Félix Varela and the Hermeneutics of the Observer: An Epistemological Reinterpretation of Inner Freedom
PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation) February 28, 2026 Alexander Lázaro Gómez González
This article proposes a contemporary reinterpretation of Félix Varela through the Hermeneutics of the Observer (HO), an epistemological theory describing the human subject's dynamic structure via perception, perspective, point of view, opinion, and feedback. It argues that Varela, though not formalizing a theory of consciousness, anticipated inner freedom as a process of judgment formation and transformation of consciousness. HO formalizes this intuition, presenting inner freedom as an epistemological phenomenon grounded in interpretive autonomy. Integrating Megan Entwistle's concept of Perspectival Forgetting, the article shows convergence between Cuban philosophical tradition and current debates on memory, subjectivity, and experience. It concludes that HO completes and projects Varela's thought toward a contemporary theory of subjectivity.