José Carlos Mariátegui was a Peruvian journalist, political philosopher, and activist whose influential work profoundly shaped socialist thought in Latin America. A self-taught Marxist before his early death, he insisted that a socialist revolution must evolve organically, rooted in local conditions and practices rather than a mechanical application of European theories. Mariátegui's approach emphasized the development of Latin American society based on its own traditions and lived realities. His writings, notably his renowned essays on Peruvian reality, continue to be widely read and debated across South America.
Jose Carlos Mariategui (1894-1930) is considered one of Latin America's greatest Marxist theoreticians and activists yet remains nearly unknown in the English-speaking world. This collection of essays is an attempt to introduce the depth of his thought to English-speaking students of history, philosophy, literature and radical theory and practice.
Includes topics that are discussed in the essays - economic evolution, the problem of the Indian, the land problem, public education, the religious factor, regionalism and centralism, and the literary process - are in many respects.