On the Writing of History of Science in Brazil in the Second Half of the 20th Century

What is inside and outside

Abstract

The present article is elaborated in two parts. In the first part, we present a survey of authors and their works that throughout the second half of the 20th century, developed significant references for the history of science in Brazil, establishing and consolidating this field of studies in the country, with an exacerbated emphasis on the historical aspects that occurred in Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. In the second part of the article, we present a concrete historical experience in the 19th century, in the province of Ceará, totally disregarded by the traditional and the current historiographic production of history of science. This situation ultimately raises the question: What is the history of Brazilian science? What are the determinants of the history of science in Brazil? To what extent is the history of science in Brazil national?