Socialist thought in exile (1939-1976). An analysis of intellectual production in the PSOE in light of the political and cultural conflicts of the long post-war era

Abstract

The period of exile entailed a thorough reconfiguration of the intellectual foundations of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). Factors that contributed to this include the lessons learned from the intense experience of the Republic and the Civil War, the variables expected to put an end to the dictatorship and the cultural logic of the Cold War, in addition to the new cultural trends in the receiving countries and the influence exercised by the social democratic parties that lent their support. This article analyses the evolution of socialist thought in exile, as produced by the most important intellectuals of the time and leaders that harbosed intellectual pretensions. It addresses great theoretical works as well as lighter essays, speeches and conferences that were published as leaflets and circulated among party members. It is written from the perspective of a new political history, with political ideas that have been forged from the political, social and cultural conflicts of the time and articulated through a dialogue that is occasionally problematic within its own tradition. Along these lines, the article also contrasts the relationships of change and continuity within socialist thought with those of the Republic and the Transition.