REPUBLICAN SPEECH AND DEBATE ON THE FORMATION OF THE BRAZILIAN PEOPLE IN THE TRAJECTORY OF VIRGÍLIO CARDOSO DE OLIVEIRA

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the intellectual trajectory of Virgílio Cardoso de Oliveira (1868-1935), focusing on the relationship between the republican discourse and the debates on the formation of the Brazilian people in the context of the First Republic, in the Amazon region. In theoretical terms, we will explore, the concept of intellectual, the notions of space of experience and horizons of expectations, in addition to the concepts of language games and normative concepts, of the formulations of the history of concepts and linguistic contextualism respectively. The combination of these approaches is justified by the common object: the language practiced by political actors. Among the sources used for the analysis we highlight: newspapers, state documents, books and images. We present as hypothesis the position of Virgílio Cardoso in a more radical fringe of republicanism that, in addition to defending the form of republican government, defended a broader social agenda, including the issue of popular education. Analyzing the vocabulary of Virgílio Cardoso, we identified a game of language that associated terms from republican, nationalist and educational discourses. We conclude by stating that Virgílio Cardoso represented an important position within Republican discourse and practice, even though his power to transform the educational reality of the country has been limited, by explicit and implicit resistance, to make the Republic a democratic project and capable of promoting political inclusion and social justice.