An Interview with Antonio Dominguez Ortiz

Abstract

Our series of interviews with renowned historians of Ibero-America has not included, to date, any scholar from the Iberian peninsula itself. It is a great satisfaction to remedy that omission by presenting here a conversation with don Antonio Dominguez Ortiz, whom many would rank as Spain's senior practicing historian of any period, and to whom all would point as the leading exponent in Spanish of his country's early modern history. Dr. Dominguez Ortiz's career is a heartening testimony to the power of the written word in the intellectual affairs of a society. He has exercised his influence on the practice of history in Spain very largely through his books and articles, not having proceeded, as this interview makes clear, along the conventional paths of university teaching, and so not having had the conventional opportunities to shape young historians during their graduate apprenticeships. Indeed, most of his teaching has taken place in secondary schools: fortunate colegiales, though one may wonder whether that is the best use a society can make of its finest historical talent. On the other hand, his own eminence may be read to suggest that closely organized supervision is perhaps, in some cases, not the best way of preparing historians. Dr. Dominguez Ortiz stresses here that he is largely a selftaught scholar. One might reason from his example that, as students' ability increases, so their need for formal training declines; and that the very best will most fully realize their potential if they are left to their own explorations. The nature of Dr. Dominguez Ortiz's career qualifies him particularly well to make comments and criticisms about the teaching of history in primary and secondary schools, and in general to speak of the historian's role in society at large. Such discussion is an unusual and valuable component