Francisco Javier Clavijero (1731-1787) and the Society of Jesus: the impact of order upon life and works of the New Spanish historian

Abstract

Francisco Javier Clavijero is a New Spanish historian, philosopher and a member of the Jesuit order. His most famous work became the “Ancient History of Mexico” published in Cesena in 1780-1781. Clavijero wrote it during his stay in Italy after the expulsion of Jesuits from Spain and its overseas colonies in 1767. The article examines Clavijero’s activity within the framework of his religious career as a member of the Society of Jesus. Based on the analysis of archival and published sources, the author determines the milestones in establishment and development of the New Spanish historian as a member of one of the most influential Catholic monastic orders. The Society of Jesus played the pivotal role in life and creative path of Francisco Javier Clavijero. The atmosphere, prevailing in the Jesuit collegiums in the middle of the XVIII century, contributed to the development of philosophical and scientific knowledge. In virtue of joining the order, Clavijero met the prominent contemporaries and took a great interest in studying the history of pre-Columbian civilizations. Even despite the uneasy relations with the primates, Clavijero remained entirely faithful to the order, for which he permanently left New Spain.