António Sérgio and the Causes of Decadence: Iberian Parasitism Seen from Both Sides of the Atlantic Circa 1910

ABSTRACT

The Portuguese intellectual António Sérgio (1883-1969) stood out for his cosmopolitan interpretation of Portuguese history, opposing attempts to instrumentalize history in a nationalist way, particularly those who saw Expansion as a virtuous collective action. This article analyzes the beginning of his interpretative work by revisiting the polemic with Jaime Cortesão (circa 1910), to show how Sérgio’s cosmopolitan path favored the incorporation of critical inspirations from authors of other nationalities, especially his contemporary Brazilian intellectuals, who opposed racial determinism, mixing, like him, pedagogical concerns with those of historical understanding, as well as believing that national ills, largely common because history is common, could be solved through education. These concerns were part of an organicist mindset, tinged with liberal and socialist ideals, the sociological dimension of which we have highlighted.

Keywords:
Iberian decadence; António Sérgio; Jaime Cortesão; Sílvio Romero; João Ribeiro; Manoel Bomfim