Gabino Barreda

Gabino Barreda (b. Puebla, 1818 – d. Mexico City 1881) was a Mexican physician and philosopher oriented to French positivism.

After participating in the U.S.-Mexican War defending his country as a volunteer, he studied medicine in Paris (1847-1851). There he knew the Auguste Comte's doctrine, before his first publications in philosophy. Coming back in Mexico City, he introduced there the positivistic school, and was teacher in Guanajuato (1863-67) until the end of the Maximilian empire. Later he met Education minister Antonio Martínez de Castro, who named him teacher of Logic at the National Preparatory School, where he worked durging several years. In 1878 he was received in Berlin as Mexican ambassador in the German Empire. He influenciated many traditionalist thinkers during the Porfirian regime.

To this year, he is currently acknowledge as one of the fathers of the UNAM and the undergraduate medal for the top student of each major's class is named in his honor.