Discourses of the Elders: The Aztec Huehuetlatolli A First English Translation

The Aztecs of central Mexico had a rich philosophical tradition recorded in Latin script by Spanish clergymen, including Huehuetlatolli, or Discourses of the Elders, compiled by Fr Andres de Olmos in 1535. The novel consists of short conversations between elders and young people on how to achieve a meaningful and morally sound life. Their core values relied on collective responsibility and group wisdom, focused on a person's actions in this realm rather than expectations of an afterlife.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 10 October 2023
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

The Aztecs of central Mexico had a rich philosophical tradition, recorded in Latin script by Spanish clergymen, one of the earliest transcripts being Huehuetlatolli, or Discourses of the Elders, compiled by Fr. Andres de Olmos circa 1535. Novel in its form, the Discourses consists of short conversations between elders and young people on how to achieve a meaningful and morally sound life. These conversations bring to light the Aztec ethical landscape in brilliant clarity. Their core values relied on collective responsibility and group wisdom, not individual thought and action, focused on a person's actions in this realm rather than expectations of an afterlife.

Never before translated into English in its entirety, and one of the first works to be translated from the original Nahuatl, the Discourses prove that philosophy can be active, communal, and grounded not in a "pursuit of happiness" but rather in the pursuit of a meaningful life.

Weight: 400g
Dimension: 148 x 220 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781324020585