Abstract:
The article examines how Ribeiro Sanches interpreted the history of the Portuguese monarchy from the late Middle Ages until the second half of the 18th century, when the author wrote his works. The similarity of his production is attested to with the illustrated analyzes of other European monarchies, especially that of the French, which permits us to define his work as a contribution to the "philosophical history" of the Enlightenment. On the other hand, we investigate to what extent his historical analysis sought answers to the problems faced by the ruling class of the Portuguese Empire. Therefore, the present study aims to demonstrate how Ribeiro Sanches' contribution to "philosophical history" was an attempt to understand the supposed Portuguese decadence since the end of the Renaissance.
Keywords:
Ribeiro Sanches; Portuguese Monarchy; Philosophical History