Taming the Revolution in Nineteenth-Century Spain

Jaime Balmes and Juan Donoso Cortés, the most significant traditionalist thinkers in 19th century Spain, sought to infuse the emerging liberalismwith an ecclesiastical and monarchical agenda and, at the same time, aimed to challenge the stereotypical view of Spain as a backward country. Although they pursued similar outcomes, they applied different means in order to achieve them. Towards the end of their lives, whereas Balmes advanced a socially-oriented Catholicism, Donoso posited Christianity as incompatible with modern ideologies such as liberalism and socialism. Andrea Acle-Kreysing highlights the unresolved tensions in their works and shows that Spanish political thought was a compelling variation – rather than aberration – of contemporary European debates.