Philosophy, Mysticism, and World Empires: Elements of the Philosophy of Olavo de Carvalho

Abstract

Olavo de Carvalho is one of the most important names of current Brazilian philosophy. For almost 30 years he has written essays on classical philosophy, political science, and traditional symbolism. Recently, he has emerged in the political scene as a sort of “anomaly,” having no formal associations with academia, but with a strong influence on the current Brazilian presidency. Since the vast majority of his published works are in Portuguese, the international academic audience is still wanting of a proper introduction to his writings. This essay seeks to answer this need, analyzing three aspects of Carvalho’s thought: his philosophical principles and methodology, his macro-vision of history and political philosophy, and his analysis of contemporary geopolitics. At the end, we conclude that Olavo de Carvalho is a remarkable philosopher, originally mixing classic influences with a spiritual vision of politics, even if some of his conclusions might be seen as “unorthodox.”