Considered one of the most prominent Latin American intellectuals of the twentieth century, José Carlos Mariátegui (Peru, 1894-1930) has attracted growing interest among scholars. However, the many recent references to his work do not deviate from the perspectives that since the 1960s have considered him as the “America’s first Marxist.” Moving away from visions that circumscribe his socialist political thinking to a national framework, or that privilege his ultimate relationship with the Latin American reality, this lecture aims at associate Mariátegui’s writing and life with the global context that marked the inter-war years. In particular, it explores two conceptions that emerged with regard to his intellectual praxis from the world stage of the first postwar period: the Crises of Civilization and the Revolution. Both motifs allowed Mariátegui to interpret the turbulent times he witnessed. The talk draws from an in-depth re-reading of his work and travels, and presents the results of two anthologies the guest lecturer has published in recent years: José Carlos Mariátegui. Antología (Buenos Aires: Siglo XXI Editores, 2020) and José Carlos Mariátegui. Aventura y revolución mundial. Escritos alrededor del viaje (Buenos Aires: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2022).

Event held in Spanish