In this reprint of a work which appeared in 1945, the author seeks to show Alberdi as an innovator in the philosophy of international diplomacy, especially in terms of inter-American cooperation. Influenced by the perspectives inherent in an immediate post-war period, Isidoro Ruiz Moreno analyses the Argentine thinker’s concepts of international rights, including a distinct inter-American relationship; war; neutrality; and the concept of the “world state.
Both Alberdi’s philosophy of international rights and his influence on its history are described in brief fashion, using ample quotations from his writings. Although the author devotes most of the work to Alberdi’s philosophy, history students will find sketches of his role in the drawing up of the treaties between Argentina and Spain in the latter half of the 1850s. Special attention is given to the controversial 1857 treaty for which Alberdi was widely criticized. One chapter discusses Alberdi’s thoughts on convening a congress of American republics to coordinate jurisprudence, commerce, territorial boundaries, legislation, and cultural questions.
This monograph is a description of Alberdi’s views and would be superfluous for the student seeking an interpretative analysis of his writings.
