Florestan Fernandes and Interpretations of Brazil

Abstract

Essays that became known as "interpretations of Brazil" appeared mostly between the proclamation of the Republic in 1889 and the spurt in academic life in the 1930s and later. These essays sought an overall analysis of Brazil. However, as universities developed, works of this kind began to lose ground to monographs with more circumscribed aims. The sociologist Florestan Fernandes greatly influenced this development, but his last important work, A revolução burguesa no Brasil (The Bourgeois Revolution in Brazil), written after the military coup of 1964, differs from his other works, as is indicated by its subtitle, "an essay of sociological interpretation." On the one hand lies the "essay," on the other the "sociological interpretation." The former allows him to "interpret Brazil," but he does so with the eyes of a sociologist. Establishing a dialogue between A revolução burguesa no Brasil and other interpretations of Brazil such as those of Prado Júnior, Vianna, Buarque, and Freyre reveals the significance of this distinction.

Cosmopolitism and Localism in the Brazilian Social Sciences

“…Law and Society 1979-1989Education and Society 1982-1989, 1991, 1992, 1994-1996, 1998-2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012Political Elites 1978-1989, 1991, 1992, 1994-1996State and Agriculture 1980-1989, 1991, 1992Legislative Studies 1983-1985, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012Urban Studies 1987-1989, 1991, 1992, 1994-1996Family and Society 1981-1989, 1991, 1992, 1994-1996, 1998, 2000Armed Forces, State and Society 1984, 1998, 1991, 1992…”

“…Social Theory (and variations) 1998-2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2015Work (and variations) 1994-1996, 1998-2000, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015Violence (and variations) 1998-2000, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 A quick glance at the titles of the WGs most frequently present at ANPOCS reveals that the sociology and political science practiced in Brazil combine a universalist vocation-their themes generally coincide with the specializations typically found among the disciplines in other contextswith a priority interest in issues specific to Brazilian society, as shown both by the presence of the term "in Brazil" in various WG titles and the low interest in comparison with other national contexts. 4 Furthermore, as the reviews of sociology and political science-which we analyze nextalso make clear, there is no lack of spaces for discussing the more reflexive dimensions of the social sciences in Brazil, such as the themes linked to national intellectual traditions and/or the institutional conditions of the social sciences in the country.…”

“…It is true, however, that Fernandes's polemical critique of essayism can be seen as part of a strategy for affirming sociology as a scientific discipline, a procedure to a large extent analogous to the subsequent controversy between political science and sociology. A sign of the existence of more complex connections between the author of A revolução burguesa no Brasil and this tradition of thought is the subtitle of his magnum opus: ensaio de interpretação sociológica , “an essay of sociological interpretation.” (See Arruda , ; Keinert and Silva ; Ricupero ).…”

“…Revealingly, much of the text's impact stemmed from the between the author of A revolução burguesa no Brasil and this tradition of thought is the subtitle of his magnum opus: ensaio de interpretação sociológica, "an essay of sociological interpretation." (See Arruda 1995Arruda , 2001Keinert and Silva 2010;Ricupero 2008).…”

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“…Ver:Ricupero (2011).24 Como explica GabrielCohn (1999), a categoria de "polarização dinâmica" indicaria a presença no mesmo objeto de orientações opostas, que conviveriam em permanentetensão. 25 O sociólogo húngaro é importante para o sociólogo brasileiro já antes de 1964, repercutindo sobre ele especial-25-31 ARTIGO | BERNARDO RICUPERO mente sua crença de que o conhecimento sociológico poderia se converter em força para a transformação social.…”