How Liberalism Became a Bad Word in Argentina
Location
Beaman A&B
Presentation Type
Presentation
Start Date
27-10-2010 3:00 PM
Description
Like all American nations, Argentina descends intellectually and politically from classical liberalism as a school of both political and economic thought. Basic notions of classical liberalism--citizenship, individual rights, freedom, rule of law, free enterprise, democracy--are part of our countries’ political DNA, so much so that one can hardly sustain a discussion about political and economic theory without invoking liberalist vocabulary. Yet, in Argentina (and other countries as well), liberalism has often been under attack. Dr. Shumway’s talk explores three major schools of anti-liberal sentiment in Argentina: first, that liberal practitioners have never been faithful to their own principles; second, that liberalism is incompatible with “one God, one truth” religion; and third, that true democracy, that is government according to the will of the people, can never be obtained through liberal political institutions. While the focus will be on Argentina, Shumway takes into account the “liberal” experience of other American nations, including the United States.
Dr. Shumway, author of The Invention of Argentina, is an expert in Latin-American history and culture, ideologies of Hispanism, Latin-American writers, and studies in Spanish-American literature. His highly acclaimed history of Argentina considers how the “guiding fictions” of Argentina’s national heroes, politicians, theoreticians, and poets are ultimately responsible for the identity of Argentina.
Recommended Citation
Shumway, Nicolas, "How Liberalism Became a Bad Word in Argentina" (2010). Humanities Symposium. 19.
https://repository.belmont.edu/humanities_symposium/2010/2010/19
How Liberalism Became a Bad Word in Argentina
Beaman A&B
Like all American nations, Argentina descends intellectually and politically from classical liberalism as a school of both political and economic thought. Basic notions of classical liberalism--citizenship, individual rights, freedom, rule of law, free enterprise, democracy--are part of our countries’ political DNA, so much so that one can hardly sustain a discussion about political and economic theory without invoking liberalist vocabulary. Yet, in Argentina (and other countries as well), liberalism has often been under attack. Dr. Shumway’s talk explores three major schools of anti-liberal sentiment in Argentina: first, that liberal practitioners have never been faithful to their own principles; second, that liberalism is incompatible with “one God, one truth” religion; and third, that true democracy, that is government according to the will of the people, can never be obtained through liberal political institutions. While the focus will be on Argentina, Shumway takes into account the “liberal” experience of other American nations, including the United States.
Dr. Shumway, author of The Invention of Argentina, is an expert in Latin-American history and culture, ideologies of Hispanism, Latin-American writers, and studies in Spanish-American literature. His highly acclaimed history of Argentina considers how the “guiding fictions” of Argentina’s national heroes, politicians, theoreticians, and poets are ultimately responsible for the identity of Argentina.
Comments
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