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Ricardo Rojas and the Emergence of Argentine Cultural Nationalism

1963; Duke University Press; Volume: 43; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1215/00182168-43.1.1

1527-1900

Earl T. Glauert,

Cultural and Social Studies in Latin America

j3aAMILIAR EXPRESSIONS of twentieth-century Argentine nationalism involve such matters as Y.P.F., Argentina's ambition to extend her sovereignty to the Falkland Islands, and her reluctance to cooperate within the framework of the Organization of American States. In addition to economic, political, and juridical nationalism there is the less familiar, but no less vital cultural nationalism that has had a significant history in Argentina during the twentieth century. The preeminent Argentine cultural nationalist is Ricardo Rojas. Poet, historian, teacher, educator, dramatist, and author of some thirty books, Rojas devoted his entire life to the promotion of cultural nationalism. It is because he played such a key role that much of the growth and development of this phenomena can be presented in terms of his life. The originator of cultural nationalism and its most complete theorist was Johann Gottfried von Herder.' In Herder's writings three concepts stand forth and support the structure of his thought. The first is the Volk, which he identified as that group in society which was true to its original nature, which had remained upon its national foundations, and which, therefore, was the most genuine and authentic group in society. The second concept is Volks geist; the idea that there prevails among the Volk a collective, spiritual force which is the creative force in a society and which provides it with ideals and standards. The third concept is what is today called Kulturauftrag; the view' that a Volk or nationality, inspired by its Volksgeist, has a cultural mission to perform. Herder's concept of the nature of cultural nationalism indicates that a clear and complete form of cultural nationalism did not appear in Argentina until the first decade of the twentieth century. Throughout the nineteenth century to be sure, there had been manifestations