Writing, Enlightenment, and the Myth of the Noble Savage: The Case of the Society of Lovers of the Country, Lima (1791–1795)

Abstract

This paper examines the discourses issued by the Mercurio Peruano between 1791 and 1795, understood as reproductions of the Eurocentric rational thought matrix, which was constructed as antagonistic to Andean and African mythical thought. Initially, it has been shown that European rational thought also possesses a mythical structure, which reveals its incongruity. And, by uncovering these contradictions and drawing on other Andean productions, we recognize that the Republic of Peru was founded on these canons; thus, the Society of Lovers of the Country influenced the Peruvian intellectual community that structured the project of the Peruvian national state. This allows us to partially understand how the segregation suffered by Andean populations from national projects is structured.