Caio Prado Júnior
Encyclopedia
Caio da Silva Prado Júnior (São Paulo
, February 11, 1907 — São Paulo
, November 23, 1990) was a Brazilian historian
.
His works inaugurated a Brazilian historiographic tradition identified with Marxism
, but critical of Stalinist stageism and reductionism.
from Faculdade do Largo de São Francisco, São Paulo
in 1928, where he would later become a Professor
of Political Economy. He was politically active during the 30's and 40's, including during the 1930 Revolution
. In 1933, he published his first work - Evolução Política do Brasil (Political Evolution of Brazil) - an attempt to understand the country's political and social history. In 1934 he took part in the foundation of Brazilian Geographers Association.
After a trip to the Soviet Union, at the time under Stalin's dictatorship, he published URSS - um novo mundo (Soviet Union - a New World), which was banned by Getúlio Vargas
' government's censorship. He then joined the Aliança Nacional Libertadora which he chaired in São Paulo.
In 1942 he published the classic Formação do Brasil Contemporâneo - Colônia (Formation of Contemporary Brazil - Colony, which should have been the first part of a work on Brazilian historic evolution. However, the following volumes were never written. In 1945 he was elected deputado estadual for the Brazilian Communist Party. He published the newspaper A Platéia and, in 1943, with Arthur Neves and Monteiro Lobato
, he founded Editora Brasiliense (Brasiliense Publishing House), for which, later, he published Revista Brasiliense, between 1956 and 1964. After 1964, he was persecuted by the military dictatorship.
In 1966 he was elected Intellectual of the Year by the União Brasileira de Escritores, following the publication of A revolução brasileira (Brazilian Revolution).
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, February 11, 1907 — São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, November 23, 1990) was a Brazilian historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
.
His works inaugurated a Brazilian historiographic tradition identified with Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
, but critical of Stalinist stageism and reductionism.
Biography
Caio Prado graduated with a degree in lawLaw
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
from Faculdade do Largo de São Francisco, São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
in 1928, where he would later become a Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Political Economy. He was politically active during the 30's and 40's, including during the 1930 Revolution
Brazilian Revolution of 1930
The Revolution of 1930 was a movement that overthrew President Washington Luís and installed Getúlio Vargas as Provisional President.-See also:*Revolutions of Brazil*History of Brazil...
. In 1933, he published his first work - Evolução Política do Brasil (Political Evolution of Brazil) - an attempt to understand the country's political and social history. In 1934 he took part in the foundation of Brazilian Geographers Association.
After a trip to the Soviet Union, at the time under Stalin's dictatorship, he published URSS - um novo mundo (Soviet Union - a New World), which was banned by Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
' government's censorship. He then joined the Aliança Nacional Libertadora which he chaired in São Paulo.
In 1942 he published the classic Formação do Brasil Contemporâneo - Colônia (Formation of Contemporary Brazil - Colony, which should have been the first part of a work on Brazilian historic evolution. However, the following volumes were never written. In 1945 he was elected deputado estadual for the Brazilian Communist Party. He published the newspaper A Platéia and, in 1943, with Arthur Neves and Monteiro Lobato
Monteiro Lobato
José Bento Renato Monteiro Lobato was one of Brazil's most influential writers, mostly for his children's books set in the fictional Sítio do Picapau Amarelo but he had been previously a prolific writer of fiction, a translator and an art critic...
, he founded Editora Brasiliense (Brasiliense Publishing House), for which, later, he published Revista Brasiliense, between 1956 and 1964. After 1964, he was persecuted by the military dictatorship.
In 1966 he was elected Intellectual of the Year by the União Brasileira de Escritores, following the publication of A revolução brasileira (Brazilian Revolution).