulers to manage the states, whatever their political position. Ethical reasoning like these is not enough to achieve a pragmatic change in reality; reason for which, the present work tries to realize the analysis from the method of the historical materialism and the ecological economy. For this, in the first place, the historical and epistemological character of capitalism is revealed, with which categories can be identified that go beyond the selfish tendency of “homo economicus”. Second, the conceptual similarities between dialectical materialism and ecological economics have been expressed, which incorporates new epistemes that recognize the value that nature has for life, something that neoclassical environmental economics has not achieved. For this, techniques of analysis of society-nature metabolism are used, which shows how Latin America's participation in the world economy has been as a supplier of raw materials since colonial times; and how, in turn, nature has dialectically determined the region materially at its economic and social levels; continuing and accentuating this trend even during times of economic growth.