Brazilian Machiavellians: dissimulation, political ideas, and colonial rebellions (Portugal, 17th-18th century)

• Main Author: Luciano Raposo de Almeida Figueiredo
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Universidade Federal Fluminense 2014-01-01
• Series: Tempo
• Subjects: disimulación; Portugal; Brasil colonia
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-77042014000100405&lng=en&tlng=en

The political theory on the power of the Catholic monarchy in Portugal, despite not seeing dissimulatory expedients with good eyes, could not prevent their use in face of the severity that assumed the resistance struggle of the subjects in America. In many of these situations, the use of dissimulation was supported, especially between 1640 and the mid-18th century. In the most important sphere of debates on the political problems of the colony - the Overseas Council -, the recommendation of the art of dissimulation was openly advocated but progressively condemned, once that, aparently, it was unable to diminish rebellions. The defense of dissimulation in The prince, even different from the Reason of State, guides the debates that take over the authors of política christiana, or Christian Politics, in the 16th and 17th centuries.