Liberalism, catholicism, and constitutionalism in 19th century Latin America: Jorge Huneeus and The Constitution before Congress (1879)

Abstract

This article contextualises and examines the trajectory and legacy of Jorge Huneeus, an important nineteenth-century Chilean constitutional law professor and congressman who sought to reconcile important commitments of his generation of Latin American jurists, such as a deep belief in Catholicism and a loyalty to the liberal ideals of his era, revealing the complexities and tensions of a legal culture in transition from a more traditional to a more modern social and cultural environment.

Keywords

• Intellectual history
• Latin American liberalism
• political catholicism
• Chilean constitutionalism
• Jorge Huneeus
• Latin American & Hispanic Studies