Abstract
This essay presents two readings of the book Empresário Industrial e Desenvolvimento Econômico, by Fernando Henrique Cardoso, found in the entrepreneurship literature in Brazil. More specifically, it shows how authors who followed Cardoso read the political action of industrial entrepreneurs in his work. The article seeks to offer an alternative reading of Cardoso’s work, developing a two-fold argument. First, it questions these readings about industrial entrepreneurship in Brazil, using the author’s own work. Next, it clarifies Cardoso’s method and its incompatibility with the reading proposed by his critics. All this to show that Cardoso seized the specific determinations of the national bourgeoisie and its political behavior, without appealing to foreign examples.
Keywords:
Brazilian Political and Social thought; Fernando Henrique Cardoso; Economic Development; National Bourgeoisie; Industrial Entrepreneur