Abstract:
This article analyzes José Veríssimo’s ‘educational experience’ associated with ‘marginalization’ and political ‘engagement’ in the province of Pará, Brazil. In the context of political polarization between imperial tradition and scientific politics, a competitive examination for the French chair at Liceu Paraense was held (1881), and the Instruction-Promoting Society of Pará (1883-1884) was founded. I consider that giving candidates failing scores was a way of marginalizing prestigious professional positions and evidences the ‘decadence’ of imperial institutions - aware of the ‘knowledge of power’ -, allowing engagement in the Society - promoting the idea that ‘knowledge is power’ -, by appropriating the political-cultural practices of the 1870 Generation as to questioning the conservative status quo in the Amazonian context.
Keywords:
Amazon; generation 1870; scientific politcs; public instruction