“CONSCIOUS CAPITALISM,” POLITICS, AND DEMOCRACY

Abstract

This study examines a specific dimension of the relationship between Brazil’s business elite and politics: organizations that propose alternative approaches to business activity and capitalism itself, or that address important aspects of capitalist society, with the support and/or participation of companies and businesspeople. This form of engagement between businesspeople and politics differs from the traditional forms more commonly discussed in the literature. To characterize these organizations, we use the general term “Conscious Capitalism,” the name of an international organization that embodies the subject matter and objectives of our research.The methodology involves defining criteria for selecting the organizations and developing a codebook containing the parameters that guide the collection and analysis of content available on their websites. The findings will subsequently be examined from a comparative perspective. Preliminary results indicate that, although these organizations’ proposals remain limited to adjustments within the core logic of capitalism, they provide important insights into interpretations of and actions concerning the current stage of capitalism, politics, and democracy. Ultimately, this study seeks to offer a better understanding of the role played by these organizations and their impact on the functioning and future prospects of politics, democracy, and capitalism itself in Brazil.