Spanish philologist, thinker and essayist, he was born and died in Zamora. After studying Philosophy and Literature, he became professor of Latin Philology at the University of Seville and the Complutense University of Madrid.

He studied Classical Philology at the University of Salamanca and earned his Doctorate in Madrid with a thesis entitled Prosodia y métrica antiguas. In 1953, he became professor of Classic Languages in Seville and in 1964 at the Complutense University of Madrid. In 1965 was removed as a professor alongside Enrique Tierno Galván, José Luis López-Aranguren and Santiago Montero Díaz for supporting the student protests.

García Calvo decided to exile himself in Paris, where he became a professor at the Collège de France. He also worked as a translator for the Ruedo Ibérico magazine. In Paris, he organised a political gathering in the La boule d’or cafe in the Latin quarter which became a meeting point for libertarian sectors of the time. After the death of Franco in 1976, he became a professor once more and remained in the position until he retired in 1992.

He made significant contributions to general linguistics. His general theory about language was explained in the trilogy consisting of Del lenguaje, De la construcción (Del lenguaje II) and Del aparato (Del lenguaje III) and in the articles collected in the volume Hablando de lo que habla. Estudios de lenguaje. In 2009, he published his trilogy Elementos gramaticales.

His most notable works in the field of thought are: Lecturas presocráticas, Lecturas presocráticas II. Razón común. Edición crítica, ordenación, traducción y comentario de los restos del libro de Heráclito, Contra el tiempo, De Dios and Contra la Realidad.

He also authored several book of poems and theatrical works. As a poet he published Canciones y soliloquios, Más canciones y soliloquios, Del tren (83 notas o canciones), Libro de conjuros, Ramo de romances y baladas, Sermón de ser y no ser, Valorio 42 veces, Relato de amor and 4 canciones de amor perdido y el cínife and his notable theatre works include Ismena, Rey de una hora and Baraja del rey don Pedro

He wrote the lyrics to the anthem of the Region of Madrid and shortly before his death he even coordinated a political gathering in the Ateneo in Madrid every Wednesday at 8:30 pm.

He won the National Essay Award in 1990, National Dramatic Literature Award in 1999 and National Award for all his work as translator in 2006.

Find out more:

Articles and news about Agustín García Calvo in El País. 

 

Carolina Rodríguez López

 

Go to The University during the Franco Regime

Go to The University during the Democratic Transition and Consolidation