Contracorriente, Fall 2010, Vol. 8 Issue 1, p. 163-197, 35 p.

English Summary

The article discusses the influence of anarchism on independent intellectuals in early 20th century Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay, drawing from the writings of some of these intellectuals, including Rafael Barrett, Vicente Martínez Cuitiño, and Alejandro Sux. Explaining how independent intellectuals rejected universities as promoters of status quo liberalism and progressivism, it describes how cafes served as ideal environments for learning and the free exchange of ideas. The article discusses other forums through which independent intellectuals asserted themselves apart from bourgeois institutions, including intellectual circles, study centers, and the labor press.