Trajetórias, tensões e compreensões do Pensamento social e político brasileiro

entrevista com Lucas Trindade da Silva e Sergio B. F. Tavolaro.

Abstract

The interview with Lucas Trindade da Silva and Sergio B. F. Tavolaro examines intellectual trajectories, theoretical debates, and the constitutive tensions within the field of Brazilian Social and Political Thought. Drawing on their academic backgrounds and research experiences, the interviewees discuss the limits of the opposition between theory and interpretation, particularly in light of the international division of intellectual labor that has historically assigned theory production to the Global North while relegating the Global South to the role of applying or adapting concepts. The conversation also addresses the critique of the thesis of Brazilian singularity, highlighting how notions of deviation, incompleteness, and backwardness have shaped classical interpretations of Brazilian modernity. It further emphasizes the heuristic potential of Brazilian thinkers, such as Florestan Fernandes, to generate theoretical contributions of global significance. The interview also reflects on recent efforts to revise the social sciences canon, with particular attention to the incorporation of women scholars, Black, Indigenous, and peripheral intellectuals who had previously been marginalized. Overall, the dialogue contributes to rethinking the place of Brazilian thought within contemporary social theory.