Carlos Nelson Coutinho’s Thought: Interpreting Brazil

Abstract

The present article substantiates an interpretation of Brazil from leftist intellectual Carlos Nelson Coutinho, who uses Gramsci’s thought to make his case. We highlight Coutinho’s intellectual capacity and ability to expand, during five decades, his understanding of dialectical concepts. He has been as loyal supporter of the existing relationship between history and political theory. While revisiting Coutinho’s work, we analyze the process of capitalistic modernization in Brazil through apassive revolution. This article stresses Coutinho’s contributions on the Brazilian State through ahistorical analysis, which emphasizes a process of westernization and the power of the Estate that evolves from military dictatorships.