The role of literature in the globalized world

Abstract

The article reflects on the role of literature in the globalized world, in response to the rise of neoliberalism and cultural homogenization. Its main objective is to demonstrate that literature retains a humanizing and ethical function against the instrumental rationality of capitalism, and that it must serve as a medium for building critical and compassionate awareness. The methodology follows a philosophical and hermeneutic approach, grounded in theoretical analysis of thinkers such as Aristotle, Kant, Heidegger, Marx, Stiglitz, Chomsky, and Nussbaum, as well as in literary interpretation of poems by Julio Cabrales and Léopold Sédar Senghor. Reyes González contrasts Poetic Reason with Instrumental Reason, presenting literature as a form of resistance to utilitarian thinking within a humanistic and critical-ethical framework. The scope of the study lies in reaffirming literature as a space for cultural diversity, empathy, and intellective-affective education. The author concludes that literature, rather than being a product of the global market, must be understood as a means of reflection, recognition of otherness, and humanistic formation, capable of countering neoliberal dehumanization and fostering a planetary humanism.