Politics and Classical Culture in the Plan del Perú (1810) by Manuel Lorenzo de Vidaurre

Abstract

The present study analyzes Manuel Lorenzo de Vidaurre’s political thought through his political language, specifically as expressed in the Greco-Roman references found in his work Plan del Perú (1810), set against the backdrop of the crisis of the Spanish Monarchy (1808–1814). Its central purpose is to understand the meaning behind the reception of Greco-Roman referents, which contributed to the resignification of his thought during a period characterized by tension and the rupture of political legitimacy caused by the Napoleonic invasion of Spain. Within the realm of intellectual history, this critical juncture is exemplified by the tension between monarchical fidelism and Hispanic liberalism.

Consequently, this research explores Vidaurre’s employment of references from the Classical tradition to reconfigure his political thought. Furthermore, it seeks to examine how these references functioned as conceptual mediators amid a political crisis, while also identifying the Greco-Roman influences present in both his intellectual formation and his oeuvre. In doing so, it demonstrates how the resignification of concepts inherited from the colonial order allowed for their adaptation to new realities.

Methodologically, this study relies on the theoretical framework of Elías Palti, situating the research within the history of ideas and political languages. Accordingly, it centers on a contextual analysis of the discourse, considering the historical conjuncture and the conditions of enunciation in the Plan del Perú (1810). Finally, it employs a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach, based on a close textual analysis of the work and the inclusion of graphs to illustrate the author's use of Classical references.