Against Cordoba

The former rector and current teacher of the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities published Contra Córdoba (Black Horse 2016). The book presents a cultural hypothesis and talks about various issues of being Cordoba. With an interesting proposal, like all those of Diego Tatián, he invites us to rethink the idiosyncrasy of Cordoba. And at the same time, to deduce behaviors or imaginaries that revolve around Cordoba . Contra Córdoba is taking us through various unique historical and current experiences that try to define and redefine this province.

The book leads us to rethink the being of Cordoba and, based on economic, philosophical and social theories, explains the a contradiction in which the Cordobes are inserted. And how is this arrived and comes to historical facts determinants: the Cordobazo or the victory of neoliberal politicians. They are contradictory facts, which have a common background and that are developed within the Cordovan society. What is it? revolutionary and conservative at the same time. And how we got to this.

The proposed cultural hypothesis refers to the title. And it postulates that everything that has left a mark or managed to produce a a libertarian act, he has done it against Córdoba —despite Córdoba-, no however, Cordoba.

It is a book rich in content, and proposes to critically rethink these facts that constitute us as social beings. And, in turn, it shows us as in a mirror, the contradictory nature of being. And, above all, of being Cordoba. In turn, the philosopher argues that the Cordobes are chauvinists, or have a rather provincial chauvinism.

Chauvinists

“ It was already detected by Sarmiento in the Facundo (‘Córdoba knows nothing other than Cordoba’). He has a strange narcissism, somewhat twisted, suspicious of any cultural experimentation or social transformation,” he says. What Cordoba has produced culturally and politically interesting has done in a break against itself. Against that self-referential conservatism that gives him identity. In revolt against that deep Cordoba there is a tradition, less but intense. The one of a universal Cordoba, open, inventive, that manages to open again and again the question of other possible forms of life. But it ends almost always devoured by Cordoba ‘Cordoba’”.

He continues: “This conservatism survives and expresses itself culturally, socially, electorally. But because of a sort of paradox, he always incubates, in the steady state of his narcissistic pride, a new demonstration against Córdoba, which can be cultural or political (hopefully soon also electoral). It is the conservative Cordoba itself that breeds what breaks with it. And even if it does not prosper in time, it leaves a mark and inspiration for those who come after.”

In conversation with the prologue of his book, Tatián expresses: “The University Reform and the Cordobazo, the two great urban myths in which the city is referred. They have been neutralized in their revolt content by a self-complacent common sense that reduces them to mere protocolal commemorations that no longer inspire emancipations. A domesticating force that inhibits them in their power to inspire revolts and proudly displays them as emblazons of their history. There is an important cultural task to be done, and also a historic contribution to freeing those events (which occurred against Córdoba) from the embezzlement in which they have been captured.”

And it leaves us thinking a little, about our pride Cordoba, which can calmly be taken to the rest of country. To our pride in being Argentinian. However, we also fall as a bucket of cold water and invites us not to linger in commemorations revolutionaries of the past.

Bianca Ruggia

Argentina, nacida en Córdoba. Investigadora en el área de lingüística. En formación constante sobre las Letras y sobre la vida, gracias a la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Mis experiencias en viajes me llevaron a aprender cada vez más idiomas y querer conocer diversas culturas desde adentro. Pienso en la escritura como una herramienta para transformar el mundo y volverlo un espacio justo y equilibrado.