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Tradition, Law, and Politics

ABSTRACT

To which extent does the Brazilian legal fit into the Western tradition or, at least, in the individualist Western tradition represented in the classic texts, mainly political philosophy texts? To which extent are we not the Other in the West? This article argues that this issue remains obscured by a characteristic of the social system lying within public institutions, namely a fissure between two languages that are conceived as distinct and opposed. Thus, on one side, there are normative instruments and the institutional discourse; on the other one, backstage maneuverings and, among them, reciprocity. This article defends that rupture is the logically preceding phenomenon and that the daily practice of politics can be understood as a form of dialogue.

language; identity; tradition; law; politics

Instituto de Estudos Sociais e Políticos (IESP) da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) R. da Matriz, 82, Botafogo, 22260-100 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil, Tel. (55 21) 2266-8300, Fax: (55 21) 2266-8345 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brazil
E-mail: dados@iesp.uerj.br