O Mito do Progresso: o (des)balanço de ciências puras e aplicadas durante o regime militar

Abstract

During the Military Dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1985), the regime promised modernization and technological progress, but in practice, it revealed a contradiction between promises and reality. Despite the official discourse on scientific advancement, priority was given to applied science for commercial and industrial development, while academic science conducted in universities faced a repressive environment. Due to the interdependence between these two modes of science, the oppression in the academic sphere hindered research, creating a system doomed to face problems over time. Thus, this article investigates how academic repression and the focus on applied science for industry and commerce compromised innovation and the advancement of scientific knowledge in Brazil. For this analysis, both qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches were employed, using official documents, decrees, presidential messages, and the journal Ciência Hoje as historical sources. Finally, this research revealed how the authoritarianism of the military coup leaders in universities appropriately affected the development of pure science in Brazil.