The problem of the other and ethics. Anthropology, human rights and politics

Abstract

This text explores the question of the ethics that should prevail in anthropological pursuits, a topic which, despite philosophical undertones, is an underlining issue in anthropology, particularly in the way in which it approaches the study problem. The article attempts to identify a possible relationship between ethics, anthropology, human rights and politics, in light of «the problem of the other,» with the purpose of positioning it within the Mexican context, based on the postulates of Enrique Dussel in his Introducción a una Filosofía Latinoamericana de la Liberación. What relation exists between ethics and anthropology? What should be considered ethical behavior of an anthropologist? Is just one ethic possible or must we consider several, given cultural diversity? Are human rights—as a proposal of values—universal, or is that impossible? Do ethics exist for politics, given this diversity?