A prominent Bolivian poet and philosopher, he wrote a number of educational treatises and also practiced law, journalism, and diplomacy.

Mestizos (of mixed descent) he considered proficient in both the areas of physical and mental labor and therefore able to function as citizens of the Bolivian Republic, assuming acculturation to European culture.

This racialized understanding of the mestizo (or Cholo) and modern citizen would greatly influence and underline Bolivia's politics and national identity after the 1952 revolution.

Another anecdote is:[citation needed] Tamayo was serving in the Bolivian House of Representatives when he gave one of his famed impassioned speeches before that august body.

Inevitably, someone took exception to his thinking and booed the great poet and orator, tossing (of all things) a horseshoe at him to show his displeasure.