Failure, concept and denial

a contextualization of the phenomenon from contemporary philosophical assumptions

Authors

  • Santiago Sánchez Gil Pontifical Bolivarian University image/svg+xml
  • Jonny Alexander García Echeverri Universidad Católica de Oriente image/svg+xml

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47286/23461209.665

Keywords:

Failure, Ideology, Contemporary Society, Social values, Happiness, Philosophy

Abstract

This article seeks to contextualize the category failure from the perspective of  contemporary philosophy in order to understand the denial of this phenomenon in today’s society. The first part offers an etymological and conceptual analysis of the term “failure,” examining the negative connotations historically associated with it and tracing its origin to processes of absolutized idealization that become the model for human aspirations. The second part presents the cultural dynamics that generate a resistance to struggle, sacrifice, and loss, thereby shaping the denial of failure as a problem that impoverishes human experience and prevents life from
being understood within its real conditions. Finally, the article argues that failure is not a misfortune but a necessary condition for personal fulfillment, insofar as it reorients desire, challenges idealizations, and strengthens human freedom.

Author Biographies

  • Santiago Sánchez Gil, Pontifical Bolivarian University

    PhD candidate in Philosophy and Master’s degree holder in Education from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the Universidad Católica Luis Amigó.

  • Jonny Alexander García Echeverri, Universidad Católica de Oriente

    PhD in Philosophy, Master’s degree in Philosophy, theologian, Bachelor’s degree in Ethnoeducation, and Bachelor in Philosophy from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. Member of the Humanitas Research Group, Faculty of Theology and Humanities at the Universidad Católica de Oriente.

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Published

2026-05-27

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 24 (2025): The Conversation That Humanizes Us

Section

Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Kénosis

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Failure, concept and denial: a contextualization of the phenomenon from contemporary philosophical assumptions. (2026). Kénosis, 13(24), 42-63. https://doi.org/10.47286/23461209.665

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