The marquis of Montealegre de Aulestia. spanish biography of a Peruvian nationalist

Abstract

This essay is an attempt to present the thought of the most prominent Peruvian political philosopher from the early Twentieth Century. José de la Riva- Agüero y Osma, Marquis de Montelegre de Aulestia (1885-1944), is well-known in the history of Peruvian thought because of his leading role in the so-called “Generation of 900.” But he is even more recognized because of his political speeches and his theories of history and literature with a nationalist view. In this essay, Montealegre will be approached through his contacts in Spain. This is a key for interpreting one of the most basic hermeneutical presuppositions of his main political thesis: the traditionalist nationalism. Rather than criticizing texts, the essay tries to give a framework in which to make sense of Montealegres ideas. This is why it takes into account his biographical relations, mainly those he had with Spanish intellectuals and nobility. This approach is
possible thanks to his correspondence. The biography of his Spanish contacts will show the influence they had in Montealegres thought.