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| Civilização Brasileira | |
|---|---|
| Name | Civilização Brasileira |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | Paulo Francis; Roberto Campos (assoc.) |
| Country | Brazil |
| Headquarters | Rio de Janeiro |
| Publications | Books |
| Topics | Classical studies; Political science; History |
Civilização Brasileira is a Brazilian publishing house established in 1964 in Rio de Janeiro that became associated with conservative and liberal-conservative intellectual currents in Brazil during the late 20th century. The press issued translations and original works by figures linked to liberalism, conservatism, and anti-communist thought, influencing debates involving institutions such as the Brazilian Army, the National Congress of Brazil, and the Ministry of Education during the military period. Over decades it published authors connected to international networks including The Heritage Foundation, Mont Pelerin Society, The Economist, and European conservative circles.
Founded in the context of the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état, Civilização Brasileira emerged amid institutional realignments around the Brazilian military dictatorship and the reconfiguration of Brazilian publishing after the censorship episodes of the AI-5 period. Early directors cultivated ties with figures from the National Renewal Alliance and technocrats who had served in cabinets such as that of Artur da Costa e Silva and Emílio Médici, while distributing translations of classics by Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, Alexis de Tocqueville, and authors associated with the Austrian School like Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises. The catalog expanded through the 1970s and 1980s to include works by historians of Imperial Brazil and analysts of Cold War geopolitics, linking to debates in publications such as Veja and O Estado de S. Paulo.
Civilização Brasileira adopted a program editorial that foregrounded anti-communist, pro-market, and conservative cultural positions, favoring translations and essays by proponents of neoliberalism such as Milton Friedman and public intellectuals like Roger Scruton and Richard Pipes. The house championed narratives sympathetic to figures from First Brazilian Republic historiography and promoted studies on the role of the Catholic Church in Brazil and cultural conservatism tied to authors like Gilberto Freyre and critics of modernist movements represented by Mário de Andrade and Oswald de Andrade. It also published biographies of statesmen such as Getúlio Vargas, Juscelino Kubitschek, and international policy-makers including Henry Kissinger and Margaret Thatcher.
During the military governments of Humberto Castello Branco, Arthur da Costa e Silva, Emílio Médici, Ernesto Geisel, and João Figueiredo, Civilização Brasileira maintained editorial proximity to sectors sympathetic to the regime, distributing works that supported anti-communist narratives present in the archives of the Serviço Nacional de Informações and analyses echoing assessments from the Doctrine of National Security. Its catalog often paralleled speeches in venues such as the Palácio do Planalto and discussions within the Superior School of War (ESG), while also circulating translations of polemical texts by dissidents of leftist movements like Tania Maria Goulart and commentators of Cuban Revolution era politics. The press navigated censorship from the DOPS and the broader apparatus of state control while fostering contacts with diplomats posted at missions such as the United States Embassy in Brasília.
The list of authors published included international and Brazilian names: translations of Friedrich Hayek (The Road to Serfdom), Ludwig von Mises (Human Action), Milton Friedman (Capitalism and Freedom), and works by Isaiah Berlin and Roger Scruton; Brazilian authors included Roberto Campos, Paulo Francis, Gustavo Corção, and historians like Sérgio Buarque de Holanda reissued in conservative editions. Editions encompassed essays by Octavio Paz, polemics by Carlos Lacerda, and reprints of classic texts by Barão do Rio Branco and analyses by Raymundo Faoro. The publisher also issued political memoirs by figures such as Magalhães Pinto, Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, and economic studies by Celso Furtado in curated formats.
Civilização Brasileira played a role in shaping intellectual currents that interfaced with media outlets like Folha de S.Paulo, Jornal do Brasil, and O Globo, and in policy circles around think tanks such as the Instituto Liberal and the Fundação Getulio Vargas. Its publications were cited in debates within the Supreme Federal Court (STF) and in legislative discussions in the Chamber of Deputies, affecting discourse on privatization, economic stabilization plans like the Plano Cruzado, and cultural policy debates connected to institutions like the Museu Nacional. The house contributed to the dissemination of ideas championed by international networks including the Cato Institute and the Institute of Economic Affairs.
Critics accused Civilização Brasileira of ideological partiality and of promoting revisionist narratives concerning censorship episodes and human rights violations tied to the dictatorship, invoking reports by entities such as the National Truth Commission (CNV) and testimonies collected by Torture Nunca Mais groups. Scholars from Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and intellectuals linked to Movimento Passe Livre and Diretas Já contested editions that repackaged polemical texts by figures like Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra and defended contested readings of the AI-5. Debates over the publisher’s role featured interventions from public intellectuals such as Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, and historians like Luiz Antonio Simas.
Into the 21st century Civilização Brasileira’s imprint remained visible in reissues and in collections that influenced younger conservative platforms aligned with politicians such as Jair Bolsonaro and think tanks like Instituto Millenium. The publisher’s backlist continues to appear in university syllabi at institutions such as Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and in bibliographies for courses at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG)], contributing to ongoing disputes over cultural memory, heritage conservation at sites like the Arquivo Nacional, and the politics of publishing in the age of digital distribution dominated by companies like Amazon (company). Its legacy is assessed in studies by researchers at King's College London, Harvard University, and Brazilian centers examining the interplay of print culture and political transformation.
Category:Publishing companies of Brazil Category:Conservatism in Brazil