Dialectic of concepts in Gilberto Freyre - Casa-Grande & Senzala: the becoming of racial democracy

Abstract

Gilberto Freyre, author of Casa-Grande & Senzala, was a controversial thinker; but he was also exceptional at what he aimed, which was the translation of Brazilian reality in light of miscegenation. It can be said that in the texts of this author, born in Recife, there is more than contradictions; they are, in the sense of some concepts, dialectic discussions. In this article we intend to reflect on the term racial democracy in light of a philosophical procedure: dialectics of concepts. Thus, there is no intention of presenting a defense for the author in question, but beyond that, examining the discussion and contributing to new understandings of that polysemic concept. The text is divided in two moments: firstly, we seek to set up a dialogue with scholars of Gilberto Freyre’s thinking, in order to get to the localization and historical comprehension of his theoretical asset; in the sequence, we examine the philosophical foundation of the concept of dialectics. Key-words: Miscegenation. Democracy. Dialectics.