The history of XIX century Brazilian Philosophy as an unfortunate fable

Abstract

The historiography of Brazilian philosophy, as represented by authors like Silvio Romero, Tobias Barreto and Cruz Costa, has established a negative view of such philosophy which became an unfortunate tradition that prevents an adequate understanding of the country’s philosophical past. This situation reflects on the understanding of the country’s philosophical present and future. The current paper intends to analyze such a negativist tradition, revealing its superficiality, its ethnocentrism, and its blatant rhetoric, suggesting the need of an urgent revaluation of the history of Brazilian philosophy.