| dc.description.abstract | Andres Bello was the most complete intellectual ever produced in Spanish America -- "the Prince of Poets," a philosopher, a great authority on international law and linguistics, a jurisconsult, and above all an outstanding educator. He was a humanist whose interests extended into virtually all areas of human understanding and he applied his encyclopedic knowledge and considerable ability to no less a monumental task than bringing culture to the new nations of Spanish America. Bello's life can be divided into three distinct phases. From his birth in 1781 until 1810, he remained in his native Venezuela where he received an excellent classical education, wrote the first book published in that colony, and edited its first newspaper. He also became the chief administrative official in the captaincy-general. With the establishment of the creole junta in 1810, Bello was appointed secretary of the mission to London to obtain British recognition and aid. The London diplomatic mission was prolonged and Andres Bello did not leave the British capital until 1829. He served as secretary of the Chilean and Colombian legations after the fall of the first Republic of Venezuela; edited two magazines to advance the cultural life of Spanish America; and wrote his best poetry. He also had the opportunity to investigate in depth the areas of his academic interests and to collect trunks full of research notes which served as a basis for his later works. The third phase of his life from 1829 to 1865 in his adopted country, Chile, was the most productive. He was involved in nearly all aspects of the life of that nation. Bello was the editor of the official government newspaper (1830-1853); a Chilean Senator (1837-1864); senior non-political official of the Ministry of Foreign Relations (1829-1852); and the founder and rector of the University of Chile (1842-1865). In addition to his official duties, he assisted in writing the Constitution of 1833 and wrote all the presidential speeches from 1831 to 1851. His position as a confidential advisor to presidents and government ministers gave him tremendous influence in Chilean politics. Andres Bello's greatest fame, however, lies in his impact on the cultural life of Chile, primarily through his tremendous literary production. His Spanish grammar is, perhaps, the greatest ever produced. The Civil Law Code which he wrote is still in effect today and has been adopted by other Spanish .American countries. His book on international law was widely acclaimed as a classic and his philosophical works are highly regarded. As an educator Bello has few equals. He used all of his abilities for that purpose. During his long life he was the maestro of Chile and his students later played prominent parts in the development of that country after his death. He justly deserves the recognition that he has received for his cultural contributions to Chile and indirectly to other South American republics. | |
