Historians have long recognized the impact of Krausist philosophy on nineteenth-century Spanish political thought. Based on the ideas of German Romantic Karl Christian Friedrich Krause (1781–1831), Krausism became the dominant intellectual force in Spain during the years 1854–74, profoundly shaping Spanish liberalism. Equally well known is Krausism’s later influence on Argentine Radical leader Hipólito Yrigoyen, whose domestic and international policies were often inspired by Krausist principles. In this ambitious and comprehensive work, O. Carlos Stoetzer argues that Krausism’s influence in the Iberian world extended well beyond these two cases, and left a profound mark on the intellectual history of several Latin American nations, including Brazil. (The book’s title is misleading, since Stoetzer covers both Brazil and Portugal.)
Stoetzer begins his study with the philosophy itself, examining the ideas of Krause and his most prominent disciples. Readers with a less than passionate interest in early-nineteenth-century Romantic philosophy may find some of...
