Intellectuals and democracy: the Argentine magazine Contorno (1953–1959)

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the relationship between Argentine intellectuals and democracy between 1958 and 1962. In the Argentine magazine Contorno (1953-1959), renowned figures such as Ismael and David Viñas, Noé Jitrik, and León Rozitchner aimed to rethink the role of intellectuals in the face of democratization. Contorno initially supported Arturo Frondizi’s presidency (1958–1962), as they regarded it as a valuable political experience distanced from Peronism (1946–1955) and Revolución Libertadora (1955–1958). While the magazine published a series of essays regarding the post-Peronist cultural and political scenario, some of its members were also part of Frondizi’s campaign and administration. However, Contorno finally contested this democratic experience. They deeply critiqued the traición Frondizi, as the government’s political and economic policies radically differed from its initial election promises. Studying Contorno allows us not only to review an oscillatory period of Argentine politics but also to reconsider the always-problematic links between intellectuals and democracy.