José Aricó

José María Aricó (1931 – 1991) was a prolific essayist, militant activist, and one of the driving forces in creating the New Intellectual Left within Argentina. Strongly influenced by Marx and Marxist thinkers like Antonio Gramsci, Kautsky, and others, Aricó would go on to promote these intellectuals through his own writings, translations and teachings.

Biography

Early life José María Aricó was born on the 27th of July 1931 in Villa María, Córdoba Province, Argentina. According to the José Aricó Library, his interest in politics and Marxism was sparked at 13 when he was introduced to the idea of historical materialism. As a politically active young adult, he also participated in the militant student movement aimed at reforming both the university and the government, which at the time was functioning under Peronism. Aricó was one of the principal creators or writers of three separate magazines. The first magazine, Pasado y Presente, would be created in 1963 in collaboration with other intellectuals Oscar del Barco, Héctor Schmucler and Samuel Kicszkovsky. The second magazine, Cuadernos de Pasado y Presente, would be a continuation of the first and would be published sometime after.