What we know as "social thought" has always played a central role in social sciences as it has been practiced in Brazil. Recent researches in this field have been trying to articulate its analysis of the essayist tradition to larger theoretical interests, concerning the status of modernity in non-central societies. This article departs from this intellectual situation in order to achieve two main goals: a) to justify the need for a dialogue between Brazilian thought and social theory, particularly based on postcolonial theories and criticism of Eurocentric tradition in sociology; b) to explore possible dialogues between these areas through an exam of analytical guidelines common to both fields of research.
Brazilian thought; Social theory; Eurocentrism; Intellectuals; Post-colonialism