Re-thinking the Work of Joan Mir (Minorca, 1871-1930)

Abstract

The article reviews the written work of Joan Mir i Mir (1871-1930) in the working class and Republican media (El Porvenir del Obrero and La Voz de Menorca). Our intention is to identify the basic premises of his work within the framework of political history and situate his biography on the island of Minorca. Joan Mir wrote from Minorca but fixed his gaze on the world at large and its complications. His work contains four constant elements: education as a tool for social emancipation and transformation; the idea that the revolution begins by educating people and is, in itself, a drawn-out process; a constant focus on the more vulnerable social classes, and a continual reasoning and reflection that would lead to successive shifts in his ideas with a universalist vision in line with defending the principles of identity of territories with a common language and culture. We believe that his work is not yet widely known and it is our duty to spread the word.

Key words: Labour Movement, Joan Mir i Mir, Republicanism, Anarchism, secular schools, secularisation.