ABSTRACT
This article deals with the process of political and intellectual awareness that gave rise to the “generation of 1870.” Through an analysis of the “Democratic Casino Conferences in Lisbon,” this article discusses the relationship between the formation of this important group of intellectuals and the emergence of one of the first major public criticisms directed at the Portuguese constitutional monarchy. The article demonstrates that subjects with very different perceptions and plans shared a “horizon of restlessness.” It covers the conferences and their main ideas, components and repercussions, and then compares the positions of the protagonists of the conferences, . Eça de Queiroz is an ideal reference point for this comparison because of his notoriety and his unique position vis-à-vis conservatives and progressives.
Keywords:
Intellectual History; History of Portugal; Casino Conferences; “generation of 1870”