Real de Azúa, Carlos (1916–1977)

Carlos Real de Azúa (b. 15 March 1916; d. 16 July 1977), Uruguayan intellectual, historian, and essayist. Real de Azua was one of the most brilliant essayists of the so-called Generation of '45. His work consists of over 180 publications and in its breadth is typical of this avidly intellectual and political generation. Writings on travel, literature, Spanish-American culture, political science, history, and historiographical criticism are only some of the areas included in his multifaceted intellectual life. His works are essential references to understanding the spiritual trends in the arts during the nineteenth century: romanticism, classicism, and modernism. Through his first book, España de cerca y de lejos (1943) and his critique of the work of José Enrique Rodó, he contributed to the debate over Spain's legacy in Latin America and especially Uruguay. His work is a fundamental part of the political science of Uruguay. El patriciado uruguayo (1961), perhaps his most successful book, analyzes what was a recurring preoccupation of his work: the formation of the Uruguayan nation-state and the role of the elite. Other works include El impulso y su freno (1964), La clase dirigente (1969), Uruguay: Una sociedad amortiguadora? (1984), and "Política, poder y partidos" in Luis Benvenuto et al., Uruguay Hoy (1971). Real de Azua was a professor at the University of the Republic, where he taught a variety of courses.

See alsoJournalism; Uruguay: The Twentieth Century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Vigencia de Carlos Real de Azúa (1987).

Additional Bibliography

Cotelo, Rubén. Carlos Real de Azúa de cerca y de lejos: Diez bocetos sobre su personalidad. Montevideo: Ediciones del Nuevo Mundo, 1987.

Vázquez Franco, Guillermo. La historia y sus mitos: A propósito de un libro de Real de Azúa, comentarios, digresiones, reflexiones. Montevideo: Cal y Canto: Distribuye Gussi, 1994.

                                     Carlos Filgueira