The Argentine political theorist Juan Bautista Alberdi (1810-1884) wrote extensively on his nation's political problems. His ideas were incorporated in the Constitution of 1853.

Born in Tucumán on Aug. 29, 1810, Juan Bautista Alberdi was orphaned when still a young boy. He was then sent to Buenos Aires to continue his schooling. The new and unsettling environment caused him to leave school, but a strong attachment to his studies drew him again to the classroom. He decided on a legal career and entered law school in Buenos Aires.

Alberdi's intellect was not limited to legal matters. A man of charm and musical ability, he moved in select social circles. He founded and contributed to a journal of music and wrote a piano instruction booklet. In all this activity he did not neglect his law studies and frequently authored legal works.

The most important event in his student life was...