Two types of liberalism in the National Democratic Union (UDN): Afonso Arinos and Lacerda between consensus and conflict

Resumo

Udenistic liberalism did not limit itself to the scope of Parliament or Executive proceedings, but rather helped construct a broad spectrum of reflections about Brazil. In this manner, it is possible to refer to different types of udenism as specific veins in Brazil’s liberal tradition. This article seeks to establish some distinctions within this tradition, focusing on the discussion of two particular veins, each of which is deeply identified with two great personalities of the time: Afonso Arinos de Melo Franco and Carlos Lacerda. These veins are differentiated mainly by two points: how conflict is perceived and the role attributed to the elite in political dispute. In this manner, there is pedagogical udenism, which views conflict in a negative light and assigns a mediating role to the elite. This is the viewpoint represented by Afonso Arinos. Conflictive udenism, on the other hand, involves the elite in political struggles and considers confrontation with the enemy to be the essence of political dispute. This is the viewpoint championed by Carlos Lacerda.