Paz y la Intelligentsia mexicana

Chapter 7 of “El laberinto de la soledad” revolves around the Mexican “Intelligistsia” and their contributions to education, literature, and psychology.  After the revolution the young intellectuals began to work with the new government on legal projects, government plans, education, diplomatic services, public administration etc.  This situation is very different to that of Europe or the United States, as the educated middle class's principle mission is to examine, critique, and judge the government’s actions.  Nevertheless, in this essay Paz praises many different people of that era for their admirable work about the Mexican identity.

Ramos

Like Samuel Ramos, for example, who wrote “El perfil del hombre y la cultura en México”, the first serious Mexican attempt at self-knowledge.  Although Paz states that the central idea of this book-that the Mexican is isolated, and hides himself when he expresses himself-is valid, he also asserts that it suffers from limitations, as Ramos’ resentment reduces the significance of his conclusions.



Cuesta



Additionally there is Jorge Cuesta, who coined the phrase “Frenchification” when he investigated the meaning of tradition.   In his articles of politics, Cuesta is of the opinion that Mexico either lacks a past or re-created itself in opposition to its past.  It denies both the Indian and the colonial tradition, adopting the free election of French rationalism values.  Paz refutes the idea of adapting to French rationalism, because he feels that the Mexican revolutionary movement as well as its contemporary poetry and paintings emphasize individuality.

Reyes

Alfonso Reyes is spoken about with great admiration in this essay.  Poet, critic, and essayist, Paz states that his work is a literature in itself and a lesson in expression and clarity.  Reyes writes of the dangers and the responsibilities of language, and since the roots of language are the roots of morality, writing must be pure.  The Mexican writer has a duty, beyond the fidelity of language, to express his own nature and the feelings of a confused, inarticulate people.  Reyes also asserts that a writer is broken, because although language is a social mechanism, a writer must write in solitude.  He also complains that Latin American writers must use a European language to describe a very different world, and that it is necessary to break down and then re-create the Spanish language so that it becomes Mexican without ceasing to be Spanish.