The article analyzes the intellectual movement of the 1870's generation from the perspective of the political process. It criticizes the interpretations of this movement which emphasize the influence of foreign doctrines and the social origin of its members, and argues that the meaning of their writings are to be found in the crisis context of the Empire. From this point of view, the author presents it as a movement in opposition to the imperial order and composed by socially heterogeneous groups who shared the same political marginality. Foreign authors and theories are considered part of the political and intellectual repertoire of the 1800s. The movement selected elements from this repertoire to build an interpretation of Brazilian society, to express its criticism of institutions, values, and typical modes of action of the imperial status quo and to propose projects for reform. Thus, positivism, Darwinism, Spencerianism, and new liberalism compose modalities of the same reformism.
Intellectual movement; 1870's generation; Reformist movement; Social experience; Repertoire