Eugenio María de Hostos: a Vision of Chile

Abstract

In this work, we examine the cultural contribution (political, journalistic, philosophical and educational) of the Puerto Rican humanist Eugenio María de Hostos (Mayagûez, 1839; Santo Domingo, 1903) during the two occasions when he stayed in our country over the second half of the 19th century. His first stay, between 1872 and 1873, was motivated by the necessity to seek support from the southern nations for the emancipation of Cuba and Puerto Rico. His second visit, between 1889 and 1898, was the result of an invitation issued to Hostos from the Chilean Government so that he could participate in the Educational Reform that would take place at that time. In both visits, Eugenio María de Hostos became well-known for being a restless supporter of libertarian ideals based upon progressive principles. Similarly, he acted as an active diffuser of the European philosophical doctrines in vogue at the time (rationalism, positivism, and idealism) and Caribbean realities, identities and territories. Hostos’s intellectual contribution joins that of other distinguished foreigners (such as Andrés Bello, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Amadeo Pssiss, José Joaquín de Mora, Claudio Gay and Ignacio Domeyko) in the formation of the new Chilean Republic having an impact until the present.