The concept of revolution in Luso-Brazilian thought at the turn of the nineteenth century

Abstract

This article aims to analyze Luso-Brazilian thought, exploring its medieval, modern, and contemporary foundations. An analysis of the readings and appropriations made of liberalism and constitutionalism in the Luso-Brazilian world and the adaptations and consents afforded for the assimilation of a constitutional/liberal vocabulary are key to understanding Iberian political thought at the turn of the nineteenth century. In addition to the meanings of the entry for ‘revolution’ in the period’s Portuguese language dictionaries, we attempt to provide a general overview of our findings in the writings of José da Silva Lisboa and José Acúrsio das Neves on the concept of revolution. Writings from different periods in these political agents’ output have been selected to provide an overview of their ideas on the subject. In this text we seek to highlight the main points of the documents analyzed, such as conceptual–but also political and moral–aspects, demonstrating the relevance of the authors’ intellectual production.