Carlos Pereyra in the labyrinths of contempt. Notes for a sociology of anti-imperialist intellectuals

Abstract

The article seeks to make a contribution to the sociology of anti-imperialist intellectuals through the study of the itinerary and work of Carlos Pereyra Gómez (Saltillo, Mexico, 1871 - Madrid, Spain, 1942). Specifically, three sets of issues are addressed: 1) aspects related to the location of Carlos Pereyra in the Mexican and Ibero American ideological and cultural scene, drawing attention to his tragic political runout, as well as to the contexts of development and circulation of his works; 2) the way in which Pereyra’s anti-American and anti-imperialist sensitivity was conformed, and 3) dimensions of the Pereyra essays –considering mostly his book El mito de Monroe– from the perspective implied in the clause that titles this article –the labyrinths of contempt- or, in other words, from a sociological perspective attentive to the marks left in the texts by the perceptions about the place occupied, or believed to occupy, in the social space. The main hypothesis is that the manners in which Pereyra conceptualized the field of international relations can be thought of as counterparts to how he experienced the relations and differences between social classes.