The scientists They were a group of upper class people with a privileged education who lived during the Porfiriato and who supported the mandate of Porfirio Díaz. Here we tell you who they were, why they supported Díaz and what their contributions were.
Who were the scientists during the Porfiriato?
It is very common and even normal that during any era and historical context there are groups that are formed because they share political ideals. Proof of this are The scientistsa group of people with a great academic training who belonged to the upper class during the Porfiriato and who openly supported the government of Porfirio Díaz.
That group was made up of landowners, merchants, landowners, bureaucrats and intellectuals.
An interesting fact is that The common people identified Los Científicos as the country’s favorites, since they enjoyed endless privileges while the poor died of hunger.. The only way lower class people had to criticize the privileged was through humor. Thus They nicknamed the Scientists the Pretty Boys or the Hundred Consumptives.; alluding to the fact that they were sickly, weak and corrupt people.
Discover Authentic Mexico through our podcast!
How did the group Los Científicos emerge?
The researcher Velázquez Becerril points out that The key year for Los Científicos was 1879. At that time, a group of intellectuals met who had recently joined public life and who shared the positivist ideals of the Porfiriato that derived from the positivist theory of Augustus Comte. Among them were Limantour and Matías Romero. Furthermore, they had the protection of Manuel Romero Rubio.
Later, because the main motto of the Porfiriato was Order and progress, Starting in 1888, a great migratory campaign took place; The intention was to bring foreigners with innovative ideas to Mexico. Although the Porfiriato was characterized by being inspired by French culture, the foreigners who arrived to a greater extent were Americans.
At that time, Porfirio Díaz’s third presidential term had just begun. In addition to the migratory wave, Díaz focused on modernizing the country. To do this, he surrounded himself with people who were younger and more educated than him in specific areas..
Thanks to this, began what Velázquez Becerril pointed out as the scientific stage of Mexican politics. Those elite men became Porfirio Díaz’s trusted advisors. They all shared the need to strengthen the positivist doctrine to reach the scientific stage and thereby modernize the country.
Members of The Scientists
- Alfredo Chavero
- Emilio Pimentel
- Enrique C. Creel
- Emilio Pimentel
- Emilio Rabasa
- Fernando Pimentel and Fagoaga
- Francisco Bulnes
- Brothers Miguel and Pablo Macedo
- Francisco Cosme
- Guillermo de Landa y Escandón
- Jacinto Pallares
- Joaquín Diego Casasús
- José Yves Limantour
- Justo Sierra Mendez
- Manuel María Flores
- Porfirio Parra
- Rafael Reyes Espíndola
- Ramon Corral
- Rosendo Pineda
- Sebastian Camacho
Why did they support Porfirio Díaz?
One of the main criticisms that Los Científicos received was because beyond defending the ideal of Order and Progress of the Porfiriato, The members of that group sought their own benefit on a political, social and economic level.. In fact, the majority became rich thanks to their interference in mining and other economic activities.
Who was their leader?
Manuel Romero Rubio and later José Yves de Limantour.
Contributions of Scientists in the Porfiriato
- They attracted foreign capital to invest in Mexico.
- Improvement in public education.
- Advice from President Porfirio Díaz for the modernization of the country.
- The bureaucrats presumably used scientific methods for public administration.
Stephanie Cisneros Lover of literature, photography and discovering the treasures of Mexico.