Abstract:
In this text, the representation of the Jesuit action in Portugal from the concept of decadence in the 1771 work Compendio histórico da Universidade de Coimbra is analyzed. The anti-Jesuit literature constructed by the Pombaline ministry describes the Jesuit period as a time of ‘darkness’. In addition to the debate between ancients and moderns, the perception of the Kingdom’s decadence recurrent in the writings of the Portuguese scholars reinforced the Ignatians’ responsibility for this scenario. They are seen as the internal enemy that conspires and machinates against the social body, and through their Statutes, they caused the decay of the University of Coimbra. The analysis seeks to deepen the understanding of the anti-Jesuit rhetoric of the Pombaline ministry and to understand the changes in modern education paradigms in the Portuguese context.
Keywords:
anti-jesuitism; jesuits; pombaline reforms; University of Coimbra