Recognition in the Work of Silvio Rodríguez: Compassion as a Bridge toward the Construction of Identity

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze how the concept of recognition of the Other can be explored through the artistic work of Silvio Rodríguez. It argues that his music reflects not only aesthetic sensitivity, but also embodies an ethics of recognition, in which historically silenced identities are brought to light. The analysis is primarily guided by Emmanuel Levinas’s notion of ethical responsibility, understood as an unconditional response to the vulnerability of the Other, and is complemented by the concept of compassion as developed by both Levinas and Martha Nussbaum. Additionally, it draws on Charles Taylor’s contributions regarding recognition as a fundamental human need that directly influences the formation of both individual and collective identity. Within this framework, compassion is not merely an emotion but an ethical disposition that enables the recognition of the Other in their singularity. Thus, Silvio Rodríguez’s artistic practice emerges as a form of resistance that transforms aesthetic creation into an act of justice and dignity.