 One of the factors that helped the development of philosophy was the increasing consciousness of a distinctly Latin American philosophical identity, of a sense that there was something different or distinctive about Latin American philosophy. In part, this was a result of growing consciousness of the increasing importance of Latin America in the world and, on the philosophical side, of the introduction in Latin America of Ortega’s perspectivism. By the time of Samuel Ramos and Leopoldo Zea, the Founders’ preoccupation with the existence of an autochthonous Latin American philosophy gave rise to a controversy about whether and how it existed. This debate was one in which practically all important philosophers of the period participated. In turn, this debate provided impetus to the study and dissemination of the philosophical work of Latin American thinkers throughout the region.