Militares e ilustración. El pensamiento militar de Manuel de Aguirre

Abstract

Though it isn‘t posible to talk about a frustated movement inside the Spanish Army during the second part of 18 th. century, we can affirm that there was a large military group with an active participation in the Enlightenment and in the Sociedades Económicas.

Among all of them, we highlight Manuel de Aguirre figure, Cavalry officer. Some studies about his political thought and scientific work have been published. Insisted on critizing the employment concession system. He censured the importance given to the antiquity criterion and demanded the Army modernization in order to be adapted to the epoch, though he didn‘t discuss the traditional nobility monopoly about military employment.