Sobre la educación en el pensamiento político de Francisco Giner de los Ríos

Abstract

This paper deals with the political thought of Francisco GINER DE LOS RIOS, founder of the Institucion Libre de Ensenanza and visible head of Spanish Krausism after the death of Julian SANZ DEL RIO. We find here a description of Giner’s thought, with constant references to the ideas held by his teacher, Sanz del Rio. The author points out how faith in the miraculous power of education, although it is not completely rationalized or developed, occupies a central place and keeps a full coherence with the other points of Giner’s thought (the distinction between two histories and two societies, «reformism» and «harmonism», etc.). It is to be pointed out, in accordance with what has been said, that Giner’s purposes in founding the I.L.E. and turning to pedagogy did not cease being of a political nature: he wished and hoped to modify the Spanish historical trajectory trough the use of education –an authentic political panacea in this opinion– as a lever. Finally, starting from the basis that instruction does not have in reality, from the political point of view, the power that Giner attributed to it, the author of his paper turns his attention towards the real influence which Giner himself exercised upon Spanish Political life.