The controversy over scientific sociology and compromiso during the Cultural Cold War in Latin America: The case of ILARI,1966–72

Abstract

In the late 1960s, Latin American social scientists from different ideological backgrounds collaborated with the Institute of Latin American International Relations (ILARI), an organization linked to the former Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF). What factors led these sociologists to engage with ILARI, and what kind of sociology were these different actors promoting? This article answers these questions by examining two cases of intellectual collaboration, represented by the Uruguayan Aldo Solari (1922–89) and the Colombian Orlando Fals Borda (1925–2008), who staged an intellectual controversy about scientific sociology and political engagement in the pages of Aportes, ILARI's flagship journal. I argue that while ILARI was a Cold War organization that promoted the social sciences as part of the CCF's broader strategy, it relied on the intellectual work of Latin American sociologists, who had their own ideas on sociology and political engagement. This resulted in the circulation of Latin American sociological discourses across the Cold War lines.